Claiming His Bride

by Marie Medina

  “I … didn’t know where you were. I worried a little.”

  “I’m sorry for that. I thought you might not want to see me tonight.”

  “There’s no reason for you to sleep here. We can talk about it some more, just not now.” Actually seeing him trying to sleep on the couch in his rumpled clothes made her feel guilty.

  “Sleep was proving elusive without you beside me.” He rose and came toward her, looking far too handsome and powerful. Taking the candle, he looked down into her eyes. “I planned a very different scene for telling you I had fallen in love with you, Victoria. It’s not something that should be expressed in anger.”

  So he had meant his parting words? But even if he meant them, they might not be true. Could he truly love someone he thought deceitful, or was he only fooling himself because of their frequent marital congress? Or perhaps he didn’t want to be unhappy simply because his marriage had been arranged, which made him stubbornly insist he’d fallen in love with her? His revelation earlier had convinced her that she didn’t know him as well as she believed she did. She didn’t want to debate the issue standing in the dark in the middle of the night though. “Bastian, I don’t know what to say right now.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. We can talk about it when you’re ready.” He put his hand in the small of her back, guiding her to the door. “I’ve kept you up long enough. I didn’t imagine you would sit up waiting for me to come to bed.”

  “I couldn’t sleep either.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She only nodded, still unable to find the words to explain to him what she was feeling.

  When they reached their room, she sat on the bed as he changed quickly, tossing his clothes on a chair. She removed her dressing gown and moved under the covers when he went to his side and turned the sheets down. He didn’t get into bed, and she looked up to find him staring at her. She held his gaze, and he climbed into bed.

  “Good night, Victoria.” He leaned forward and cupped her face, kissing her temple.

  “Good night.”

  They both lay down, and she stared up at the ceiling. She doubted either of them would fall asleep this way, but she stayed on her back. She didn’t want to turn away from him, but she knew if she turned toward him she’d end up in his arms. Did she mean it as a punishment? She didn’t think so, but she’d slept in his arms every night since their wedding.

  But she still didn’t understand his perspective. How could he make love to her, say such sweet, tender words, when he believed she loved another? More importantly, how could he have fallen in love with her if he had believed her unfaithful, at least in her heart? She couldn’t decide if she believed him or not. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep as she listened to the soft breathing of the man she didn’t understand.

  ****

  Bastian slipped out of bed long before dawn, unable to remain so close to Victoria and not touch her. He dressed quietly in the bathroom and went out to the garden to think. She talked in her sleep regularly, and last night her murmurs and sighs had nearly driven him mad.

  While he couldn’t blame her for the way she felt, he didn’t feel he had been in the wrong. He had been deceptive, yes, but he’d done so to bide his time and preserve the peace in his new marriage. As hard as he thought, he saw no other alternative.

  Did she believe his declaration of love? Did she even want his love now? The thought of her outright rejection pained him. He couldn’t imagine living with her the rest of his life and never being allowed to express his love. She didn’t seem like the type to “punish” a man, but he did believe she would shy away from him if she no longer trusted him.

  He considered that point as he walked back to the house. He’d lost her trust because he hadn’t trusted her. Grudgingly, he admitted the validity of that point. He would apologize for that specifically when she gave him the chance. Thinking it best to keep his distance and give her time, he went to his study to watch the sun as it rose. If he went up to the bedroom, he suspected he’d crawl back into bed with her.

  Having slept fitfully, he fell asleep in his desk chair and didn’t wake up until almost eleven. Agatha informed him that Victoria had gone to return a visit from the vicar’s wife. He nodded and went upstairs. However, he didn’t stay in their bedroom for very long. He’d seduced her either on or against every piece of furniture in the room. He changed into his riding clothes and went out to the stable.

  A long, hard ride might not banish her from his thoughts, but at least it would serve as a temporary distraction from the aches in his body and his heart.

  ****

  Victoria returned in time for dinner, but she had it sent up to her parlor, which was across from her and Bastian’s bedroom. Upon her return, she’d been told he was in his study, so she’d told the staff to serve him in there, if he preferred. She didn’t mean it as a snub, but she thought making him sit in the dining room alone might be worse. She was still angry, and she had no idea what to say to him. She considered writing him a note, but she knew a second round of apologies from him would only make all of her anger melt away.

  What she truly wanted, more than anything, more than any apology, was to understand why. A strange man sent her flowers on her wedding day, and yet her husband said nothing? She considered it laughable, though laughing was the last thing she desired to do at the moment. Part of her wanted to fully accept jealousy as a valid excuse—and perhaps to men it was a very valid one—but she couldn’t accept that excuse without stronger backing. That same part of her traitorously remembered that he had claimed she was the one subduing him every time they touched, and replaying those words in her mind made her long for him to show her exactly how much power she did have over him. But the rest of her rebelled against that. He’d lied to her with great ease, and that frightened her.

  She couldn’t make herself say so the night before, but she’d had fallen in love with him, too. He’d begun the claiming of her heart on their wedding night when he’d so tenderly shown her how happy a man and woman could make each other. Even with his strange behavior—which she now understood, for better or worse—and all of his flaws, he’d won her heart. But because they’d never exchanged any words of love, she’d kept silent. If she’d told him she loved him, would he have questioned her? Confronted her about William? When had he planned on telling her about his own feelings? The ease of his other deception made her worry, for if she found out he did not truly love her, her heart would surely break.

  She moaned in frustration. He’d seemed so incredulous when she’d delineated all the reasons she couldn’t believe or trust him. What would he have to say to her tonight? Since she hadn’t made him sleep in his study the night before, she had no reason to believe he would sleep elsewhere tonight.

  She put down the book she’d been holding but not reading and extinguished all the candles. Glancing up and down the hallway, she hurried across to the bedroom. She wasn’t exactly scared of this William, whoever he was, but she still felt a little apprehensive. It truly could all be one big misunderstanding, but every time she settled her mind on that, she had doubts. A month was a very long time for a misunderstanding to go on. She thought of Liam. It couldn’t be him. He’d been infatuated with one of the maids who worked at Lady Winterbourne’s townhouse, and he’d been very happy to return home despite the sad circumstances. He was a straightforward young man, and even if he’d believe his suit were hopeless, he would have revealed his feelings before he left. The letter she’d received implied a relationship that both parties knew about.

  Unless this person were in fact unstable in some way. She hurried to the dressing room, trying not to dwell on that while she changed. As she sat brushing her hair, she heard the door to the bedroom open and then close. She put her brush down and debated what to do. But before she could come to any conclusion, Bastian came into the room. He hesitated as their eyes met, but then he moved forward, brushed his fingers over her hair very lightly, and kissed the top of her hea
d. He moved away quickly and began to undress.

  “Did you have a pleasant visit at the vicarage?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Good.” He went into the bathroom without saying anything else.

  While she appreciated the absence of any pressure to talk about the day before, she wished he’d made some kind of effort. She shook her head, feeling like a hypocrite. He’d said he could wait until she was ready, so she couldn’t fault him for keeping his promise.

  She went to bed and got under the covers. Ten minutes later, he emerged and began extinguishing the few candles she’d left burning. He didn’t look at her, so she lay down and pulled the covers up to just below her breasts. He sat on the bed, but he made no move to extinguish the final candle or get under the covers.

  Did he expect her to say something? Was he trying to work up to something? The longer he sat there, the more she wanted him to slip under the covers and take her into his arms. Finally, he turned and inched closer. He put one arm on the other side of her body, bracing himself to lean over her. She couldn’t break their eye contact. Again, he stroked her hair lightly and kissed the top of her head.

  “Good night.”

  Her breath came out shakily. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath. His eyes darkened, and he leaned close again.

  She turned her head so his lips met her cheek. “Good night, Bastian.”

  He drew away, and she squeezed her eyes shut, turning away and clutching the blankets to her chest. She heard him sigh, but he made no further move. He blew out the candle and got into bed. If he wanted to hold her as much as she wanted to be held, they were both in for another restless night.

  Chapter Five

  Victoria shouldn’t have been surprised when she woke in Bastian’s arms, as he’d filled her dreams all night. His warm breath caressed her neck, his lips almost touching her flesh. The hard length of his body pressed against her back. She stirred, realizing they were on his side of the bed. Even though she’d been determined to resist, she’d still gone into his arms in her sleep. He moaned and tightened his grip as she turned over and tried to free herself from his embrace.

  “Please don’t go, Victoria,” he whispered against her ear as he pulled her back against his chest.

  “Bastian, let me go.”

  He didn’t release her. “Please stay and listen.”

  “All right.” She didn’t turn to look at him though.

  “I thought about what you said. You’re right. My actions were the wrong ones. I honestly hoped this man would simply go away. Then I wouldn’t have to think about him. I wouldn’t have to hear you tell me you loved another. I wouldn’t have to know that you would have preferred marrying him.”

  “Why didn’t you explain when I said I didn’t know anyone named William?”

  “We had only been married two days. I thought you would be angry about what I’d done.”

  She sighed. “So you kept doing it for a whole month? You didn’t think that would make it even worse?”

  “I’m sorry. I was only thinking of myself. It never occurred to me this would hurt you.”

  She finally rolled over to look at him. “You truly thought it would all simply go away?”

  “No. I kept asking myself that yesterday. You had every right to be upset. I’m sorry I lost my temper, sorry I didn’t consider your feelings.”

  “We have to get ready soon. The Winterbourne’s party is this afternoon.”

  He groaned. “I don’t want to go to a party. I want to stay right here and convince you I’ve learned my lesson.”

  “I think you have. You said I should always ask for anything I want. I want my husband to trust me. I want him to talk to me. Ask me anything, talk to me about everything.” She touched his cheek, and he immediately turned his head to kiss her palm. “You apologized for not thinking of my feelings. That’s what I truly wanted. I still don’t completely understand your reasoning, but our situation is somewhat unusual, so I can see why you were worried about a confrontation. Your motivations make a little more sense now.”

  “Only a little?” he teased.

  She smiled. “It’s a start.”

  “What do you want me to do to find out who this man is? We’ll solve this problem together, as we should have.”

  She considered this. They couldn’t just go around asking their friends about a man named William. “I don’t know. Anyone we ask will expect us to explain if we aren’t subtle.” She sat up and pulled her legs against her chest.

  “Are you frightened now? We’ll be safe at Lord Winterbourne’s house, I promise.”

  “I am a little, but more than that I’m still just baffled.”

  “I know, darling.” He got out of bed and pulled her into his arms, carrying her across the room.

  “What are you doing? We need to get ready.”

  “I thought we could save time by sharing a bath. My dreams were full of you, but that still wasn’t enough.”

  When he set her back on her feet, she put her arms around his neck and smiled. “I dreamt of you, too,” she confessed.

  As he drew her into a kiss, she knew they were going to arrive at the party more than fashionably late.

  ****

  Bastian watched Victoria talking with her mother. They had compared notes twice, but thus far they had come up with nothing. She had uncovered two Williams who were old enough to be her grandfather, and he had discovered one who was only seven years old. He would have preferred spending the party with her, especially as she had forgiven him so much more readily than he had anticipated. It gave him hope that, though she hadn’t said anything about his declaration, she was pleased by it. Thinking about her moving against him in the tub that morning distracted him momentarily. Lady Winterbourne had to tap him a second time to get his attention.

  “Yes, Lady Winterbourne? I’m so sorry. I was distracted.”

  She smiled and swatted him with her fan. “I don’t blame you for being distracted by your pretty wife. She’s glowing, my boy.”

  He smiled back at her. “Yes, she is. How is your husband?”

  She scanned the room. “Well enough. He’s flitting about somewhere with one of the grandchildren. He does love these daytime functions, showing off the little ones. But I came to say there is someone at the tradesman’s entrance looking for your wife. I happened to be talking to one of the maids when he came up. I told him I would find her, but I thought it best to tell you. He looks vaguely familiar, but he would not give his name. That bothered me. I told Emily not to leave him alone.”

  “Lady Winterbourne, you may have just made my day.” He took her hand and kissed it, making her laugh, and then he dashed off toward the back of the house. When he rounded the corner, he saw a redheaded maid talking to a handsome young man. He was well dressed, but not well enough to put him in Victoria’s circle of acquaintances.

  “Thank you, Emily,” Bastian said. He waited until she had nodded and gone back to the kitchen before turning to the man. “How can I help you?”

  He nodded, but only slightly, and adjusted his collar, looking nervous yet determined. “I actually needed to speak with your wife, Lord Aslet.”

  “What could concern my wife that I cannot know?”

  He maintained eye contact with Bastian, but he kept clenching his hands in obvious agitation. “It’s a private matter, my lord.”

  “My wife should not have any private matters with other men.”

  The man’s face grew red. “Well, my lord, she does.”

  Bastian narrowed his eyes. “I think we need to step outside, William.”

  William narrowed his eyes, too. “If you know my name, then you know exactly what this is about.”

  Bastian grasped the man by the collar and dragged him to the door. Once they were outside, William pulled free.

  “So because your family is titled, you think you can treat people however you please?”

  “I can treat a man harassing my wife any way I
like. She was quite baffled by your letter. She claims she doesn’t know a man named William.”

  The man hesitated, looking confused for a moment. “She’s probably trying to protect me. I’ve been away, and we didn’t write so as not to arouse suspicion. I had to settle some matters before we could be together. Business delayed me, so I couldn’t stop the wedding, but I didn’t give up.”

  “My wife says she does not know you. I will not let you speak to her.”

  William looked ready to punch him, so Bastian braced himself. He didn’t want to cause a scene, but he was not letting this insolent man near his wife.

  “Very well. We are positioned in your milieu, in your high and exalted world, so I suppose I have to back down. If I can’t speak with Isabella now, I’ll find another way.”

  Bastian stared for a moment, and then he laughed out loud. Where had this man been that he didn’t know what had happened? His eyes widened as he realized William must be the father of Isabella’s child.

  “What the devil are you laughing at?” William demanded.

  “Indulge me by telling me who you believe I am married to.”

  “I beg your pardon, my lord?”

  “My wife’s name is Victoria.”

  William took a step forward. “But Isabella told me she was supposed to marry you. I promised her I would be here to stop the wedding. However, my carriage broke down. I arrived only to be told that the bride and groom had gone to their hotel.”

  “And how long has it been since you had a letter from her?”

  William’s face flushed. “I already told you. We didn’t exchange letters at all. When she told me about this marriage, I left to invest in a business venture with my uncle. I can now provide a home for her, even if it is not as grand as her father’s.”

  “She’s been keeping your secret quite well. She’s in Wales, waiting to give birth to a child I am going to assume is yours.”

  The man paled. “Child?”

  “Yes, a child. Isabella couldn’t fit into her wedding dress, so our fathers made different arrangements.”