The Earl's Stolen Bride (Marriage by Deceit Book 4) (10 page)

“I’ll come by tomorrow,” Chloe’s mother said.  “Maybe we can go for a stroll or a carriage ride.  It would be nice to get you outside.  You’ve been stuck inside way too much.”

Chloe nodded, hoping her mother would stop talking.  Since it worked, she turned to Regina. “Good afternoon, Lady Davenport.”

“Good afternoon,” Regina replied.  “I hope you don’t mind I came unannounced.”

“Not at all.  You know my mother, Mrs. Boyle.”

“Yes, we’ve met,” Regina said.

After her mother and Regina exchanged pleasantries, her mother left, and it was safe to talk to Regina alone.

“Come on in,” Chloe told Regina, waving her into the house.  Once they reached the drawing room, she said, “I’ll have the butler bring us something to eat and drink.”

“Actually, there’s no need.  I can’t stay long.  My mother wants to shop for clothes for my son, and if I don’t go with her, she’ll pick out the most dreadful ones.”

A giggle escaped Chloe’s mouth, and she put her hand over it.  “I’m sorry.  I know it’s not funny.”

“Oh, it is.  I know her antics amuse others.  Sometimes it even amuses me.  It’s just harder to keep a sense of humor when you’re so close to a person and they insist on doing such things.”

“I understand what you mean.” Chloe thought of her own parents and wished the most she had to worry about was fending them off from buying hideous outfits. “I suppose they see us as children even though we’re married.”

“Indeed, they do.”

Regina led her further into the drawing room and took a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket.  “I promised my husband I’d deliver this right away.  It sounds like Orlando’s quite eager to see you.”

Glancing at the doorway to make sure no one was listening, Chloe took the missive, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face.  “I’m eager to see him, too.  It’s been hard to wait for him.”

“He’s a good gentleman,” Regina said.  “I thought he’d make a good husband, and it turns out I was right.”

“You were.  Thank you for introducing us.”

“I wish I could say it was a noble deed on my part, but the truth is, Orlando pressed my husband into asking me.”

“You didn’t seem opposed to doing it.”

“No, I wasn’t.  Toby took a good two days before he even asked me.  Orlando was at his wit’s end and finally came over to our townhouse to insist he do it or he’d ask me himself.” With a chuckle, she said, “It was amusing.  They came into the drawing room in such a hurry, I nearly spilled my tea.”

“I gather that made quite the sight.”

“It did.” Regina gestured to the missive.  “I’ll leave you to read and answer it.  I will be back to pick up your missive after my mother and I finish shopping.”

“All right.” As Regina turned to leave, Chloe called out, “Thank you for doing this.”

She smiled.  “It’s my pleasure.  I enjoy helping two people who are as in love as you and Orlando are.”

Chloe nodded and thanked her.  Regina left, and Chloe opened the missive, not waiting to sit before she read it.  It seemed as if she’d been waiting a year instead of a week to hear anything from him.  She’d never felt this burst of excitement when she’d received missives from her first husband.  In fact, there were times she’d left them unread for a few days.

Such was not the case with Orlando’s.  She had to be careful she didn’t rip the parchment in her hurry to unfold it.  Her gaze fell on his script, and she thought she’d never seen a more perfect penmanship, which was silly, of course.  Orlando’s handwriting wasn’t all that different from other gentlemen’s.  But he’d written this to her, and that was what made it better.  Funny how such a little thing could give something greater importance, but it did.

My dearest heart,

I suppose I should have waited until I got to London to write this, but the truth is, I was compelled to write as soon as you left.  I stood outside and waited until your carriage was no longer in sight before I went inside.  My first impulse was to write, so here I am, writing like a lovesick gentleman, pining away, once more, for you.

At the time we made the agreement with your parents, it didn’t seem that great a sacrifice, but now that you’re gone, I’ve come to realize this is going to be harder than I originally expected.  I spent over a year dreaming of you.  In all that time, the desire to be with you wasn’t as intense as it is now.

You’ll probably think I’m weak.  A gentleman probably should be stronger than this.  I almost hesitated to even admit these feelings, but then I figured if I couldn’t open my heart to you, then I can’t open it to anyone.

You’re the only lady I’ve ever wanted in the past and the only one I’ll ever want in the future.  You complete me.  When we’re not together, I feel as if a part of me is missing.  I’m looking forward to the moment I’ll get to be with you again.

Yours forever,

Orlando

Oh my.  Chloe could hardly breathe from the thrill his words brought her.  Lord Hawkins had never written to her in such a way. She had no idea such letters were possible.  She would keep this one in the small box where she kept her favorite mementos.  There was no way she was going to toss this one out.

She read through it twice more, her heartbeat racing a little more each time, before she finally sat at the desk and started penning a response.

Chapter Twelve

Why did he come here?  That was the question Orlando had been asking himself since he arrived at White’s a half hour ago, but each time, he remembered Toby had to give Regina the letter, and Regina, in turn, had to give it to Chloe.  Then he had to wait for Chloe to write a reply and give it to Regina who’d give it to Toby who’d finally give it to him.

What a complicated process for something that should have been simple.  Just thinking over the whole thing made him wonder why he agreed to the whole scheme to begin with.  Then he had to remind himself he did it for Chloe.  She felt responsible for her brother’s health.  She wasn’t, of course, but he knew she’d never forgive herself if something bad happened to him because Dr. Harvey refused to treat him.

No, he couldn’t put her in a situation where she’d be overcome with guilt.  It wasn’t fair to put her under that kind of burden.  He’d just have to bide his time.  It was only a month.  A month wasn’t long.  Yes, it seemed like it was, but it really wasn’t.

He threw his head back in the chair, closed his eyes, and sighed.  He should have insisted they stay at Edmonstone until her mourning period was over.  Then they could come back to London and no one would care if they were married or not.

“I thought you might be here,” a familiar voice said.

Orlando opened his eyes and saw Toby.  And more importantly, he saw the missive in Toby’s hand.  He quickly straightened up and took it.

“I didn’t expect you to bring it so soon,” Orlando admitted as his friend sat next to him.

“Regina didn’t tarry as long as I expected her to.” When Orlando glanced at him, he added, “Regina and her mother went shopping for some outfits for Samuel.  Like the boy needs more clothes.  We have so many.  He doesn’t wear the same outfit twice.  The only saving grace is that her mother buys them.”

“Surely, her mother isn’t that excessive.”

“I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking that I’m exaggerating, but I’m not.  We’ve had to put some of his outfits in a trunk.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the seamstress rolls out a royal rug and blows a horn whenever she sees Regina’s mother coming.”

Chuckling, Orlando opened the letter.

“I’m not joking,” Toby said.  “I really believe there’s a celebration every time Regina’s mother walks into the seamstress’ shop.”

“I didn’t argue with you.”

“I saw the way you rolled your eyes.”

“I didn’t roll my eyes,” Orlando argued.

“Yes, you did.”

“I didn’t.”

“I saw you.”

Unable to believe his friend was pressing the issue, he sighed and turned his gaze to him.  “They are my eyes.  I know when I’m rolling them or not.” Then, just to demonstrate, he rolled his eyes.  “There.  I just did it.”

“Sometimes you do it without realizing it.  Like you did just a moment ago.”

Orlando studied Toby’s face to see if he was joking, but then he remembered Toby wasn’t the type to jest.  Everything was serious to him.  Even now, Toby didn’t have a hint of amusement in his expression.  Rolling his eyes again, Orlando muttered, “This is a useless discussion.”

Toby pointed to him.  “You rolled your eyes again.  Just now.”

“Yes, but I knew I was doing it.”

He waited to see if Toby would keep on about it, but Toby picked up the
Tittletattle
from a nearby table.  “Why do we have so many copies of this blasted thing here?  There’s nothing worth reading in it.”

“People like gossip,” Orlando said then turned his attention back to the missive.

“I suppose.  Though it’d be nice if they would learn to mind their own business.”

As Toby went on about everything that was wrong with the scandalsheets, Orlando read the letter, smiling as Chloe expressed how much she’d missed him and how eager she was to see him again.  But when he read the part where she suggested he get a sheath, his smile faltered.

He hadn’t stopped to consider whether or not there might be a child from the time they’d spent together.  It was possible.  All it took was one time, and they’d done it often enough.  They stood a good chance of the child already being on the way.  Toby and Regina hadn’t been married for even a year when she had Samuel.  The same could very well happen to him and Chloe.

He lowered the letter and thought over how he’d feel if it happened.  The marriage would be exposed rather quickly. That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.  At least not from his point of view.  But then, he paid little attention to things like the
Tittletattle
.

“What’s wrong?” Toby asked.

Blinking, Orlando forced his attention away from the missive.  “Nothing’s wrong.  I was just thinking.”

He thought Toby might ask him what he was thinking about, but Toby only said, “All right,” and resumed reading the
Tittletattle
.

Orlando smirked.  For all the decrying his friend did about gossip, he was as intrigued by the talk around the Ton as much as anyone else.  Orlando reread Chloe’s request for a sheath.  If it’d been anyone else, he would have said no. But it wasn’t anyone else.  It was her.  And because of that, he knew he’d do it.  He had no idea a lady could have so much power over a gentleman.  He didn’t think he could deny her anything she wanted.

“Are you done yet?” Toby asked, putting his copy of the
Tittletattle
back on the table.

“Almost.” Orlando read the rest of it then folded the missive and slipped it into his pocket.  “Will you give Regina another missive and tell her to give it to Chloe before you have dinner?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Toby said.  “I didn’t read the
Tittletattle
for entertainment.  I read it because I was bored.”

Somehow, Orlando doubted Toby found the tidbits in the paper that boring, but to humor his friend, he let the matter go.  He got up and retrieved a parchment and wrote a quick note to Chloe.  Then he gave it to his friend.

“Thank you,” he told Toby.

“It was either play errand boy or spend time with Regina’s mother, so I suppose I should thank you for the diversion.”

“Oh, in that case, you’re welcome.”

Toby let out a snort as he stood up.  “At least she won’t be there when I get home.  You should be glad your marriage is a secret.  You don’t have to deal with your mother-in-law.” He gave Orlando an elaborate bow.  “Until I come bearing more missives, have a good day, my lord.”

Orlando chuckled as his friend left White’s.

***

Chloe waited by the front door, peering out the window.  It was almost ten.  She’d already sent the servants to their quarters as Orlando requested.  With it being dark and so many still at the ball or theatre, she hoped no one would see him.  For the most part, her particular street was quiet.  Only twice had she seen a horse pulling a carriage along.

A few minutes passed, and she finally saw him.  He wasn’t wearing a hood as she expected, but with his hat lowered over his eyes and his head down, it was hard to tell who he was.  On top of that, he wore dark clothes, blending into the background.  So really, he picked a good way of hiding without arousing anyone’s suspicions.

In case anyone happened to see him, though, she already had a plan.  She’d tell them the gentleman coming to her townhouse was a physician.  If people believed she fled to the country because she was grief-stricken, they would probably believe she called for a physician to give her something for her broken heart.

She opened the door as he came up the steps.  Their eyes met, and a smile lit up her face.  It was even better seeing him than she expected.  She barely managed to restrain herself from hugging him as he passed her and entered the house.  But the moment the door closed, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him.

At once, she was swept up into his embrace, being showered with kisses. Kisses on her cheeks.  Kisses on her forehead.  Kisses on her neck.  Kisses everywhere.  It was absolutely wonderful.

“I’m so glad you came tonight,” she whispered, hardly able to catch her breath.

“It took all my willpower to stay away,” he replied, his voice equally low.  He pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.  “I’m incomplete without you.”

“I feel the same way.” After a long moment, she pulled away from him.  “Would you like something to drink or eat?  I can bring you something.”

“No.  All I want is you.”

Then he was kissing her again, but this time there was a greater urgency in it.  His erection pressed against her, leaving no doubt to what he most wanted, and she wanted it just as much.  But first, she had to make sure they would be smart about it.

“Orlando,” she whispered, “did you get the thing I mentioned in the missive?”

“Yes.” His hands traced her lower back and behind in a way that shot a thrill straight through her.  “I need you, Chloe.”

Her gaze went down the hall to the doors of the drawing room, and her lips curled up into a smile.  “Let’s do it in there.” She nodded toward the room.

He glanced over at it and chuckled.  “Don’t be silly.  The best place is upstairs.”

“Who says we have to use a bed?”

“It’s more comfortable.” He took her hand and led her to the stairs.  “Show me where your bedchamber is.”

“All right.”

Maybe he worried someone might catch them if they were in the drawing room.  He was probably right.  Though the servants had retired for the evening, who knew if one wouldn’t pop up somewhere?

She hurried up the stairs with him and led him to her bedchamber.  As soon as she shut the door, he was kissing her again.  Oh, what a thrill!  She hadn’t known it was possible to be the object of such desire.  This kind of passion was something she’d only heard about in snippets of a conversation when ladies didn’t think anyone was nearby to hear them.  But she hadn’t fully grasped the meaning of their words until now.

With a moan, he pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss.  Even knowing what was coming next, she couldn’t help but anticipate everything as if it was new.  They hadn’t been intimate for so long, and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the bliss of lovemaking.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed.  Then he made haste in shrugging off his clothes.  She did likewise, and soon he was on top of her, kissing her once more.  His tongue brushed hers as he settled between her legs.  His erection snuggled up to her sensitive nub in the most delightful way.  Already she could feel the insistent need for release welling up inside her, demanding to be satisfied.  And as much as she wanted to give in to it and take him into her, she remembered what Helena said about the sheath.

“Orlando,” she whispered, her voice weak while he lowered his head and kissed her neck.

It was downright difficult to keep her focus when he was moving slowly on top of her, his penis sliding nicely over her sensitive nub.

“Orlando,” she said again, this time shifting away from him.  Truly, if she didn’t act fast, she wasn’t going to make it.  “Orlando, the sheath.”

He lifted his head and looked at her.  “What?”

“The sheath.  Did you bring it?”

He stared at her for a moment.  “Oh, the sheath!  Right.” He got off the bed and rummaged through his clothes.  “I know it’s here somewhere.”

A second later, he pulled out something from a pocket, but it was hard for her to really see it in the candlelight.  She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and watched as he took something thin out of a leather sack.

“Is that it?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She supposed its shape did resemble a sheath a knight would use to put his sword in, so the name fit.  She watched as Orlando put it on, finding it more fascinating than arousing.

“Does it hurt?” she asked as he secured it at the base of his shaft.

“No, it doesn’t hurt.  It feels,” he shrugged, “different.”

“Different?  How is it different?”

“It’s like wearing a stocking on your foot.” He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.  “I believe we were about to do something both of us enjoy.”

Giggling, she rolled him over until she was straddling him.  She could tell she’d surprised him by doing so.  Up to now, he’d always been on top, but she thought it might be fun to try something new.  She pressed herself intimately against him and resumed their kissing.

Kissing him was absolutely wonderful, and she made no secret about her enthusiasm.  This time she urged him to open his mouth so her tongue could spar with his.  With a groan, he cupped her breasts, his thumbs tracing her nipples which hardened in response.  If she’d been eager for him before, she was even more so now.

Now that he had the sheath on, she didn’t have to stop things from going further.  She pressed herself up against his erection.  Having the sheath between them did make things feel different, but she didn’t know if she’d liken it to a stocking as he had.  She was wet enough to make rubbing along him easy.  However, if she was honest with herself, the truth of the matter was, she preferred the flesh-to-flesh contact.