"One night of my brother's poor judgment should not be enough to ruin my life," Nathaniel said.
"It will hardly ruin your life if we are being fair," his father said softly. "Your brother is the heir. With each son he fathers you are further and further away from a title. Your marriage prospects are already limited."
"I should at least marry a werewolf and be guaranteed to father were-children," Nathaniel said though he immediately wished he had not.
"Just like I was?"
"You know I did not mean any such thing by that," Nathaniel said. Mercy being a non-were had been the bane of their father's existence. It was not unheard of. There had been one other instance in Wolstenholme history where a pack alpha fathered a non-were child but it had been assumed by everyone that the wife was a philanderer. His father had to accept that either he had fathered a non-were child or his wife had made a cuckold of him. Nathaniel did not believe his mother had ever been unfaithful. He had few memories of her but from what his father and brother had shared of her he believed she was a dutiful and faithful wife.
"I know that there is a woman in the next room who very well might be carrying my first grandson. I cannot ignore that. If you marry her then there is a chance the child in her is a were-child and that any other children you have will be were-children as well. You know I do not like this. I would much rather you find a nice she-wolf to marry but I also will not turn my back on my blood nor let my first grandchild be born a bastard. Your mother's ghost would haunt me to an early grave if I did that."
Nathaniel looked down at his shoes for a long moment before lifting his head and giving a slow nod. His father was right. There was only one choice that could be made.
"I will marry her."
His father was not wrong. There was honor at stake. There also was blood. The woman might be nothing but a trollop but that did not change the fact that the child she was carrying might well be a Wolstenholme and if the girl was carrying a Wolstenholme baby there would be hell to pay from the ghosts of his ancestors if they did not care for one of their own. Even cousins far removed lived on their land and served in their house because that was what family did. Especially were-family.
Besides, the only woman he really wanted was Vivian and it was clear she had no interest at all in him nor should she. She would end up married to an heir, not someone who would yearly grow further and further from a title as more and more nephews were born.
"Then it is settled," his father said. Nathaniel followed him back to the drawing room where the girl was still looking down at her dress or perhaps the bulge of her stomach where some child grew.
"Your daughter will marry my younger son. He has no title and almost no hope of ever getting one so I hope you understand that if this was some trick to marry into the peerage you have wasted it. Still, the child will have a proper name and the best care we can give," Marquess Wolstenholme said. Sophronia shivered with the sudden cold she felt but she did not speak nor look up. There was nothing to see. Her fate was being decided without her.
"My girl was not trying to hook some duke. She has an inheritance. She could have gotten a good marriage without any kind of tricks. It was your son that seduced and violated her," her father said. She was somewhat surprised to hear him defend her but it did not matter now anyways. Her fate was being sealed and she was to be left with strangers.
"We can disagree on the circumstances that have led up to this unfortunate situation," Marquess Wolstenholme said. "My younger son will marry your daughter but she must agree that no one is to know that Eldon is the father. If anyone questions her she is to say that it was Nathaniel who she had an ill advised encounter with. The baby inside her belongs to my younger son. It will not be the same life as if he was the legitimate child of my elder son but it will be better than belonging to a single woman who let a man sire a child on her without the benefit of marriage."
"You will not add to your shame by telling people that your husband did not father your child, will you?" her father asked.
"No," Sophronia said. It did not matter who fathered her child or who she married. Her life was ruined. Her plans were ruined. There was no chance of an education. Nor of fighting to abolish slavery in the south. Now, she would not live any kind of useful and adventurous life. Instead, she would simply languish as a wife to an untitled nobleman and the mother of an illegitimate child.
"We will arrange for a special license and the marriage will take place as soon as possible. I hope you can accept that it will be a simple affair. Just family in the private chapel," Marquess Wolstenholme said.
Sophronia nodded even though she was sure the question had actually been towards her father. She would never have a fancy wedding nor a fantasy honeymoon and it would be only a shame on her if she tried. Her pregnancy was impossible to hide and a private wedding would bring less shame then a publicly pregnant bride.
"Owen, go and fetch Mercy. I believe we should allow her the chance to help her soon to be sister settle in."
"If someone would show me the way I could settle myself in," Sophronia said.
"I am afraid that is not how things are done here."
"I will send over her things as soon as I can," her father said. She wished they had thought to bring a trunk of her belongings. It had taken them most of the day to get to Wolstenholme and her father would not return to their lodgings until morning. Once there he would order the maid to pack her things and it was impossible to say when her filled trunks would arrive.
"Until then, I am sure that nightclothes and a spare gown can be found."
"Thank you," her father said. She supposed he should be grateful. The Marquess had solved his problem and taken his errant daughter off his hands. She should be grateful as well but she felt trapped.
Chapter 3
Nathaniel shut the door to his chamber just as two large dogs rushed forward to greet him. He fell to his knees to wrap his arms around the neck of each and give them a greeting hug. Snow and Winter were his constant companions. They were pups from his very first litter and both were now too old to birth any further litters. The younger dogs preferred wandering the estate but Snow and Winter, in their old age, liked the warmth of the house. Besides, back when they were born he had not been selectively breeding for thick coats. Now, his dogs all had coats warm enough for the coldest winter nights but that could be brushed to a thin layer in the warmer summer months. The coats had the added benefit of being just the right texture to spin into yarn. It was not near as efficient as wool of a sheep but it was warm and soft nonetheless and something he had begun breeding for as soon as he realized the quality. Mercy had actually been the one to suggest it and a servant had attempted to spin the hair and made a very fine yarn. Then the servant had used the yarn to knit socks and he had been impressed by both their quality and warmth.
"It has been a rough night," he confessed to the dogs as he took off his boots. He rang the bell and a moment later Reggie appeared. Reggie had been a footman as a youth and then worked his way up to a valet. These days he performed valet duties for both Eldon and Nathaniel while their father had his own personal valet.
"I am retiring early," Nathaniel explained. Reggie helped him out of his clothes and into a longcloth nightshirt. The ball was still going on downstairs but he did not feel like joining in and now there really was no point anyways. Even if he danced with the woman of his dreams he was still duty bound to marry the American girl carrying his brother's child.
"Will that be all?" Reggie asked after his bed was turned down. Nathaniel nodded. Once Reggie had left he climbed into bed. Snow and Winter joined him and the warmth from the dogs removed any need for a fire.
He decided he should be grateful that his marriage was not a love match. Some husbands who fell in love with their wives shared a room with them. There was no room in his bed for both a woman and his dogs and he much preferred the company of his dogs; unlike Eldon who had left Claire's bed every morning since their marriage had taken plac
e. He had run into his brother several times in the hallways but even if he had not seen his brother sneaking in the hallways he would have known. His brother's room was beside his own and the sound of him pacing at night had often bothered Nathaniel's sleep and kept his dogs on high alert. In the last fortnight they had all been sleeping much more peacefully though Nathaniel was pretty sure that peaceful sleep would not be possible tonight.
"It is not much but I hope it will do until better arrangements can be made," Mercy said as they entered a bedchamber that was small but adequate for a single guest.
"I wish your servants could have been given more notice of my visit," Sophronia said.
"I do suppose that was not possible. I am sorry for your circumstance," Mercy said taking Sophronia's hand. The girl was young and pretty. Sophronia doubted that she had ever known any true hardship in her life from her gentle gaze. The girl had heart. She would be a finer sister than the sisters she had left in America.
"I never expected it to happen," Sophronia said.
"May I inquire as to how it happened?" Mercy asked.
"In the usual way," Sophronia said. Mercy chuckled.
"I meant the circumstances. It is out of character for Nathaniel to do something so ungentlemanly."
"There was a ball that I was invited to. Several of my acquaintances were going. They were daughters of my father's associates. My father thought it would be good for me. The ballroom got so hot and the music combined with the heat gave me a headache. I needed to escape for a time. The retiring room was nearly full but one of the women suggested that the library might be a place where I could rest in quiet.
I entered the library and laid down on a chaise lounge there. I think I may have fallen asleep for a bit but I cannot be sure. I was awoken by a gentleman kissing me."
"I cannot imagine Nathaniel being so bold!" Mercy said clearly indignant at her brother's poor behavior.
"He was heavily drunk."
"I have never known Nathaniel to drink in excess."
"If he was not used to drink that could explain his forwardness. Of course I protested and he apologized. He sat down beside me and we talked for a bit. I was still feeling the affects of the headache so I could not tell you now what we spoke of," Sophronia said. That was not true. She could almost recount word for word the things Eldon had said but doing so would surely give away her secret.
"Most likely his dogs. It is the thing my brother most likes to speak of."
"I suppose it could have been," Sophronia said. "He had a flask with him and he offered me a drink. My mother is quite opposed to spirits so I had never indulged. I knew I should not but I was not thinking clearly."
"It is so unusual of Nathaniel," Mercy said shaking her head. "Please tell me my brother did not force you."
"No. It was the drink. I cannot blame anything that happened on anything but the drink," Sophronia said. In truth the spirits had tasted so foul and burned her throat so much that she had gulped more than she should have. At the time she had only thought of upsetting her mother. Then, she did remember Eldon kissing her again. She had awoken in her own room and thought everything a dream but the girls she had been out with said they had found her in the library with her clothes ruffled and disarrayed. They had hid her condition as best they could by saying to their chaperone that she was unwell and had fainted. They had been very kind to her and she was thankful.
"I am sorry that you have come to our family in such a way."
"As am I," Sophronia said.
"Soon it will all be in the past. You will soon be a Wolstenholme by marriage and everything will be corrected as much as it can," Mercy assured her. She rung a bell and a maid appeared.
"This is Ruth. She will assist you in getting into the spare nightgown we located for you. It appears we are similar heights though it may be tight around your middle."
"I am grateful anyways," Sophronia assured her.
After Mercy had left and the maid had helped her into her nightgown and turned back her sheets Sophronia climbed into bed.
"Tomorrow we will see what can be done about some clothes. These will not do at all. That babe needs room to grow," Ruth said putting away the dress Sophronia had been wearing.
Sophronia nodded. Her clothes were bordering on uncomfortable now. She had not given much thought to the babe inside her but now she thought that the maid might be right and that perhaps such tight clothes had stunted the child's growth. She had not meant to do the babe any harm. Really, other than concealing its existence she had given it very little thought at all.
Chapter 4
"Sophronia chose to take her breakfast in her room," Mercy told Nathaniel as soon as he seated himself at the table after filling his plate from the choices on the sideboard. He had been up early to see to his dogs and he was feeling ravenous now.
He spread marmalade on a roll and nodded to Mercy who was cutting a piece of kipper into delicate lady like pieces.
"I was terribly nervous on my wedding day. Do you think perhaps she is overwhelmed with emotions?" Claire asked. She was delicately removing the shell of a boiled egg.
"I think perhaps there is less for her to be nervous of than there was for you," Eldon said. He had chosen to forgo food and instead was sipping ale.
"I don't think that is true. I knew you for many years before marriage. She is a recent acquaintance is she not?" Claire asked looking towards Nathaniel.
"Very recent," Nathaniel said biting into his roll.
"I had not meant nervous about the groom. I meant nervous about the wedding night. Obviously she knows what all that is about," Eldon said.
"Perhaps this is not a topic we should speak of with your sister in the room," Claire said softly.
Eldon looked over at Mercy whose cheeks had pinked and then nodded and said, "Quite."
"I suppose it is also possible that she may be nervous about her manners. I do not know how I would feel dining at an American table. How would one know if they were acting properly or not?" Mercy said.
"I do not think it matters much to them about propriety," Eldon said.
"Do you think we should broach the subject with her and ask if she needs any assistance learning our ways?" Claire asked.
"I think you should leave the girl alone," Eldon said. "She is not really one of us and never will be whether or not the babe in her belly ends up a were-child."
"You can hardly expect us not to treat her as a sister," Claire said.
"Why would you?" Eldon asked.
"She is marrying Nathaniel," Mercy said.
"Under the worst of circumstances," Eldon said. Nathaniel brought his hands to his lap to hide the clenching of his fists. Was his brother too drunk to remember whose baby the chit carried inside her? It hadn't been him in the bed with her. Had his brother forgotten?
"Suppose we talk on better topics. I am afraid my food will not digest properly with such unhappy talk," Mercy said.
"Brother, have you found a way yet to improve on racing dogs?" Eldon asked. His tone indicated he was poking fun but Claire and Mercy looked over at him expectantly.
"Not yet but you will be the first I alert when I do."
"Only to compete with my dogs. I have had Dalton working with them. I daresay that the newest pups will be able to best my father-in laws."
Dalton was the groom who tended to the household dogs. Nathaniel had hired a groom especially for his. Jonah had an affinity for dogs much in the same way he did. He did not see them as a substitute for horses as Dalton did but as a special creature all on their own. Eldon wanted dogs that could race while pulling a carriage which was well enough but the dogs Nathaniel was breeding were made for stamina more than speed as well as hunting prowess. They were not built for racing sports.
"In my father's defense, my stepmother does not allow him as much time to train with his dogs. She likes him to join her while she receives visitors. She thinks it will help his business success to rub elbows with the wives and daughters of the elite
who she is well acquainted with," Claire said.
"At our wedding I asked your father about letting me use one of his dogs as a sire. Blaze is the only one none of mine have been able to beat," Eldon said. "He refused me of course."
"I am sure he did not want to give you any unfair advantage," Claire said.
"I have a perfect bitch to breed him to. Sires are important but it is the bitches that make or break the quality of pup."
Nathaniel's food suddenly looked unappealing to him. He had only managed the roll but he no longer had the stomach for the rest.
He pushed his chair away from the table.
"You should stop by the study to see if father has returned with the special license yet," Mercy said.
"I will do that," Nathaniel said though he had no intention of it. He wanted to be out with his dogs. He did not want to deal with either his bride or his marriage until the last possible moment.
Sophronia took a sip of tea before returning to her letter which was not coming easily. Letters to her mother rarely did.
She had so far written:
Dearest Mother,
Her greeting was more out of politeness than the feelings of her heart.
She dipped her pen in the inkwell and pushed on.
You will be pleased to know that I have fallen in love with the younger son of Marquess Wolstenholme and I will be marrying him this day.
It was better if she told her mother a fictitious story of her circumstances than leaving the details to her father.
I will be remaining on the Wolstenholme estate which I knew would please you. By the time father returns to you with this letter I fully expect to be carrying my dear husband's child.
Sophronia winced at that line. How many lies could one letter contain before it was more fiction than letter?
I wish you and my dear sisters well. I hope you can find matches for them of the love and prestige I found for myself.
The Wolf's Pregnant Bride Page 2
