Splendid

Emma gulped and nodded, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor. She was starting to feel a little ashamed of her tantrum. It was probably very natural for Alex to assume that they would get married now that they had slept together. But nothing seemed to provoke her ire like his highhanded manner, and something within her had snapped when he simply announced their forthcoming nuptials. Now, as she looked hesitantly at his still-furious visage, she quickly realized that for all her outspokenness, she wasn’t brave enough to venture a word.

  Ten minutes later she was hustled into a carriage, and with dismay she noticed that the first streaks of dawn were beginning to light the sky. The servants at the Blydon household would already have begun their morning chores. They would notice her unconventional arrival and tell their friends who worked in other households, who in turn would tell their employers. Emma sighed wearily. There would be no avoiding a scandal.

  It wasn’t a long ride home, but by the time the carriage pulled up in front of the Blydon mansion the sun had risen, and London was beginning to wake up. Alex quickly jumped down, practically dragging Emma along with him.

  “There is no need to be so rough, your grace,” Emma said indignantly as she stumbled up the steps behind him.

  Alex whirled around and took her chin in his hand, holding her face up so that she could not avoid looking him straight in the eye. “My name is Alex,” he said sharply. “Since we will be married this weekend, I would appreciate it if you would remember that.”

  “This weekend?” Emma said weakly.

  Alex didn’t answer; he just started banging furiously on the door.

  “For God’s sake, Alex! I have a key!” Emma grabbed at his arms, trying to stop the noise. She pulled the key from her pocket and let them in. “Now will you go?” she pleaded. “I can see myself up to my bedroom.”

  Alex flashed her a wicked smile. “Henry!” he bellowed. “Caroline!”

  “What are you doing?” Emma hissed. “Are you determined to ruin me?”

  “I am determined to marry you.”

  “What is going on here?”

  Emma looked up. Henry and Caroline were scurrying down the curved staircase, looking at the couple in the hall with expressions of confusion and shock.

  Alex planted his hands on his hips. “I have thoroughly compromised your niece,” he declared. “Will you please insist that she marry me?”

  Caroline didn’t bat an eyelash. “This,” she announced, “is most peculiar.”

  Chapter 20

  Emma bit her lip and did her best to stand up straight. Her knees were knocking, her pulse was racing, and her mind was screaming out with self-recrimination. She closed her eyes in anguish. This time she had really done it.

  Her uncle Henry looked as if he might explode. “Get up to your room this instant,” he snapped, poking his finger in Emma’s direction. Her eyes widened, and she fled up the stairs, not daring even one backward glance.

  From her position next to Ned on the first-floor landing, Belle gasped as Emma flew by. She had never, ever seen her father this angry.

  “And you,” Henry bit out, turning his wrath toward Alex and completely ignoring the younger man’s higher rank, “into my study. I’ll deal with you just as soon as I speak with my wife.”

  Alex nodded curtly and exited the hall.

  “And to my two obedient children,” Henry called out without turning. “I suggest you both go to your rooms as well and meditate on why you did not see fit to inform your mother and me of your cousin’s whereabouts last night.”

  Belle and Ned left with alacrity.

  When Henry was finally alone with his wife (even the servants had wisely quit the scene), he turned to her and sighed. “Well, my dear?”

  Caroline smiled wearily, hugging her arms to herself. “I cannot deny that I was hoping this would happen. Only I was hoping it would happen after a wedding ceremony.”

  Henry leaned over and kissed his wife, feeling some of his initial furor deflate. “Why don’t you go upstairs and tend to Emma? I’ll take care of Ashbourne.” With that, he sighed again and slowly walked to his study. When he arrived, Alex was standing by the window, arms crossed as he stared out at the wisps of orange and pink that were still streaked across the early morning sky.

  “I don’t know whether to toss you through that window or shake your hand and say, ‘Well done! ’” Henry said in a tired voice.

  Alex turned around but didn’t reply.

  Henry crossed the room to a decanter that sat on a side table. “Would you care for a whiskey?” He glanced at a clock and winced when he saw that it was only twenty minutes past five. “I realize that it’s a bit early to be drinking, but this has been a rather uncommon morning, don’t you think?”

  Alex nodded. “A drink would be most appreciated, thank you.”

  Henry poured a glass and held it out “Please, have a seat.”

  “I’d rather stand, thank you.”

  Henry poured another glass for himself. “I’d rather you sat.”

  Alex sat.

  A light smile touched Henry’s face. “I imagine you outweigh me by at least a stone, so I’ll dispense with the window idea, I think.”

  “I would have difficulty doing the same if I were in your position,” Alex said softly.

  “Would you? That’s a good sign. But I’m afraid we mellow a bit as we get older. I’m not as rash as I used to be. However, it does appear that my niece was compromised last night.” He took a drink and then looked Alex straight in the eye. “And you do appear to be the one who did the compromising. I can hardly cheer you on for that.”

  “I intend to marry her.” Alex’s tone was resolute.

  “Does she intend to marry you?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Do you think she wants to marry you?”

  “She says she doesn’t, but she does.”

  Henry placed his glass down gently and crossed his arms as he leaned against the edge of his desk. “That’s a bit patronizing of you, don’t you think?”

  Alex flushed. “Two days ago she came to my home—unescorted—and asked me to marry her,” he said somewhat defensively.

  Henry quirked a brow. “Really?”

  “I accepted.”

  “I can see that the two of you are now on excellent terms,” Henry said dryly.

  Alex shifted uncomfortably in his chair, telling himself over and over that as Emma’s uncle, Henry deserved some answers. Still, the entire scene was damned humiliating. “We had a misunderstanding. I, er, broke it off. But everything was resolved last night.”

  “So much can happen in twenty-four hours.”

  Alex wondered when it was that he’d lost any measure of control over the conversation. He took a deep breath and continued, feeling much like a scolded schoolboy. “This time, I proposed to her, but she refused because she’s so damned muleheaded.” He swore sullenly and slumped in his chair.

  “She is a handful, I’ll grant you that, but her father entrusted her into my care. I take my responsibilities to my family very seriously. And more importantly, I love Emma like a daughter.” Henry picked up his whiskey and held it in the air. “May I propose a toast to your forthcoming nuptials, your grace?”

  Alex looked up in surprise.

  “But be aware that I am granting my blessing to this marriage not because you have seduced Emma and not because you say it’s what Emma wants. I give you my blessing because I really do believe that this marriage is the best thing for my niece. I think that you are one of the few young men I know who is worthy of her, and I think that she will make you a good wife.” And then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “I also think that Emma really does want to marry you, but, as you said, she can be a bit muleheaded, and we may have a bit of trouble reminding her of that fact. For your sake, I hope we’re successful because I’m not going to force my niece to the altar with a pistol pointed at her back.”

  Alex smiled weakly and drained the rest of his whiskey.

  Emma was sta
ring out the window when Caroline entered her room, but her eyes refused to focus on the scene.

  “This is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” Caroline said as she let the door shut with a loud click.

  Emma slowly turned around, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Caroline. I never meant to shame you or your family. Please believe that.”

  Caroline took a deep breath. Emma needed comfort and support right now, not the scoldings she obviously expected. “What is this talk of my family? I only see our family.”

  Emma smiled tremulously.

  Caroline sat down in the chair at Emma’s dressing table. “It seems to me that you are going to have to make some serious decisions rather quickly.”

  “I don’t want to marry him, Aunt Caroline,” Emma said very quickly.

  “You don’t? Are you sure?”

  Emma’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t think I do.”

  “That’s very different.”

  Emma moved away from the window, kicked off her shoes, and sat atop her bed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Why don’t you tell me why you don’t want to marry Ashbourne?”

  “He’s so domineering. Do you realize he didn’t even ask me to marry him? He just stated it as if it were a fact. He didn’t even consult me!”

  Caroline took a deep breath, noting that her niece had regained a bit of her customary spirit. “Would this have been before or after you were, er, compromised?”

  Emma turned away. “After.”

  “I see. And do you not think that it was a fairly logical conclusion on Ashbourne’s part to assume that you, a gently bred young woman, would want to marry him after you had intimate relations?”

  “He could have asked me.” Emma clamped her lips shut in defiance but inwardly winced at how petty she sounded.

  “Yes,” Caroline agreed, “that was certainly remiss of him, but I’m not certain it is a good enough reason to refuse his offer.” She paused and leaned forward. “Unless, of course, you have another reason for rejecting him.”

  Emma gulped and caught her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Do you?”

  When Emma finally spoke, her voice was barely audible. “No.”

  “Well, that’s a start,” Caroline said efficiently, rising and walking over to the spot by the window that Emma had so recently vacated. “But then again, one ought not marry someone just because there aren’t any reasons not to. There ought to be a few good reasons why one should, don’t you think?” She took Emma’s silence as an affirmative and continued. “Is there any reason why marrying Ashbourne would be an extremely intelligent thing to do?” She looked Emma straight in the eye. “By intelligent I mean that it would be the next logical step in securing your future happiness.”

  Emma blinked a few times under her aunt’s scrutiny and nodded.

  “I thought so.” Caroline crossed her arms. “Do you love him?” she asked bluntly.

  Emma nodded, a tear running down her cheek.

  “Do you realize how close you came to ruining your chances of marrying the man you love?”

  Emma nodded again, feeling slightly sick inside.

  “Well, then, you might want to tame that stubborn and prideful streak of yours,” Caroline advised, sitting down next to Emma and pulling her into a motherly embrace. “Although I wouldn’t tame it altogether. You’re going to need some of that pride and stubbornness in a marriage with a man like that.”

  “I know,” Emma said, sniffling.

  Caroline placed a kiss on Emma’s forehead. “Dry your eyes now, dear. We need to go down and inform the men of your decision.” She stood up and walked to the door.

  “But what about my father?” Emma said suddenly. “I cannot marry without his permission. And the company…” That, she realized, was a feeble excuse, considering that she had been the first one to propose, a fact of which she had no doubt Caroline would soon be aware.

  “I think you’ve always known that Dunster Shipping was not your destiny. And as for your father— well, I’m afraid he is just going to have to trust our judgment. We might not have very much time to spare.”

  Emma’s eyes widened in horror as her gaze dropped involuntarily to her abdomen. Dear Lord, she hadn’t even considered a baby!

  “I see you catch my meaning.”

  When the two women entered Henry’s study a few moments later, Henry and Alex were sitting in companionable silence, nursing their whiskeys. Emma’s eyes narrowed slightly as she surveyed the scene. It didn’t appear as if her uncle had done any ranting or raging on behalf of her lost virtue. She sighed softly. Oh well, better to start her marriage off on a peaceful note.

  “Did you have something you wanted to share with us?” Henry asked, one eyebrow raised.

  Emma swallowed and plunged forward, turning her face toward Alex. “I would be honored to marry you, your grace.” She paused, tilting her chin up slightly. “If you would see fit to ask me.”

  Caroline groaned, and Henry rolled his eyes, but Alex could not stop a small smile from dancing across his face. He supposed that this was, after all, the reason he loved her so much. “Would you like me to get down on one knee?” he asked, looking deeply into Emma’s eyes.

  Emma nervously licked her lips. His tone was teasing, but somehow she knew that he would do it if she asked. “No,” she said, burning under his intense emerald gaze. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

  Alex’s smile widened just a bit as he looked down at Emma. She was still in Ned’s clothing and looked so endearing, standing there with her chin up as she tried to hold onto her pride. He longed to reach forward and tuck a lock of her bright hair behind her ear, but, mindful of Henry and Caroline’s presence, he took her hand instead and raised it to his lips. “Will you marry me?” he said softly.

  Emma nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak. Henry and Caroline, sensing that their work was done, quietly left the room, leaving Emma alone with Alex, her hand still at his lips.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get it right the first time,” he said softly.

  Emma felt a smile tugging across her lips. “Actually, I think that was the second time.”

  Alex nodded. “You are correct. But if you recall, I didn’t get it right the first time either.”

  Emma sighed, remembering the awful scene in Alex’s parlor. Good Lord, was that only two days ago? It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. “No, you didn’t,” she said softly. “But I think we ought to put all of that behind us. It would be nice if we could start our marriage on an optimistic note.”

  “I agree,” Alex replied, absently stroking her hand with his thumb. He wanted to pull her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her senseless. But he was a little afraid. Of what exactly, he wasn’t sure, but he somehow knew that his entire life hung in a very delicate balance, and he didn’t want to upset it. So he just stood there, stroking her hand, not knowing what to say, and feeling like a fool for being so unsure of himself. “I will try not to be so controlling,” he said finally, his voice grave.

  Emma’s eyes flew to his. He looked so serious, so earnest that it was difficult not to throw her arms around him. “I will try not to be so stubborn,” she replied.

  A ghost of a smile touched Alex’s face as he gathered her into his arms and held her gently against his large frame. Emma wrapped her arms around his waist and let her cheek rest against his chest. She sighed softly, feeling the beautiful warmth that radiated from his body. His heartbeat thumped loud and strong against her ear, and she decided that he was going to have to be the one to eventually break the tender moment, because nothing in heaven or on earth could make her move.

  But no matter how perfectly splendid she felt at that moment, she couldn’t quite stifle the thought that she was marrying a man who cared for her, yes, but who didn’t quite trust her. He said he realized that she was different from the ton ladies who pursued him relentlessly, but Emma was afraid that some of hi
s old scars simply ran too deep. She wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to trust a woman completely.

  And then, of course, he hadn’t said that he loved her. Emma stiffened slightly at that thought but then reminded herself that she hadn’t yet told him of her feelings either.

  Alex felt her posture change and dropped a gentle kiss atop her head. “Is something wrong, darling?”

  Emma let herself relax again, savoring the warmth of Alex’s embrace. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking, that’s all.”

  “About what?”

  “Nothing, really. Just wedding details,” she lied. “We don’t have very much time to take care of everything, I imagine.”

  Alex drew back slowly and led her to a nearby sofa where they both sat down. “Did you have your heart set on a large wedding?” he asked tenderly, placing two fingers under her chin, tilting it up so that he could see into her eyes.

  “No. I know a lot of people here in London, but I don’t know many of them well, so I shan’t mourn their absence at my wedding. I would like a special gown, though,” she added wistfully. “And I do wish that my father could be here to give me away.”

  Alex kept his gaze on her eyes, searching for some sign that she really did want a lavish affair. He saw only clear, open honesty. “I am sorry that we cannot wait for your father, but I want us to be married as soon as possible. I would rather not wait around while your aunt and my mother confer on flower arrangements.”

  Emma let out a soft giggle. “Did you know that it was precisely because of flower arrangements that we met, your grace?”

  “Don’t call me ‘your grace, ’” Alex warned.

  “I’m sorry. It just slipped out. I’ve been too well trained in the ways of the ton, I’m afraid.”

  “But do tell me why I owe my supreme good fortune to flower arrangements.”

  “That was why I was walking to the store dressed as a maid when I saved Charlie from the hack. Aunt Caroline wanted me to help her with flower arrangements for the ball, and so Belle and I fled to the kitchens to escape her. We dressed in our maids’ clothing because we didn’t want to get any of our dresses dirty.” And then she added, “I really hate arranging flowers.”