Married By Midnight (3 page)

Devon stuck out his hand. “Words cannot express how pleased we are to have you home again.”

Garrett stared down at his brother’s outstretched hand. For a hazy moment, he was overcome by a surprising sense of nostalgia as he remembered the carefree days of his childhood when his father was nowhere in sight and he and his older brothers chased each other through the subterranean passages of the palace and played hide-and-seek in the garden.

Those days were long gone now, however. He knew why they were so pleased to see him, and it had little to do with brotherly affection. They simply needed him to secure their inheritances.

“
Don’t get too used to it,” Garrett replied. “I hope I was clear in my letter. I don’t intend to stay long.”

An awkward silence ensued.

He met his mother’s wounded gaze and felt an instant’s stirring of regret. She was a kind woman who had been his greatest protector when he was young, and he bore no ill will toward her, of all people. He would have to do better than this.

“
I apologize,” he said. “It’s been a long journey. I am overtired and out of sorts.”

“
No apologies are necessary.” She slid her arm through his. “Come inside, my darling. It’s much warmer by the fire. Are you hungry? I will have a hot supper prepared.”

“
Thank you.” He glanced up at the tall clock tower overhead as they ascended the steps, and it was then that he noticed the duke had not come outside to greet him. He was not surprised.

“
Where is Father?”

There was a long pause, as if they each hoped someone else would provide an answer.

As it happened, Blake was the only one willing to offer an explanation. “He is sleeping. The doctor gave him something to calm his nerves. We won’t likely see him until late tomorrow morning.”

It hardly mattered. Garrett had no illusions about being welcomed home with open arms by His Grace. The only son the duke ever cared about was Devon, his eldest—and the heir. The rest of them might as well have been born invisible.

Or not at all. Especially Garrett and Charlotte.

A fierce gust of wind blew across the courtyard, and the horses shook in their harnesses. Garrett and the others hurried inside to escape the cold.

A short while later they were seated in the library, crowded around a blazing fire in the hearth. Sparks snapped wildly and flew up the chimney.

Still feeling numb to the bone, Garrett glanced up as Blake handed him a glass of brandy. “You look as if you could use this.”

Garrett accepted it with a nod of thanks. He took a sip, then leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and collect his thoughts.

“
Well?” he said. “Is she here?”

Devon cleared his throat while the others remained silent.

“
There is no point dancing around the issue,” Garrett continued. “Let us all be frank. I am here to fulfill my obligations and secure our inheritances. I will take a wife—as you have all begged me to do for almost a year—collect the funds that are promised to me, then that will be the end of it. I only ask that we move forward as quickly as possible so I can be on my way.”

“
On your way? But you must stay for Christmas!” his mother blurted out.

“
Yes, you must!” Charlotte echoed.

Devon raised a hand to silence them. “Of course we want him to stay, but there is more that we must explain. Garrett, you cannot simply marry the girl tomorrow. Father believes our world will come crashing to an end on Christmas Day if we are not all
happily
married. Ever since the incident with Vincent—after that sham of an engagement to Lady Letitia—he believes true love is necessary to thwart the curse.”

Garrett frowned. “Are you suggesting I must fall in love with the girl? Good God, I’ve never even met her.”

“
No, but Father is under the impression that it is a love match. Otherwise the whole thing is pointless.”

“
A love match...?” His gut turned over with dread. “What lies have you told him?”

Charlotte spoke flippantly. “Oh, what does it matter? He doesn’t remember half of anything anyway.”

“
Charlotte, behave yourself,” the duchess scolded.

“
I beg your pardon, Mother,” she argued, “but you know it’s true. We tell him whatever we must in any given moment to keep him from climbing the walls and jumping off the roof.”

Garrett drew back with a frown. “Is it really that bad?” He could not imagine his father being anything but in complete control.

“
Worse, actually,” Blake replied. “Two days ago we found him playing billiards at dawn.”

“
There is no crime in that.”

“
He was naked as the day he was born.”

“
I see.” Rather astonished by the image, Garrett swirled his brandy around in the glass and tried to stay focused on the money while he wondered how the hell he was going to manage this charade. It was a vast understatement to say that he had never been close to his father. He wasn’t sure what to expect. Would the duke even recognize him, much less believe he was in love with a fiancée he’d never met?

“
You must prepare yourself,” Devon said. “He is greatly changed.”

“
He thinks the palace is haunted,” Charlotte added. “He gets up in the night, wanders the corridors, and talks to himself.”

“
To be precise,” Devon clarified, “he talks to the ghost of Brother Salvador.”

“
Who is Brother Salvador?” Garrett asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“
A monk,” Charlotte answered.

“
He was the prior here actually,” Blake added. “When this place was a monastery a few hundred years ago. He was murdered when it was discovered he was having an affair with a woman in the village. That woman is the mother of the first duke, our very own ancestor.” Blake’s dark eyebrows pulled together with uncertainty. “But you know all of this, don’t you?”

“
I vaguely remember the stories.”

“
At any rate,” Devon said, “Father will not rest until Christmas has come and gone, and he is assured that the curse has been thwarted. He has instructed his solicitor not to release your marriage settlement until the twenty-fifth.”

“
That is two weeks from now,” Garrett said. “Am I to understand that I must remain here and pretend to be in love with a total stranger until then?”

“
She won’t be a stranger by the end of it,” Charlotte mentioned helpfully.

Good God. He had truly walked through the gates of hell. That reality, along with self-loathing, prickled up his spine.

Yes. He supposed that was rather appropriate, for hell was exactly where he belonged.

“
When will I meet her?” he asked.

And did she know about all this?
The naked billiard games? The ghosts and the murders?

“
Whenever you like,” Devon replied. “She is in the drawing room presently with Rebecca and Chelsea.”

No one said a word for a moment. The tension was as thick as London’s fog.

His family was probably terrified he would change his mind and walk out first thing in the morning.

Perhaps he should. He didn’t want a wife, nor did he care about easing the woes of a father who had always treated him like the bastard son that he was.

But Garrett’s hasty departure would only result in more lives ruined because of him, and he had come a long distance to atone.

Rising from his chair, he moved from the fire to the chilly side of the room where he could take a moment to think. He looked up at all the books on the shelves. A spectacular collection to be sure. Enough to keep one’s mind engaged for a lifetime.
A lifetime?

Marriage was supposed to be for a lifetime...

But did that really matter? Time and happiness had no meaning to him now. There was nothing but dust in his veins. He didn’t care who he married, or how he spent his future. Nothing mattered anyway. Except for one thing.
The money.

“
I will be courteous to her,” he said, turning to face all of them. “I will put on a good show for Father, as long as you promise me that the money will be forthcoming on Christmas Day.”

“
I’ve checked with Father’s solicitors. It will,” Devon replied.

“
Good. Then I will do what is required.”

Bloody hell, he didn’t even know the girl’s name.

Devon rose from his chair. “Excellent. Then let us go and meet Lady Anne. Follow me to the drawing room. I will introduce you and you can spend some time getting better acquainted this evening.”

Wonderful. He could hardly wait.

Chapter Three

Anne immediately rose to her feet when the Sinclairs entered the drawing room. The marquess led the way, followed by his sister Charlotte, then the duchess, Lord Blake, and last to enter the room...their youngest brother, Garrett. Her betrothed.

Dear God, her heart was pounding like a drum. She had watched from the window a short while ago as Lord Garrett exited the coach, but could see little through the darkness and shifting moon shadows. Now here he stood before her, waiting to be introduced.

His skin was bronzed from the sun, his hair thick and wavy—the color of honey. He had full lips, a strong, chiseled jawline and a charming dimpled chin. He was not tall and slender like his older brothers. Instead, he sported a stocky, muscular build. His hands were big and strong, which was not surprising for she had been told he was a master yachtsman.

He lifted his sky-blue eyes and met her gaze. She could not tell a lie. He was, without a doubt, one of the most ruggedly handsome men she had ever encountered. It was madness that he had to
pay
a woman to marry him.
What the devil was wrong with him?

Lord Hawthorne approached. She was vaguely aware of Rebecca and Chelsea rising from their chairs behind her.

“
Garrett, this is Lady Anne.”

“
It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady,” he said.

He bowed to her, and she gave a polite curtsy while wondering how to proceed from here. What exactly did one say to a beautiful stranger, a stranger one was being
paid
to marry?

* * *

Garrett frowned as he stood before the woman his brothers had selected for him. He had not expected to be wedding such an incredible beauty. She was slender and petite, with striking dark features and sea-green eyes that nearly knocked him over as he walked through the door.

There was something serious and intelligent in those eyes—possibly something a little jaded as well? Or was it greed at the sight of him? Perhaps it was that. She was marrying him for money, after all.

“
Would you like to escort Lady Anne to the gallery and show her the family portraits?” Devon suggested.

His brother obviously wished to give them an opportunity to become better acquainted in private.

Fine
. Garrett had promised to do what was required, so he would do exactly that. With a polite nod of his head, he approached his fiancée and offered his arm.

* * *

As they left the room, Anne worked hard to settle her nerves. She walked with him in silence down a long vaulted corridor and through a keystone archway, which brought them into a large gallery lit by three enormous crystal chandeliers.

They stopped just inside and looked around at the numerous works of art on the walls.

“
I have not been here in quite some time,” Garrett said.

Anne was consciously aware these were his first words to her, beyond the initial formal greeting.