The Belligerent Miss Boynton AND The Lurid Lady Lockport (Two Companion Full-Length Regency Novels) (12 page)

Did he love her? Having never known love before, he wasn't sure. And to tell her that he did would only incense her. You don't treat someone you love the way he had treated Amanda these last days.

She'd laugh in his face, at best. And at worst? He'd rather not think about that. No, he would have to win her heart. It would be a slow, undoubtedly painful process, with only a faint hope of success. And after he'd won her love, what would he do with her then? Jared rubbed a hand across his tired eyes. He wouldn't think about that now. First he needed to get her free of Denton's clutches. The marriage must take place tonight!

Just as the silence between the two of them was becoming strained to the breaking point one of the heavy oak doors in the Great Hall opened and a small, thin, gray-haired woman appeared, approaching Jared at a near stomp.

"So, you've finally condescended to arrive, Nephew. You try my patience sorely, young man. First you frighten me out of my wits with crazy boasts concerning that outrageous baggage at Almacks, and then
phtfft
—you disappear. I awoke three days ago to face a maddeningly brief missive, brought to me on my breakfast tray—and which completely destroyed my appetite, Cook may quit—ordering me to make myself present here. I've done what you said, Jared, but I fail to see the purpose behind the exercise. And who is this poor bedraggled little creature that looks as if she's about ready to fall at my feet in exhaustion? Have you no sense of the proprieties? Bring the child into the salon and let her sit down."

Jared bowed over the blue-veined hand his aunt then stuck in his face. "And greetings to you, dear aunt. Thank you for that stirring welcome, and for deserting London at the very first flush of the Season, merely to indulge me. As for the poor little waif you see before you, it's true you haven't been introduced, but you did see her the other night in King Street. Allow me to introduce Miss Amanda Boynton, the outrageous baggage you mentioned earlier, and whom I have been aiding in her escape from an untenable family, um,
situation
. Amanda, may I present my dearest and, by the way,
only
aunt, Lady Agatha Chezwick."

Amanda's jaw dropped. Jared had sent for his aunt? Why? Certainly not to chaperone his debauchery! She shot him a questioning look, but he only grinned sheepishly—his aunt had ever had the ability to reduce him to the status of schoolboy— and lifted his shoulders in a resigned shrug. Amanda belatedly sank into a demure curtsy and mumbled a polite greeting.

"Upon my word, this pretty little child can't possibly be the same girl who appeared in that odious gown. Did I call her an outrageous baggage? No, certainly not. That couldn't have been me. Must have been something Honoria said."

She crossed to Amanda and put a protective arm around her waist. "Oh, you poor dear, what horrors you must have endured to force you to take such desperate action as to flee your own household. And then to have Jared drag you all over the countryside—for even these old eyes can see you must have traveled on horseback? And just to amuse himself, I'm sure. Thank goodness he had the belated good sense to bring you to me. I promise a swift end to these shenanigans, let me tell you!"

She directed both their steps to the broad staircase and gave her into the care of a middle-aged woman who hastened down the stairs to help support Amanda, whose shoulders were now shaking noticeably. "You just let my own very dear Higgins take you to your chambers, my child. Jared insisted the main chamber be taken out of dust covers, and I assume it must have been with you in mind, not that he deigned to inform me of that fact in his woefully pithy note. Higgins, please ring for bath water and get this child some hot tea and cakes. She looks quite done in. Now don't you worry, my dear. I shall be up directly I finish boxing my nephew's ears, if I can reach that high. If I can or I can't, he'll still feel the sharp edge of my tongue for this sorry episode, I assure you. Don't you fret now, Aunt Agatha will set all to rights."

As Amanda mounted the stairs only Higgins knew—and only Jared suspected—that Amanda's shoulders were moving in suppressed mirth, not tears.

Only when maid and charge had disappeared down the upstairs gallery did Lady Chezwick turn to face Jared, the first, stinging words of what promised to be a lengthy lecture on the perfidy of men just forming on her lips.

But Jared cut her short. "Have the portmanteaus arrived?"

"What? Those large boxes that were delivered this morning? I didn't know what they contained, but I had them sent to the servants' quarters. Such a motley-looking collection I have never seen."

"That would figure. Denton wouldn't spend his blunt on anything that wasn't noticeable. Have them sent to her chambers and let Higgins unpack, please, dear aunt. That baggage contains Amanda's entire wardrobe. I felt certain Denton would see the advantages in obeying the letter of instructions I had sent round to his townhouse before leaving London. We'll have no problems from that quarter at least. I do hope the dust-covers are off the furniture in here? Ah, I knew I could rely on you, Aunt Agatha," he continued as he walked into the main salon and rang for a servant. When a footman arrived only a moment later, he instructed him to set off at once for the village, to bring back the vicar. "Tell him to come prepared to perform a marriage ceremony in the Storm Haven family chapel."

Jared had finally accomplished what she had been striving unsuccessfully for many years to do. Obviously, having prepared to do battle with her nephew by demanding an immediate wedding, his aunt was entirely speechless. She staggered to a nearby chair and collapsed into it. "Jared?" she croaked in entreaty.

Jared left her dangling in suspense as he poured himself a measure of wine and took a single, satisfying sip. When he gauged he had stretched his aunt's patience to the breaking point, he put down his glass and explained his plans.

It seemed Jared had had a busy night of it after he deposited his aunt in Half Moon Street. Obtaining a costly but necessary Special License to wed, he had sent a note to Peregrine Denton advising him that he, Lord Storm, was marrying his stepdaughter at Storm Haven with only his aunt in attendance. Denton's absence was, he'd written, at the expressed request of the bride. The reason for such haste, if anyone should be so crude as to ask, was the ardor of the groom—though Jared doubted anyone would dare raise any questions, for Lord Storm was a law unto himself.

In addition, he had told Denton that Amanda would require all her personal belongings sent on at once. They were traveling in a single coach, his note explained, with no room for her wardrobe because Lady Chezwick would serve as chaperone on the journey and had a unbreakable rule about traveling with no less than five pieces of luggage. He, Jared, was assured of Denton's blessings on the union as well as his discretion, the note had concluded, and his man of business was drawing up a detailed marriage settlement that would be amenable to all.

Jared had then, he informed his awestruck aunt, instructed his valet to pack his belongings for him and travel to Storm Haven only after Lady Chezwick departed, for the sake of secrecy—and mostly to amuse himself at his aunt's expense, while he himself set off to intercept the young runaway. "It seems you took your time, dear Aunt, to complete what should be less than a single day's journey, if Simmons has not yet arrived. I may be obliged to get myself riveted while in riding dress—but no matter."

"At my age, Jared, I do not travel unless prepared for any contingency. Not everyone sets off on a journey with your helter-skelter attitude. But I'm still sorely confused. That child—a runaway? Truly?"

Jared leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. "Yes, Aunt, a runaway. Running from Denton, running from me. Ah, Aggie, I cannot tell you the excitement of the past days. I haven't felt this entertained in years."

Lady Chezwick sniffed disdainfully. "My felicitations, Nephew. I too have been known to kick up a lark now and then in my youth, but I must say you have far outdone anything I have ever known. Why, if you desired to wed that poor girl, did you have to go through all of this pretense? She has no portion I know, but it is by no means a misalliance as she is quite acceptable—or was until three days ago. And that's another matter. Where have you two been for the past three days?"

"Aunt, I wouldn't have missed these last days for the Gold Cup at Ascot. You have no idea the adventures we've had." He leaned forward in his chair, suddenly serious. "I'll admit to having certain misgivings now over handling the matter in just this way. At times I think Amanda has grown to like me a little, and then there are times when I feel she hates me entirely. Perhaps if I had stopped her flight before it ever got under way and approached her stepfather for her hand, things would be less complicated. But she would never have accepted anyone of her stepfather's choosing, I'm convinced of that. And besides, the opportunity to do it the way I did was just too good to be missed."

"Jared, you seem to think I know what you're talking about. You must remember that I'm not and never have been in your confidence—not that you trust anyone with more than the most superficial aspects of your life, but as I'm your only aunt, and love you dearly, one would think—well, never mind about that. All I know is that you made a spectacle of yourself at Almacks with the girl, announced to me you would marry her, and then disappeared for three days, leaving behind only a note to meet you here. Now you show up with the girl in tow, no luggage or companion with you, and announce you are being married tonight. For the sake of her good name I entirely agree, but my head is reeling with questions for which you have given me no real answers. Please, if you hold me in any affection, tell me what is going on!"

Jared poured himself another glass of wine and launched into a more detailed explanation of the events leading up to the moment, omitting only his weaknesses in the meadow and at the inn, and telling only one outright lie. He told his aunt he had convinced Amanda to come to Storm Haven where he would protect her far better than her old nurse ever could, and completely deleted from the tale any threat to make Miss Amanda Boynton his mistress.

By the time he was finished recounting his third de-horsing, his aunt was dissolved in mirth and wiping her eyes with a fine cambric handkerchief. "Oh, Jared, no wonder you're all at sixes and sevens! You've at last met your match! But I think you refine too much on Amanda's supposed hatred for you. I am a woman, too, and although I'm well past the years of romance, I believe the girl cannot have remained indifferent to you. You're a fine young man, Jared, much as you fight it, and she's an intelligent girl. I understand now why you were so taken with her. You showed good judgment for perhaps the first time in your life, bringing her to me, although you did fly in the face of all convention."

"Why, thank you, Aunt Aggie. I think."

"Don't interrupt—I'm not finished. You wouldn't be your mother's son if you did less. Ah, the adventures my sister and I had until..." Her voice trailed off and then she went on, "No, you would never be happy with any of those insipid girls I kept pushing at you, and I think I've always known as much. This one will lead you a merry chase, and I look forward to sitting back and watching the fun. It will add a bit of spice to my declining years."

She rose and went over to place a light kiss on Jared's knitted brow. "Ah, dear heart, relax. Marriage will be the making of you. Now—it's time and more I took myself off upstairs to help the bride with her toilette. You have me anxious to make her further acquaintance. Any woman who can put you into such a pucker has to be a pearl beyond price." She got halfway to the door then halted, turning to grin at him. "Held you off with a knife? Ah, to have seen that!"

Jared sat in the huge, depressing room for a long time after his aunt departed, his gaze traveling over the dark, ugly furniture he had known and hated since his childhood. Why had he never changed anything, tossed all this horror into a pile and burned it? Ten years had passed since his father had died, but the man's melancholy mark was still indelibly stamped on every room of Storm Haven.

Jared had departed the country estate for London as soon as he could after his father's burial and had not returned for nearly five years—indulging in a life of gaiety and excess that became the talk of the city. His visits here since then were undertaken only of necessity, and even then he never remained in residence above a few days. Perhaps he kept the house the same as a sort of punishment, a living reminder of his dark heritage. But it was time and more he assumed the reins of his vast estate. Hadn't his man of business told him that often enough?

He would give Amanda a free hand in redecorating the enormous pile; perhaps she could force some life back into these dreary rooms. If his aunt had her way, she would tell him a few young Delaneys running around the corridors would go a long way toward dispelling the gloomy atmosphere. But that would never happen.
Never
.

A scratching at the door diverted Jared from his dark thoughts and a footman entered to tell him his valet had arrived. With a last look at the bare wall over the fireplace, Jared turned and trod heavily from the room.

#

Amanda felt quite refreshed after her bath and the light meal Higgins had brought her, and she was now reclining at something closely akin to her ease between the silken sheets of the enormous four-poster bed, modestly attired in one of Lady Chezwick's old-fashioned dressing gowns. Higgins had drawn the curtains before she'd departed the large chamber, and Amanda felt her body relaxing into the comfortable mattress as she gratefully succumbed to weariness.

Her body became nearly weightless as she hovered dreamily between awareness and the sweet call of sleep, secure in the knowledge that "Aunt Agatha," as she had called herself, would protect her from Jared. Yes, this was nice. This was very, very nice...

"No, no,
no
! This will not do, this will not do at all! Sleeping? As if there is time for such nonsense. Get up, my dear, up, up,
up
! Time's a-wasting!"