His Contract Bride (32 page)

“
I had to remember
Gallant
somehow,” he teased, pointing to where he'd painted “
Gallant
” on the side. He gave her a kiss. “My father was right, you know. We do have the best sort of marriage.”

“
And how is that?” she asked, her eyebrows puckering.

Edward dropped a kiss on the furrow in her brow. “I didn't have to suffer balls and breakfasts to win the affections of my debutante. I got to use far superior ways to win her over.”

“
Yes, you had to endure tennis, flipped boats, and sleeping in the grass.”

“
Mmmhmmm,” he said against her hair. “Those would have never happened during a normal courtship. And, if you'll come upstairs with me, I'll demonstrate something else that we wouldn't be able to do had this been a normal courtship.”

Epilogue

May 1814

Watson Estate

“
Look at them. Both so in love,” Regina whispered in her husband's ear as he swayed her to the music.

Edward craned his neck to see, a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth. Even after more than thirty years, she loved to see him smile that way. “Only he doesn't know it yet.”

“
You didn't know it at our wedding, either,” Regina reminded him as her eyes went back to where their oldest son Alex was dancing with his bride.

Edward's hands tightened their hold on her waist. “That's different. I didn't think I was marrying for love.”

“
And neither does Alex.”

“
No, he thought he was marrying today to escape some betrothal agreement his fool of a father signed for him.”

Regina pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “You're not a fool. A bit misguided at times, but that's what I'm for.”

“
And where were you that night?”

“
At home in bed. Waiting for your return.”

Edward chuckled. “I didn’t think I'd get foxed so fast,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “I only accepted Joseph's offer of a drink to drown out his wife's screams.” He grimaced. “Five drinks later, I signed my son's life away to a hoyden.”

“
That's not the way I remember it,” Regina said, trying not to laugh. “You told me that you and Joseph were so excited his daughter and our son shared a birthday that the two of you started thinking it must be a sign and you'd had a successful match that way—”

“
Hold your tongue,” he said with a scowl. “Oh, all right, between the coincidence that his daughter was born on the same day as our son—only eight years later— and all the alcohol we both consumed, we thought it'd be a brilliant idea for them to marry.” He shuddered. “Who'd have known she'd become a shrew?”

“
Had you met her mother?”

Edward sighed. “Yes. But I'd also met her father. He seemed to be doing a fine job with their son. How was I supposed to know he'd allow his wife to spoil their daughter?”

“
Do you really think that's why he let you amend the agreement? Because it was becoming apparent his daughter would be a shrew, that is?”

The two exchanged a look, neither daring to say aloud what they'd both thought for more than twenty years. But the facts were all there. Lady Sinclair had brown hair and grey eyes. Lord Sinclair had black hair with blue eyes. Their daughter, Lady Olivia Sinclair, was the only member of either of their sides of the family who had red hair and green eyes.

“
It doesn't matter now,” Edward said with a faint cough. “Alex married the one he was meant to. Just like John did.” He looked over in time to see John spin his wife wildly into one of her dancing daughters. “And as much as I didn't realize it at the time, so did I.”

Regina looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

He pulled her close. “Have you been to the townhouse in London recently and seen all the stuffed critters covering every surface available?”

Her heart swelled as the memories of adding a new souvenir from each of their adventures together flooded her mind. As Edward had promised, they'd filled their marriage with many adventures together. And all she had to do to remember each was look around their unusually decorated townhouse.

The music played on, and Edward tightened his hold on her, pulling her so close their hearts beat in time together as he continued to sway her to the music as if it was one long song in the background.

“
Do you know what I love most about you?” he asked in her ear.

“
What's that?” she murmured against his chest.

One of his broad hands rubbed a small circle on her back. “That no matter what I might have done or said over the years, you never stopped loving me.”

“
That I do, Edward. I have always loved you, and I always will.”

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Coming Soon by Rose Gordon

Coming Soon—BANKS BROTHERS BRIDES

His Contract Bride
—
Edward Banks, Lord Watson has always known that one day he'd marry Regina Harris. Unfortunately nobody thought to inform her of this; and when she finds that her “love match” was actually arranged by her father long ago in an effort to further his social standing, it falls to a science-loving, blunt-speaking baron to win her trust.

His Yankee Bride
—
John Banks has no idea what—or who—waits for him on the other side of the ocean... Carolina Ellis has longed to meet a man whom she can love, so when she glimpses such a man, she's determined to do whatever it takes to have him—Southern aristocracy be damned.

His Jilted Bride—
Elijah Banks
cannot
sit still a moment longer as the gossip continues to fly about one of his childhood playmates, who just so happens to still be in her bridal chamber, waiting for her groom to arrive. Thinking to save her the public humiliation of being jilted at the altar, Elijah whisks her off to Gretna Green, replacing one scandal with one far more forgiving. But when a secret she keeps is threatened to be exposed, it falls to Elijah to save her again by revealing a few of his own...

His Brother's Bride—
Henry Banks had no idea his brother agreed to marry a fetching young lady until the day she shows up on his doorstep and presents the proof. To protect the Banks name and his new sister-in-law's feelings, Henry agrees to marry her only to discover this young lady's intentions were not so honorable and it wasn't really marriage she sought, but revenge on a member of the Banks family...

Also Coming Soon OFFICER SERIES

(American Historicals based in Indian Territory mid-1800s)

The Officer and the Bostoner—
A well-to-do lady traveling by stagecoach from her home in Boston to meet her fiance in Santa Fe finds herself stranded in a military fort when her stagecoach leaves without her. Given the choice to either temporarily marry an officer until her fiance can come rescue her or take her chances with the Indians, she marries the glib Captain Wes Tucker, who, unbeknownst to her, grew up in a wealthy Charleston family and despises everything she represents. But when it's time for her fiance to reclaim her and annul their marriage, will she still want to go with him, and more importantly, will Wes let her?

The Officer and the Southerner—
Second Lt. Jack Walker doesn't always think ahead and when he decides to defy logic and send off for a mail-order bride, he might have left out only a few details about his life. When she arrives and realizes she's been fooled (again), this woman who's never really belonged, sees no other choice but to marry him anyway—however, she makes it perfectly clear: she'll be his lawfully wed, but she will
not
share his bed. Now Jack has to find a way to show his always skeptical bride that he is indeed trustworthy and that she does belong somewhere in the world: right here, with him.

The Officer and the Traveler—
Captain Grayson Montgomery's mouth has landed him in trouble again! And this time it's not something a cleverly worded sentence and a handsome smile can fix. Having been informed he'll either have to marry or be demoted and sentenced to hard labor for the remainder of his tour, he proposes, only to discover those years of hard labor may have been the easier choice for his heart.

If you’d like to be sent an e-mail notification when new books are available, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]

Already Available

GROOM SERIES

Four men are about to have their bachelor freedom snatched away as they become grooms...but finding the perfect woman may prove a bit more difficult than they originally thought.

Her Sudden Groom
—The overly scientific, always respectable and socially awkward Alexander Banks has just been informed his name resides on a betrothal agreement right above the name of the worst chit in all of England. With a loophole that allows him to marry another without consequence before the thirtieth anniversary of his birth, he has only four weeks to find another woman and make her his wife.

Her Reluctant Groom
—For the past thirteen years Marcus Sinclair, Earl Sinclair, has lived his life as a heavily scarred recluse, never dreaming the only woman he’s ever wanted would love him back. But when it slips out that she does, he doubts her love for his scarred body and past can be real. For truly, how can a woman love a man whose injuries were caused when he once tried to declare himself to her sister?

Her Secondhand Groom
—Widower Patrick Ramsey, Viscount Drakely, fell in love and married at eighteen only to be devastated by losing her as she bore his third daughter. Now, as his girls are getting older he realizes they need a mother—and a governess. Not able to decide between the two which they need more, he marries an ordinary young lady from the local village in hopes she can suit both roles. But this ordinary young lady isn’t so ordinary after all, and he’ll either have to take a chance and risk his heart once more or wind up alone forever.

Her Imperfect Groom
—
Sir Wallace Benedict has never been good with the fairer sex and in the bottom drawer of his bureau he has the scandal sheet clippings to prove it. But this thrice-jilted baronet has just discovered the right lady for him was well-worth waiting for. The only trouble is, with multiple former love interests plaguing him at every chance possible, he must find clever ways to avoid them and simultaneously steal the attention―and affections―of the the one lady he’s sure is a perfect match for him and his imperfections.

Already Available--SCANDALOUS SISTERS SERIES

Intentions of the Earl
—
A penniless earl makes a pact to ruin an American hoyden, never suspecting for a moment he’ll lose his heart along the way.

Liberty for Paul
—
A vicar’s daughter who loves propriety almost as much as she hates the man her father is mentoring will go to any length she sees fit to see that improper man out the door and out of her life. But when she’s forced to marry him, she’ll learn there’s a lot more to life, love and this man than she originally thought.

To Win His Wayward Wife
—
A gentleman who’s spent the last five years pining for the love of his life will get his second chance. The only problem? She has no interest in him.

About the Author

Rose Gordon lives as queen of her castle, surrounded by only boys, in the mid-west United States. With an accounting degree hanging on the wall, and two wild little boys running around, she started writing her first book and has been at it ever since.

She can be found on somewhere in cyberspace at:

Http://www.rosegordon.net

or

http://rosesromanceramblings.wordpress.com

Rose would love to hear from her readers and you can e-mail her at
[email protected]