With His Ring (Brides of Bath Book 2) (36 page)

His face lifted when he smiled at her.
"Indeed it is!" Then he got to his feet.

"Shall you go now to Hornsby?"

He nodded.

Chapter 32

Gregory told himself he should wait for the
morrow. He had only two hours of daylight left, but he was so
thirsty to behold his beloved, he could not go through another
night without seeing her. Champion would carry him in good stead,
and the roads should be in good condition since no rain had fallen
recently.

Thoughts of the laughter ringing in Glee's
voice, of her floral scent, of the smoothness of her fair skin and
the vibrant life of her cinnamon colored hair—all of these thoughts
sustained him throughout the long hours of his journey. Most of
all, he cherished her for the true wife she had been to him.

He had come to understand so much of life
because of her. Now he knew how the urchin Archie possessed far
more than he ever had. Gregory could now empathize with George, who
loved his wife quite possibly more than he loved himself. And
Gregory had finally come to understand that his youthful wife knew
his own heart far better than he had known it.

He grew so hungry to see her, his breath
grew short, and his hands trembled. He tried to rehearse what he
would say to her, but none of the words he articulated seemed
adequate.

Two hours after night had fallen, he rode up
the avenue to Hornsby Manor. Light shone in but a few of the
windows of the sprawling manor house. He still did know what he was
going to say to Glee, but he knew he would speak his heart.

In front of the house, he dismounted and
tethered his horse, then nervously approached the front door. The
butler who answered the door to him raised a puzzled brow. "May I
help you, sir?"

"I'm Mr. Blankenship. I've come to see my
wife."

Sweeping the door open, the butler
apologized profusely for failing to recognize "Miss Glee's
husband."

As he stepped into the house, Gregory looked
upward and saw Glee hurry gracefully down the stairs. She wore her
emerald gown, and Gregory was convinced she had never looked more
beautiful.

"Blanks! Is anything wrong?"

The sight of her in all her radiant beauty
affected him profoundly. "Your family members are well," he said.
Then to the butler, he added, "A private word with my wife, if you
please."

"Very good, sir," the man said as he scooted
off.

Glee came to the bottom of the stairs and
froze in front of Gregory.

His hat in his trembling hand, he worshiped
her with his eyes. "All your family is well, save me, that is. .
.that is, if you consider me family."

A worried look flashed across her tiny face
and her hand went out to him. With pain, he noticed she was not
wearing his mother's emerald ring—their wedding ring. "Pray tell,
what's the matter?" she asked.

"It seems you left behind in Bath something
I was unaware I possessed."

"What?" she asked, her brows plunging.

"My heart."

Her watery eyes widened, but she made no
move from the bottom step where she had frozen. "What are you
saying?"

He swallowed. "That my resolve to never
marry, to never fall in love has crumbled like yesterday's
biscuits."

A light began to dance in her eyes. "Gregory
Blankenship, are you trying to tell me you have fallen in love with
me?"

"I am," he said solemnly.

She started to move forward, then pulled
back. "But I thought you were in love with Carlotta Ennis."

"Never."

"But--"

"You saw me pass her in the street."

"You didn't exactly pass her. You walked
with her!"

"I did. At her request. I want you to
believe that was the first time I had seen her since I became
betrothed to you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I
wanted
to believe you wouldn't lie
to me. I was at odds to know which hurt me the most: your lying
about Carlotta or your infidelity with her."

A muscle in his jaw tightened, and he spoke
in a low, throaty voice. "I was never unfaithful to you, Glee."

"But. . .why did you grab Carlotta by the
arm?"

"Having discovered what it was to love you,
I knew something of the pain she must have been feeling."

"I see," Glee said thoughtfully. "She
purposely met you on the street to beg that you take her back, and
when you wouldn't, she berated herself."

"It seems my wife is a most adept student of
human behavior."

Glee came down the final step and linked her
arm through his. "I hope you have come to realize how well I know
you, my dear Blanks."

"Actually, it's something I've only recently
discovered."

They strolled from the house and into the
parterre garden behind the manor.

"Do you know, Blanks, since I've been back
at Hornsby, I believe I've discovered something more about
you."

"What's that?"

"The reason you don't want children."

His heart thumped. "And?"

"It all has to do with losing your mother on
childbed. Remember, you told me you hated your father
for—essentially—killing you mother."

Good Lord, Glee
did
understand him
better than he knew himself. He nodded.

"It's my belief that you fear to impregnate
me—or any woman you value."

He came to a stop and nestled her face
between his hands. "I can't ever risk losing you."

"But, my dearest husband, the women in my
family are good breeders. And I've never been sick a day in my
life. It's my belief I'll bare you a dozen healthy babes."

He settled his hands on her shoulders.
"You're far too precious to me."

"Then you're willing to throw away our
happiness because of a silly notion formed when you were a
boy?"

They began to walk again. The smells of
night and Glee's intoxicating presence comforted him as he sorted
out his thoughts. Though his wife was five years younger than he,
in so many ways she was wiser. His silly anxiety about the dangers
of fathering a child
was
a holdover from his unnatural
boyhood. More than he did, Glee realized true happiness would never
come to them if they could not be united in every way.

After some time had passed and still he had
made no response, Glee came to a stop and put her hands to her
hips. "Gregory Blankenship, oh love of my life, I shall make a pact
with you.
If
I should die with childbirth fever—which I
assure you is highly improbable—you have my permission to do
yourself in."

He tilted his head sideways, an amused grin
on his face.

She grew solemn and slowly moved to him and
enfolded herself in his arms. He looked down into her lovely face
bathed in moonlight and he tightened the exquisite hold on her
before lowering his lips to hers.

After the tender kiss, Glee looked up at him
and spoke in a seductive whisper. "You do know that I've always
loved you?"

"That’s just one of the things I'm learning
about my extremely addictive wife." Then he scooped her against
him, savoring the feel of her.

"Blanks?"

"What, my darling?"

"Shall we go to bed now?"

"A very good idea, I should say."

The End

I hope you enjoyed
With His Ring
(
The Brides of Bath
,
Book
2). If you did, would you
please consider posting a review by the book's listing at
Smashwords or another site where you might have read it? If you do,
please send me an email at
[email protected]
and I will enter your name in one of my quarterly drawings for a
$50 gift certificate to the eBook retailer of your choice. Each
time you review one of my books, let me know, and you will get
another entry for each review. There will be a drawing each
quarter.

Thank you from Cheryl Bolen

If you enjoyed reading
With His Ring
,
you may also enjoy the other five installments of
The Brides of
Bath
series
:

(The Brides of Bath, Book 1)

Cheryl Bolen's writing
draws you into her fast-paced story. 4 Stars –
Romantic Times

Cheryl Bolen returns to the
Regency England she knows so well. . .If you love a steamy Regency
with a fast pace, be sure to pick up The Bride Wore Blue. –
Happily Ever After

* * *

For six long years Thomas Moreland has
dreamed of the beautiful young noblewoman who rescued him from
death. While amassing his fortune in India, not a day passed he did
not recall Felicity's fair loveliness, did not recall the silken
tones of her sweet voice, did not desire to possess her.

Now a widow, Felicity Harrison does not
recognize the handsome nabob as the young man left for dead by
highwayman years earlier. Though she wants nothing more than to
snub the arrogant man who promises to rescue her family from
financial ruin in exchange for presenting his sister to Society,
she cannot snub him. She must force herself to bear his company.
But the longer she is with him, the more she has to force herself
to remain true to her dead husband's memory. Why is it the humbly
born Thomas Moreland possesses more nobility that any man of her
class? And why is it she finds it harder and harder to mourn a dead
man when Thomas's virility awakens her deepest desires?

The Bride’s Secret

(The Brides of Bath, Book 3)

(
Previously titled
A Fallen
Woman)

You'll fall for A Fallen
Woman, the latest Regency romance by Cheryl Bolen. .this emotional
story of a woman's journey from despair to triumph has what we all
want from a love story. –
In
Print

A story of healing,
forgiveness and change that will make readers cheer. –
Romantic Times

I would recommend A Fallen
Woman to anyone." –
Escape to
Romance

* * *

Since his commanding officer in the Peninsula
took a bullet meant for him, James Moore, now the Earl of Rutledge,
feels responsible for the dead man's young son and the boy's
exquisite mother, Carlotta Ennis—so responsible that he offers to
marry the lavender-eyed beauty. Though their marriage was not to be
a love match, Carlotta's torturing presence has James yearning to
make her his true wife.

Though she did not love his lordship, her
desperate situation forced her to accept his proposal. Little did
she know she would come to crave being with him, would hunger for
his every touch. If only she could be worthy of the fine man she's
married, if only she can keep him from learning her dark secret . .
.

To Take This Lord

(The Brides of Bath, Book 4)

(
Previously titled
An Improper
Proposal)

"Wonderfully Crafted...
Highly recommended... 5 stars." –
Huntress
Book Reviews

"Bolen's writing... creates the perfect
atmosphere for her enchanting romances." –

Romantic Times

"Bolen does a wonderful job
building simmering sexual tension." –
Booklist

* * *

1
Even though it's been two years since his cherished wife died
on childbed, George Pembroke, the Viscount Sedgewick, continues to
rely on liquor to blunt his grief.

Worried about him and his children, George's
sisters urge him to ask spinster Sally Spenser—a longtime family
friend—to help care for his daughter and son. Sally's the perfect
person. She's of high birth (but has no money) and she adores Lord
Sedgewick's children. It's her deep love of the motherless children
and fear that their father might marry an unfeeling stepmother that
prompt Sally to consider George's proposal. Even though it will be
unbearable living under the roof of the man she loves and knowing
she can never have him.

Love In The Library

(The Brides of Bath, Book 5)

The Beauty and the
Scholar. . .

Certain the "smart"
Steffington twin is the person who can help her recover her late
husband's nearly priceless stolen Chaucer manuscript, Catherine
Bexley tearfully persuades the scholar to assist her. A deal is
struck. She's particularly pleased that the Doctor of Letters is
not interested in seducing her because she's finished with men
(owing to her late husband's multitude of unfortunate alliances
with. . .doxies). Regaining the manuscript and its subsequent sale
will give her independence to ensure she never has to marry
again.

Once he learns the poor,
delicate widow is in danger of losing her heavily mortgaged home if
they cannot find the valuable hologram, Dr. Melvin Steffington vows
to do everything in his power to restore the rare Canterbury Tales
to her. It's obvious the pretty little thing needs a man to help
her. Not normally the twin to take note of pretty little things,
Melvin can't help but to observe that Mrs. Bexley's physical
appearance is much like the beauties so admired by his twin
brother.

He hadn’t counted on the
fact he would have to pose as her husband as they race against the
banker's ticking clock. He hadn’t counted on the mysterious thief
attempting to kill him. Most of all, he hadn't counted on how close
he would become to the lovely widow or how the kissing of said
widow would become the most pleasant experience in his entire seven
and twenty years. . .