The Convenient Bride (22 page)

"And?
"

"And"—he
lowered his voice, taking her in from head to toe—"what the devil do you
think you're doing, acting like some kind of secret agent?"

She
flinched. Drat Agatha and her meddling ways. What was she trying to do?

"Yes,
that's right, sweetheart. The lady told me everything. I know all about your
snooping mission, and devil take it, if you think for one blasted minute that
I'm going to let my wife spy about this house like some lone soldier in battle,
you had better think again."

She
bolted upright "You cannot stop me! I have a responsibility to see this
through!"

He
grasped her shoulders and shook her. "If anything happened to you—"

He left
the words unsaid and crushed his lips against hers.

She
pulled away, too afraid of how the man could worm his way into her heart and
make her think of nothing but him. He had loved her to distraction last night,
and she had forgotten about everything and everyone that mattered to her.

"I
cannot believe Agatha told you." Annoyed, Briana slapped her hand against
the pillow. "Why would she do such a thing?'

"Because
I am your husband, madam. She told me she wanted to see me first thing in the
morning. I accommodated the lady. Said she had something important to tell
me."

It was
hard to look him boldly in the face when he gazed at her as if he knew her by
heart. Her soul ached for him.

"I
won't pull out of my duty now," she said stubbornly.

"By
heaven, you are my wife, and you will do as I say."

Her eyes
shot daggers at him. "I don't like you very much right now."

"Well,
wife, whether you like me or not, you will listen to what I have to say."

She
pinched her lips into a grim line. "I don't think Agatha would agree with
you."

"Really?
Why do you think she told me everything?'

"I-I
don't know."

"Because
she thinks you're an impulsive chit, and if you snoop any more by yourself,
your adversaries, whoever they may be, will be on to you."

"I
am not impulsive!"

He shook
his head. "By Jove, that doesn't even deserve an answer. But what if
someone is watching you? Did you ever think of that?'

"Of
course I did, but—"

"Hear
me out." His expression softened as he sank onto the bed, cutting off her
speech. "If Agatha believes there is reason to search for these letters of
communication, I will be at your side, do you understand? If this mission is just
another loose thread with no substance to it, then so be it"

When he
took her hands in his, there was a tingling in the pit of her stomach.

"However,"
he continued, "I find it rather incredible that Whitehall would send two
women to find an important missive regarding the assassination attempt on the
Regent. It would seem more logical that your superiors are using you for a
decoy and the true adversaries are making mischief somewhere else."

"But
what about Grimstoke?"

"He
may have some connection, but he may be a decoy as well. And who the devil
knows if there is a source or not? There are just too many unanswered
questions."

He had a
valid point. "Very well. I don't mind if you are at my side. In
fact," she smiled up at him, "that pleases me very much."

He
brought her hand to his lips, his violet-blue eyes never leaving her green
ones. "I'm glad you are pleased."

Without
a second to lose, he reached out, swept her from the bed and gave a hearty slap
to her backside. "Now, come down to breakfast, wench. We are to sit at the
table with our host. I may not like the man's tactics"—he wiggled his
eyebrows— "but I cannot dislike the end result."

She
threw a pillow at him and laughed.

At
breakfast, which consisted of a multitude of rolls, meat and eggs, Briana was
placed next to Sir Gerald while her husband took a seat across from her
alongside Violet. Clayton didn't seem pleased when they were separated, but to
Briana's surprise, he complied without a word to his host.

Briana
smiled, knowing he was trying his utmost to remain calm under Grimstoke's
stare. She wondered if Agatha's talk had anything to do with it.

Just
before coming down to breakfast, Briana had made her way to her godmother's
chambers, trying to dissuade the lady from walking about for one more day. Even
though Agatha had sat during the wedding, the ceremony had tired her.

Surprisingly,
Agatha had agreed to stay in bed and was now enjoying a hearty breakfast in her
room. However, the elderly lady had mentioned she had informed Clayton of their
mission because the man, who was quite trustworthy, needed to know.

Briana
didn't believe a word of it. She knew Agatha wanted her godchild out of the
line of fire. Always had. But after the mishap with the carriage, the lady had
seemed extremely agitated about everything and everyone. Briana wanted to blame
her behavior on the head injury, but now she wondered.

Yet,
what if this conspiracy theory at Grimstoke Hall were nothing at all? Did
Agatha know the real truth and was she hiding it from her? Could the carriage
accident have been planned by Whitehall as a decoy of sorts? No, Briana thought
grimly. Agatha would never have put her in danger. But would Whitehall?

Briana's
head was spinning so much from the latest turn of events that she didn't know
what to believe anymore. But she did know she loved her husband. He had slowly
crept into her heart and stolen it from under her very nose. Loving him was
like breathing. It came naturally.

Her lips
fell into an easy smile as she regarded him. She let her gaze travel along the
lengthy table, which held at least fifty people. A steady stream of voices
filled the room, making the meal quite informal but pleasant.

She was
just about to turn her head from the other end of the table when her eyes
collided with Kingsdale's. Her heart skipped a beat. She recalled Clayton's
warning from yesterday and dearly hoped her husband had not noticed the man.
She had not seen Kingsdale when they had returned from their wedding, and she
had hoped with all her heart that he had left Grimstoke Hall.

Obviously,
he had not. The twisted smile on his face made her look away. She caught sight
of Miss Cherrie Black talking to another gentleman, who had come to the party
only yesterday.

Briana's
mind raced. Prinny's enemy could be anyone here. Or maybe no one at all. Should
she return to the library and see what she could find?

She
lifted her head and met her husband's dark blue gaze. Immediately his lips
thinned into a commanding line, telling her no. For the love of the king, how
could he read her thoughts?

Reddening,
she took a sip of coffee and dropped her gaze.

"My
felicitations on your marriage. Miss Garland—or is it Lady Clayton Clearbrook
now?"

Briana
turned a cool stare upon Sir Gerald. Clayton had not seemed happy when she was
placed next to the man, but he had only tipped his head Sir Gerald's way and
then ignored him completely. She, in turn, had almost forgotten about the man
until he spoke and wanted to dismiss Sir Gerald without a word. Yet she had no
wish to make a fuss in front of her husband, so she gave his cousin a polite
nod. "Thank you. I am very happy."

Sir
Gerald lifted his brow, and for a moment Briana thought she saw a flash of
anger in his eyes. "Indeed, you should be. Ain't every day a lady obtains
a castle and a dungeon full of money."

Briana
choked on a bite of kipper she had forked into her mouth. Her husband looked up
from his conversation, and she waved her hand that she was fine, smiled, and
took another sip of her coffee.

"By
Jove, you didn't know?" Sir Gerald said with a satirical chuckle.
"Devil take it, never thought my cousin had it in him."

"I
fail to see the humor in my marriage, sir."

The
man's starched shirt points poked into his neck as he turned toward her.
"You really don't know, do you?"

"Know
what?"

He shook
his head, catching Clayton's eye from across the table. Briana saw the heated
exchange and felt a cold lump form in her belly. What was going on? First
Clayton ignored the fellow, and now it looked as if he wanted to throttle the
man.

"You
think my cousin married you for love or something stupid like that?" Sir
Gerald said with a small laugh, his face to his plate. "This is England,
my dear girl. It ain't the Garden of Eden before the apple."

He
angled his head and gave her an appreciative look. "We could have done
well together, my little dove. And I would have had the castle—and the
money."

"I
have no idea what you're talking about." Shaken, Briana carelessly let her
coffee cup clatter to the table.

Instantly,
she noted Clayton's gaze boring down on her.

She was
startled when his chair scraped backward as he prepared to rise. Her stomach
twisted in knots. Whatever information Sir Gerald was about to convey, Clayton
did not want her to hear it. But hear it she would.

With a
sense of dread, she saw Clayton making his excuses and starting around the
table. Some people might think he was heading in the direction of the sideboard
for more food, but Briana knew differently. He was coming after her.

She
calmly turned to Sir Gerald. "Tell me about this castle, sir. I am most
interested."

Sir
Gerald brought his napkin to his lips. "Ever hear of Uncle Cathaven?"

Briana
nodded, her hold on her cup tightening.

"Well,
by Jove, you probably know the man was a horrid example for a human being. Was
godfather to myself and Clayton."

"I
didn't know," she said in surprise, watching out of the corner of her eye
when Clayton was stopped by another gentleman.

"Old
miser died not more than a month ago. Left his castle to Clayton, and believe
it or not, the old goat had a dungeon full of money. Enough money to set
Clayton up for life. I think your husband is richer now than the duke
himself."

Briana
felt the weight on her shoulders lift. She guessed Clayton was going to tell
her later. He wasn't one to boast. "He had not told me that, but then
again, perhaps he wanted to surprise me."

"Don't
be stupid, girl. The only way he could have the castle was to marry within the
allotted time. In essence, Lord Clayton Clearbrook needed a convenient bride in
less than a month and you were it."

The food
in Briana's stomach turned to dirt.
It's not true. He loves me,
her
heart cried.
He loves me.

"He
don't love you," Sir Gerald sneered. "He just needed you. Thought you
knew the circumstances."

"And
what would have happened to the castle if he hadn't married during the
specified time?" she asked coolly, peering over the rim of her coffee cup.

"I
would have had it all," Sir Gerald snapped. "Those were the
conditions of the will. Why do you think I'm here? Every eligible lady knows he
needed to marry for the castle. I made sure of it. And I was certain you knew,
too. You little fool, do you think he would marry for love? Clayton lost his
only love in the war. You are nothing to him but—"

"A
convenient bride," she finished for him.

Sir
Gerald's eyes gleamed with pleasure. "Indeed, my dear. Very much so."

From the
look on Sir Gerald's face, Briana knew Clayton was standing directly behind
her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she rapidly tried to blink them away.

"Briana,
may I have a word with you?" Clayton's voice was perfectly calm.

"Perhaps
the lady don't wish to leave the table, my lord," Sir Gerald said, smiling
as he forked the last bit of his eggs into his mouth.

Clayton's
gaze held a dangerous glint as he bent toward the table, placing his face
between Briana's and Sir Gerald's.

"I
will deal with you later,
cuz
," he said most sweetly.

Then he
turned his gaze toward his wife. "A word, if you please, madam?"

Briana
could smile just as sweetly. "I believe I will finish my breakfast,
dear."

But inwardly
her heart was bleeding. Yes, it was a marriage of convenience, but after last
night she had hoped he truly did love her. He had lied to her. Led her on. Made
her believe he loved her! For a dreadful moment she thought she could feel the
knife-twisting pain Clarice had experienced. The only consolation for Briana
was that she had married the man before she had let him take advantage of her!

Her
husband regarded her in stony silence. A muscle pulsed in his neck, and for a
few fearful seconds Briana thought that if she did not leave on her own accord,
he was going to lift her from her seat and carry her out of the room himself.

But to
her surprise, he only smiled. "Very well, madam. I will meet with you in
our chambers in thirty minutes."