The Wedding Affair (Rebel Hearts series Book 1) (29 page)

When she came, sobbing as her body clenched around his erection, he held her so tight she knew she would never give him up no matter the obstacle. She quieted and eventually he drew back.

His eyes were soft and full of love. “I will always love you, Sally, even if you marry that fortune hunter of an earl. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy now. Like this. With you.”

“And if tonight is all we have left?”

She pressed her fingers to his lips. “It will be time well spent. I love you, Felix. You are the only man I could love.”

He drove into her hard. “Say that again.”

“I love you, I love you,” she chanted to his every thrust. “Come home and marry me. Don’t make me wait forever.”

He groaned and spilled his seed inside her body. His arms tightened like a vise around her body as he held nothing back. “I will. I will be back. Never ever doubt it. You have my word. I will marry you and give you everything you could ever want.”

All she needed though was his arms about her and his love.

Chapter Thirty-Two

S
ally braced herself and then swept into her grandfather’s study. As usual, he was seated behind his large desk, but for a change he was gazing pensively out the window at the Newberry Park gardens. He seemed to be brooding, and that was not likely to make her request any easier to confess.

“Good afternoon, my dear,” he murmured after casting a quick glance in her direction. “I thought today of all days you would be too busy for me.”

“I would never be too busy for you. I was up early and made my rounds as usual.”

“That seems to be going around lately. Even young Felix could not suppress his habit and rose early, called for his carriage, and left after a few pretty words and a promise to visit again.” He heaved a sigh. “I like him. I will miss his presence at breakfast.”

Sally fought to hide her smile. Without even trying to, Felix had won her rather particular grandfather over completely. That boded well for what she wanted to do and the reasons for her decision. “Grandfather, I need your help.”

His eyes lit up with kindness. “In what, child? Another stitch on your wedding gown?”

“No.” She clenched her fingers together tightly at her waist. “I would like to not marry Lord Ellicott next week. ”

His gaze narrowed. “Or on any other day, I suspect?”

Sally bowed her head, then quickly nodded. She had known as soon as she had woken this morning that marrying Ellicott was a decision she would regret her entire life. Marriage was forever. Love was forever too. And she already loved Felix so much that the idea of never being with him again was breaking her heart. Marrying Ellicott would have declared that love meant nothing to her, when in truth it was everything that mattered. “I know this must be a shock to you.”

“A broken engagement at this late a date will cause Ellicott, and the family, a great deal of embarrassment. We were lucky last time that the arrangement with the captain was a private affair and easily hushed up.” His gaze pierced hers. “Give me a good reason.”

“Well.” She squirmed. “When it comes right down to it, I just do not like him enough to spend the rest of my life with him.”

“You do not like him enough?” The duke stood with a groan. “My dear child, you were the one who accepted Ellicott’s proposal. No one forced you to the match. You stood before your father and mother in this very room and assured them he was truly what you wanted.”

“I know. I did feel I could marry him at the time. After all, not all marriages start with love,” she protested.

Her grandfather ambled around his great desk, supported by his two canes. “Your mother will likely have palpitations at the scandal a broken engagement will cause. There will be no end of wailing on her part.”

“Mama is always emotional, but I believe she will understand my reasons for changing my mind.”

Her grandfather stopped at her side. “She will be pleased you are not going away, and frankly ’twill be a relief to all of us not to be robbed of your company.”

“I will marry one day, Grandfather.”

“Oh, so there is to be a gentleman in your future?” He clucked his tongue. “Another relief. You are much too spirited in nature to be a spinster all your life. He did not deserve you.”

She darted a glance at her grandfather, rather shocked by his confession. “I beg your pardon.”

“Ellicott is a splendid fellow on the surface—witty, powerful, an excellent horseman on the hunt. But…”

He left the rest unsaid for so long that she had to ask. “But?”

“He has not the faintest sense of family, of commitment. I have come to feel he will only make you miserable too.” The duke gathered his canes in one hand and with the other reached out to cup her cheek. “He does not understand you at all.”

“I am sorry I cannot love him.” She bowed her head, unable to hold his gaze. “I have tried, but I do not feel enough for him.”

The duke patted her cheek softly. “I loved your grandmother, and it took me a dozen years to win her hand. We were enemies as children, you know. I pulled her braid and she threw lemons at my head. I hope you will not have to wait that long to enjoy a rousing good fight with the one you love.”

“You were both so happy. I remember how your faces lit up on first seeing each other whenever you were apart. I cannot believe you had any reason to argue. There was always a glimmer in your eyes when you were near each other.”

“Your grandmother was a rare woman. She had no relations of her own by the time we married, and it took some time for her to find her feet among the family. But she did, and your mother did too, now I think about it. We are a rather hard family en masse.” He laughed suddenly. “I imagine the man you do eventually marry will need to understand that while your name will change to his, you will always be a Ford down to the bone. Family first.”

“I hope so.”

“Never admit fault,” the duke said. “Your grandmother always appreciated that one. She said it covered any number of social blunders or disagreements within the household.”

The duke held out his arm to embrace her, and she clung to him a moment, reassured that no matter what anyone else said, her grandfather accepted her decision.

He bussed her cheek. “I will see to it, my dear.”

“Thank you.”

He pushed her away suddenly. “Now, about this other fellow. Are we acquainted?”

“Yes.”

His eyes warmed. “And do I like him?”

She nodded. “Very much.”

“I thought I saw a glimmer when Felix showed up on our doorstep.” He leaned close and touched his finger to his nose, smiling at her shock. How could he know about Felix when she had only just decided to wait for him yet again? “Not quite so old and unobservant as you think, eh?”

Sally gulped. “You knew how I felt about Felix all along.”

“Not in the beginning, but for some time I have noticed your interest was just a little too fixed on one particular ship and your brother Laurence’s letters. When the engagement ended, I made discreet enquiries and learned your father had advanced Felix to the
Selfridge
simply to spite Admiral Greer. Despite the promise of his zeal and skill at command, the
Selfridge
was under-manned and under-gunned. I stepped in to ensure lives and the chance for success were not lost. Your father pushed him as hard as he could just to best another admiral.”

Sally closed her eyes. Poor Felix. Even if he had wanted to stay, he had not been given a chance to escape her father and family. He had always meant to leave, but he had not abandoned her willingly. It was no wonder he had been angry. He’d had good reason.

The duke smiled. “Captain Hastings proved himself in battle, child, won a fortune and distinction with the sole intent of impressing your family and you. He has lost years with you, but let us hope he does not get himself killed when he returns to face the French. He has promised to lease Torre Cottage from me upon his return, and you know how hard it is to find agreeable tenants.”

“But you promised me the dower house to live in.”

“I promised you could live in the dower house if you wed the best man in England.” The duke shrugged. “When Felix returns to shore again, you have my blessing to move there with him after the wedding takes place of course.”

Sally threw herself around her grandfather and squeezed him tight. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Well, do not get too excited about it now. Put on a sad, contrite face. We have a wedding to halt, and you cannot seem to be relieved about it yet.” He held out his arm. “Help an old man to the white drawing room, and let us put this mistake behind us.”

They made their way to the drawing room and found her betrothed and their mothers and Lord Ellicott were waiting. Her mother gave her an encouraging nod of approval, as if she knew what Sally was about to do.

“Lord Ellicott, might I have a word?”

He nodded, casting a questioning look toward her grandfather. “In private?”

“Outside on the terrace will do.” She led the way, chose her spot, and then faced him. “I cannot marry you.”

He tipped his head to the side, studying her without saying a word.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard, but I am unsure I believe my own ears.” He shook his head. “Are you telling me that after a year of flirtation that should only have led to matrimony, after all the arrangements have been made to accommodate your wishes, you have simply changed your mind?”

Very little had been done to accommodate her wishes. “I made a mistake.”

“Like picking up the wrong gloves to wear to a ball?” He folded his arms across his chest. “Well, I do not accept that.”

When she had broken with Felix, he had begged her to reconsider, promising that his love came from his heart and not because of any promotion. Proof that she was making the right decision came from Ellicott’s lack of appeal. His jaw clenched. His eyes narrowed, but distress at losing her was not one of the emotions he chose to reveal.

“I am sorry if this comes as a surprise to you, but you will see it is the right thing to do in the end.”

“It’s because of those bloody cats, isn’t it?”

“Partly.” She lifted her chin. “But mostly it is because we do not have any intention of loving each other. I deserve that, and so do you.”

His mouth pursed as if he had eaten a lemon. “Love?”

“Yes, love. That feeling you have for another. When you cannot stand to be apart. That you will do anything at all to make them happy.” She studied his blank expression, pitying him. “That feeling you have when your mother asks you to go out of your way to fetch her new dress from London, but magnified a thousand times.”

His jaw clenched tightly again, and then he brushed past her to speak with the duke.

Sally let out a shaky breath, glad the first obstacle was over because there would be more difficulties to come. Gossip and mutual friends choosing sides. She would hold her head up because she was doing the right thing for both of them. She could only hope her decision would not affect the reception her cousins faced when they went to London for their season.

She turned around.

The Ellicotts were gone from the drawing room. Only her mother stood at the doorway. “Well, that went better than expected,” Mama murmured. “The Ellicotts are leaving immediately. One can only hope the rest of the family can be as civilized and not make a fuss about the break.”

“Doubtful,” Sally said, realizing her mother was fighting a grin. “Everyone will have an opinion if they do not already.”

An amused smile tugged her mother’s lips. “In case there is any danger you might misunderstand, we prefer Felix to be your husband.”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“Oh, everyone,” Mama waved her hand to encompass the estate. “Even the stable master spoke his piece against Ellicott.”

Sally stamped a foot as strong emotions rose up and tears pricked the back of her eyes. “Did you all conspire to bring Felix back into my life?”

“Well of course. Everyone but Penelope, you know how she detests scandal, agreed to help things along. Do you forgive us? We only want you to be happy. We all felt bad that we hadn’t done enough to heal the breach before this, so your grandfather and I decided to step in before it was too late to save you from misery with Lord Ellicott, not to mention his mother’s plans to spend your dowry on what she wanted.”

She opened her arms wide and enfolded Sally in the second-best comfort in the world. “It almost was. She hung red curtains in my bedchamber.”

“Oh darling, a fate worse than death itself,” her mother said with a laugh, shaking her head in vexation. “A nice mother-in-law should have asked what color you would choose.”

Sally clung to her mother a long moment. “Thank you. Thank you for meddling.”

“It was our pleasure.” Her mother cupped her head, holding her tight. “I think you will both be very happy together upon his return. He loves you so much.”

“I hope so.” She sniffed, struggling with her feelings. “I love him too, but I do not know how I will bear another long wait.”

Her mother drew back and passed over a handkerchief. “You will keep busy, and who knows, perhaps the wait will be much shorter than you imagined.”