His Perfect Bride (10 page)

“That sounds lovely. The house, I mean.” Her cheeks heated with her awkward and rushed words.

“I’m glad you think so.”

She was saved from having to respond as the next course was served. Concentrating more on her food and her other companion, the rest of the dinner passed by uneventfully and slowly. When she gave him her attention again, Mr. Gregory regaled her with tales of his future estate, and how he would spend his wealth.

After seeing this new materialistic side of him, she found she was not as interested in him as she had been. She continuously found herself comparing Mr. Gregory and Richard, and the same person kept coming out on top.

She wondered if her dwindling interest in Mr. Gregory was due to Richard or if the appeal would have dissolved on its own. Regardless, she became bored with his company and was grateful when Lady Wickham announced the ladies withdraw. Following her mother into the drawing room, Brianna sighed, knowing the evening was not near to ending.

The only way to avoid Mr. Gregory and his tiresome conversation was to surround herself with the other guests and their inane chatter. Fully aware her actions alone encouraged his attention, she knew it would be difficult to dissuade him.

“So, Brianna, how did you enjoy your dinner?” Sarah asked as she approached.

“Dinner was delicious. Please express my compliments to your cook. If your parents ever wish to dismiss her, I know my mother would be interested in offering her a position.”

“I shall pass that along, although my parents have no wish for her to go anywhere. However, I was not referring to the food. I was more interested in your opinions of the overall experience.”

“You already know of the success of the evening, so why are you seeking my assessment?”

“I simply noticed your absorption with that untitled gentleman, and I wondered about your interest.”

“He is very handsome, is he not?” Brianna knew Sarah only wanted a reaction from her.

“Well, yes, but what could you possibly have to talk about? I noticed you spent the entire time speaking mostly to him.”

“He told me how disappointed he was with the whole evening. He was not impressed by anything and none of the ladies present were able to pique his interest,” Brianna replied offhandedly. “Don’t worry, though. I assured him I thought it was a splendid dinner and everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves as well.”

“He didn’t notice anything because his interest centered only on you. How could
you
attract him and he not notice my presence?” Sarah seemed genuinely puzzled and upset by Mr. Gregory’s lack of regard. “Please excuse me, I must check my hair.”

As she stalked away, Brianna could see Sarah’s calculating expression and almost laughed at how everything was turning out. Mr. Gregory would never know the gift Brianna had bestowed upon him, for Sarah could not stand the thought of a gentleman not admiring her. Knowing Sarah’s determination, she would attempt to obtain his attention.

Since Brianna no longer considered Mr. Gregory a marriage prospect, pairing him with Sarah seemed to be a perfect solution. With a few comments to Mr. Gregory, Brianna was confident his attention would turn in Sarah’s direction. The tricky part would be convincing him to keep any interest he had in Sarah to himself. As Brianna contemplated how to achieve it, she joined a group of ladies, trying to appear as though she was taking part in their conversation.

When the gentlemen finally decided to leave their port and cigars to rejoin the women, Brianna sought out Mr. Gregory, anxious to put her new plan into place. One smile at him, and he started in her direction. Leaving her mother’s side, Brianna went over to the window, expecting him to follow.

“This is a wonderful gathering, is it not?” Brianna asked when Mr. Gregory approached.

“Yes, everything has been very agreeable.”

“I was speaking with Sarah Kamins only a moment ago, and we are both pleased at the success of the evening as well. Have you had the pleasure of meeting her?”

“Not as of yet. I find introductions are not as easily acquired as one would expect.”

“Well, that is probably for the best.” Brianna shook her head in mock pity. “Did you know she abhors attention of any kind? The poor girl has to endure being the focal point at her parents’ urging. She puts up a good façade, although she would prefer to be ignored.”

“That is rather odd.” He looked in Sarah’s direction.

Brianna had noticed Sarah watching them, so she turned to gauge her reaction. When Mr. Gregory made eye contact with Sarah and quickly turned away, the confusion on Sarah’s face was almost comical.

The remainder of the evening turned out to be amusing for Brianna. She could not have been more pleased at how everything progressed. It was obvious Sarah intrigued Mr. Gregory, and the comments Brianna continuously made about her only seemed to increase his interest. He worked hard at ignoring Sarah, and Brianna saw the steps Sarah made in response to attempt to secure his regard.

When it was time to leave, Brianna actually felt disappointed. She had always been impatient, and she had to stop herself from asking Sarah what she thought about Mr. Gregory.

The next day, as she sat at her dressing table, Brianna still could not contain her amusement at the events of the previous night. It would have been a perfect morning if not for the sense of dread filling her at her prospect of the upcoming meeting with the Marquis of Stonemede. She knew after the introduction, her mother would use every opportunity to push them together until the marquis completely devoted himself to her. After that, there would be no escaping him, and her dream of freely painting at her quiet house in the country would be obliterated.

Considering her mother’s determination, there was only one possible way of avoiding that fate, but it would not be easy. She would need to become betrothed or unattainable in some way. Thoughts of Richard assailed her, and she smiled at the idea of him as her husband. He obviously had an interest in her, or he would not have gone along with her unorthodox plan. The next time she saw him, she determined to obtain more than a simple kiss from him. Perhaps with a little persistence, she would find herself married before long.

As Brianna made her way to the schoolroom, she came up with many ideas on how to proceed with Richard. Regardless of the means, she knew the end result would be the same. With these pleasant thoughts, she entered the room and was delighted to see Ashley there, no doubt prepared for Brianna’s fake lessons.

“Good morning, Brianna,” Ashley greeted as Brianna sat down.

“Good morning.” Brianna looked around, noticing her sister’s absence. “Where is Grace this morning? It’s not her custom to be late to lessons.”

“Your mother has taken her to purchase a new hat,” Ashley said dismissively. “I was rather glad, for I had hoped to have an opportunity to speak with you.”

“What do you wish to speak about?”

“I would like to discuss your marriage prospects. I hope that, as a friend, you will at least consider my opinions.” Ashley paused and took a deep breath. “Let us begin with Mr. Gregory Locke.”

“Actually, I’m no longer considering him.”

“Really? When did you come to that decision?”

“Last night I spoke to him for a time, and I realized I have no desire to marry a gentleman who is solely interested in my dowry.”

“I’m glad to hear that, for regardless of your reason, I never felt he was worthy of you. Now, I believe Mr. Richard is still under consideration.”

“Yes,” Brianna replied hesitantly, not anxious to hear that Ashley viewed him in a negative light.

“The more I think about him, I don’t believe he is trustworthy. You don’t know much about him, including his family name. It all seems a little suspicious to me.”

“I do admit, that is strange, but so is the entire courtship. Nothing has been traditional about our relationship, since I have never officially been introduced to him.”

“Does that not concern you? He could be a notorious gambler, or worse, an infamous rake.” Ashley shuddered.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m positive he is neither of those. From what I understand, he isn’t in any financial trouble, so if he does gamble, it’s not to his detriment. As far as being a rake, he has always been a perfect gentleman around me, and I have never feared for my virtue.”

“I’m not as confident as you. In the event you are wrong, I have asked James to inquire about him. If Mr. Richard is hiding something, I expect James to discover it in a matter of days.”

“If that’s what is necessary to convince you, then I give you my approval, although I know James will be unable to discover anything negative.”

While thankful Ashley was concerned for her, Brianna didn’t believe it necessary. Richard may have secrets, but she believed he would willingly tell her anything if she only asked. In the past, her mind had been too filled with him to bother with an interrogation. However, since she wanted him as her husband, she knew it was time to learn more about him, starting with his name.

“I would like to speak to you about one more prospect—the Marquis of Stonemede.”

“Ashley, you know how I feel about him.”

“Please, at least allow me to share my opinion. In a few days, you will finally meet him. Grace and I were visiting shops the other day and we overheard some conversations about him. If the gossip is to be believed, he is in his prime and quite attractive.”

“I don’t care what he looks like.”

“I know, but it’s more than that. As a marquis, he can offer you anything you want, and think of how elated your mother would be.”

“I understand your views, but you need to see mine as well. I have grown up as the daughter of an earl, and I have personally seen what the life of a countess is like.”

“How bad can it be?”

“My mother has so many requirements placed upon her from my father as well as the house. It seems as though he sees her as more of a servant than anything else. She is unappreciated, overworked, and has no time to live her life the way she wishes. I have no desire to end up that way.”

“From what I can tell, your mother does not seem to mind. In addition, the majority of your concerns are of your father’s doing. You don’t know if the marquis will be the same way.”

“He is a titled lord. I guarantee he will view his wife in the same manner. Regardless, this whole conversation is pointless, as the marquis may not fancy me at all,” Brianna replied, sincerely hoping it would be true.

“Then we shall speak of this again after the weekend.”

“I look forward to it.”

Richard leaned his elbows on his desk and rubbed his forehead. The never-ending stack of papers piled in front of him was wearisome, and his patience wore rather thin. The steward his father had hired was either incompetent or simply had no desire to learn how to handle the estate.

Richard had made the decision to return to Stonemede early in hopes to resolve any outstanding problems, but after spending the previous day sorting out the accounts, he had no desire to waste his morning in the same manner. Today was his mother’s tea, and he needed to keep his frustration to a minimum in order to make it through the day.

His mind began to drift, and he once again found himself thinking of Brianna Denton. He had purposefully avoided seeing her after their meeting in the park, hoping to increase her anxiousness to see him. He was not sure how effective his absence had been on her, but it certainly affected him. When he left her in the park with a promise to kiss her upon their next meeting, he had expected her to seek him out again to claim her reward. Her lack of reaction was not encouraging.

He shook his head, as if doing so would clear thoughts of Brianna. He needed an escape, and he needed it now. Pushing his chair back from the desk, he stood up and headed for the stables. As a boy, he remembered his father had frequently ridden out over the property to visit tenants. It was about time Richard did the same thing.

Two hours later, Richard conversed with a few tenants and made assurances that he would provide them with what his father had before him. He had also helped some of the farmers with repairs to the mill. He was hot, dirty, and exhausted, but above all he was pleased.

Approaching Stonemede reminded him of his purpose for returning home, and he sighed. The day had only begun, and he sincerely hoped he would not be required to spend the remainder of it entertaining his mother’s guests. Until he was once again presentable, he needed to avoid his mother as well as any guests that had arrived ahead of schedule, so he quickly hastened to the stairs.

“Richard! What are you doing down here looking like that?” his mother exclaimed, catching him before he could escape.

“I’m on my way to prepare for your guests. There is no reason to be upset.”

“I’ll order you a bath immediately. I can’t imagine what you were thinking being down here like that.” She waved her hands at him in disgust. “Go. Some of the guests have arrived. What if one of them caught you in such a state?”

“I don’t intend for that to happen.” Richard turned and made his way to his bedchamber. He knew his mother was anxious to see him married, but he imagined the ladies would not care about his appearance; it was his title they craved. In any case, he had already decided who would become his marchioness, and her opinion was the only one that mattered.

Soon he was in the safety of his bedchamber without having run into any guests. Before long, the bath his mother had ordered arrived and, once alone, he thankfully stripped off his clothes. Sinking into the inviting warm water, Richard allowed the tension to drain from his body.

Feeling more relaxed, he cleansed his body and tried not to dwell on the upcoming events. Keeping his mind clear didn’t last long, for soon visions of Brianna flashed into his thoughts. As usual he could feel his body reacting to her. He debated waiting for the water to cool to take advantage of the effects of a cold bath, but decided against it. Due to his exhaustion, he would fall asleep, and his mother would not forgive him if he were absent for her gathering.

Stepping out of the tub, he stood, allowing the drops of water to fall down his body. The sound of a feminine gasp alerted him. He spun around, unsure of who would dare enter the marquis’ chambers unannounced, particularly on a day when he was in residence. The rebuke he prepared died on his tongue when he saw Brianna standing before him. Unable to comprehend her presence, he remained frozen until he realized upon which part of his anatomy her eyes were resting.