A Bewitching Lord of Her Own: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Lucy Langton

  “Miss Butler, there is no possible way that you and I can be married. I loathed the idea of marriage for a very long time, and it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve finally fallen in love with my wife. But before then, before the situation that arose that brought us together, I despised the idea of marriage to my core, and even being completely drunk would have not convinced me to enter into such a contract,” Flynt said, his anger rising at the very idea. He was starting to think this wasn’t a very nice joke to play on him.

  “Surely you recognize your own signature,” she scoffed, pointing at the marriage license once more. He looked down at it, studying it as though his life depended on it. As he looked at his handwriting, he could agree that it did look as though he had signed it. As Flynt looked back up at Miss Butler, he could admit that she looked very familiar. But he was sure his own instincts would have saved him from making such a foolish mistake.

  “Miss Butler, I don’t know what kind of game you are trying to play with me, but it’s not going to work. You are trying to do something that I advise you against doing. I know deep in my soul that I would never marry you unless we were truly in love,” Flynt said as he folded up the certificate but held it firmly in his hands so Miss Butler couldn’t try to use the document in any other situation.

  “Lord Statham, here is what we can do. You’ll quietly make Ada disappear, and we’ll begin to do a show of courting in public. It will help others get used to the idea that there was a big mistake, and now you are honouring your first, true wife. Then, for show, we can be married a second time for appearance sake,” she said, seeming to be completely unmoved by his words.

  “Miss Butler, this has come way too far. You are to gather your things and leave my estate at once. I don’t know why you think this is funny or what scheme you’ve been playing at, but it won’t work on me,” Flynt said, his anger quickly rising as he crossed his arms. But Miss Butler was fast. Completely quicker than he would have ever guessed a woman could move. She snatched the document from his grip and stuffed it hastily into her pocket as she took several steps back.

  “If you do not get rid of Miss Ada Taylor, then I will show this marriage license to every paper in Town. I might ruin us in the process, but I cannot stand aside any longer and pretend this never happened. You promised yourself to me, Flynt, and it’s about time you honour those promises,” she said with her chin raised, her dark green eyes narrowed at him.

  “Don’t you dare call me by such a familiar name when we are not acquainted so. You can threaten me all you want, but my order does not change. Get out of my sight and get out of my house. I’ll give you one hour before I send my men after you and truly make you the laughing stock of all of Town,” Flynt said, his voice rising to the point that several of the stable men had come out of the stables to see what was wrong with their master.

  Miss Butler’s nose flared like a horse that was exhausted from running hard. She glared daggers at him, her anger and hurt clear on her face. But this time she seemed to obey as she picked up her gown and turned quickly, hurrying inside to do as she was told. Flynt was breathing hard as he watched her go, praying this would be the last time he ever saw Miss Butler and the treachery she’d suddenly brought into his home.

  Chapter 23

  Ada had just stepped into the drawing room, thinking she would visit the widowed sisters while she waited for Flynt to come to get her when Miss Butler came marching into the room in such a fury that she became rooted into the ground. Ada stood still as the woman approached her and pushed a piece of paper into her hand.

  “I can’t avoid it any longer, Ada. Flynt and I married months ago when he first arrived in Town. He declared his love for me, and we were married by a priest. But then he acted like he’d never even seen me before. But I can’t stand by and just watch you take my place in this family,” Miss Butler said hastily, seething with anger.

  Ada could hardly believe her ears as she slowly opened up the crumpled piece of paper to read the marriage license. She saw the date, the signatures, and realized that it was indeed Flynt’s signature on the paper. She had often memorized his handwriting on their own marriage certificate, feeling proud to be married to such a man. But as she looked back up at Miss Butler, she felt as though her whole world was crumbling around her.

  Her arms went limp as Miss Butler took the paper back from her, folded it, and placed it back in her pocket. Ada felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, and she willed them away until her mind could come to understand the reality of such a thing.

  “It would be best for both of us if you went away quietly,” Miss Butler then said. “Flynt and I will make sure that you are well taken care of since none of this is your fault. After all, Lord Statham has duped many young ladies into his bed, only to toss them aside when he was done with them. After all, I should know best of anyone.”

  Ada knew that there was a time in her life that she would have just listened to reason and obeyed. She’d done so with her mother and with the widowed sisters when she had come to live with them. But after marrying and becoming a stronger, more independent woman, she wasn’t going to let anyone boss her around any longer.

  Turning quickly, she hurried out the back door and onto the veranda once more. The moment her feet touched the grass, she rushed around the house towards the stables, knowing she needed to speak to Flynt immediately about the matter. She found him standing outside the stables with their two horses, pacing back and forth like he did when he was completely beside himself with worry and panic.

  “Is it true?” Ada demanded once she was close enough to speak to him. She came to a stop a few feet away from him, feeling as though she wanted to recoil from him at any moment.

  “No, Ada, of course it’s not true,” Flynt said as he turned to her, his face contorted as though he was in pain. “The woman is clearly lying because she’s been with Mother for almost two months, and yet I never recognized her before.”

  “But what about the marriage license?” Ada asked.

  “I have no idea how she got my signature on that document. But I would have never married simply because I despised the idea long before we were married. I know in my heart I couldn’t have married another,” Flynt said, his words pleading and his tone begging.

  “I love you, Flynt,” Ada said as tears began to stream down her face. “I took a chance on you and loving you. I was sure that you had mended your ways after we were married and that you were actually giving our life together a chance … I trusted you.”

  “Ada, please. You have to believe me. Miss Butler is lying and trying to deceive us both,” Flynt said, taking a step towards her, but Ada was quick to step back so that he could not touch her.

  She shook her head as she said, “We both know what type of man you were before we were forced to marry to save yourself and the family name. You drank yourself into oblivion every night and bickered with your mother and aunt every day. There were plenty of rumours about what type of company you were keeping during the night, and you have admitted to me that you were an experienced man before we were ever intimate.”

  “Yes, Ada. All those things are true. I made a lot of really bad decisions to cope with all of my fears and nightmares. But you know and understand this. I have never lied to you before, so please believe me now,” Flynt said, his hands reached towards her as though he wanted to bring her into a tight embrace. And even though Ada would have enjoyed that very much at this moment, she couldn’t deny what she had seen with her own two eyes.

  “You might not have remembered marrying Miss Butler, but she has proof that the event did take place,” Ada said as she gathered about her all the courage that she could muster.

  “Flynt, you were a drunk and a womanizer before we married. It’s what got you in such deep trouble with Lord Locke. And it seems the wrong choices of your past have come back to haunt you. You married another woman long before we were married, and now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions,”
Ada said as she took several steps back from Flynt. He started to shake his head, but she wouldn’t let him speak to her anymore.

  “I was foolish to think that I could find love, that my dreams of love were within my grasp. Now it has all been snatched away by lies and deceit,” Ada said before she turned away from him.

  “I love you, Ada. You’re the only woman I have ever loved or want to spend the rest of my life with. Please don’t turn your back on me now,” Flynt said, his voice rising high in the air as though he was pleading for his life. But Ada didn’t dare turn around as she fought back the never-ending stream of tears.

  She marched back inside the house and to the first spare bedchamber she could reach. There, she locked the door before flinging herself onto the bed in the dark room, letting her sorrow overflow and consume her.

  ~*~

  Flynt watched Ada walk away from him, his heart seeming to break in two as though he was being abandoned by the woman he loved. He couldn’t fathom what to do or what he should say to her. After all, his pleading words had done very little to persuade her to the fact that he had no memory of ever marrying Miss Butler. His anger quickly replaced his sadness, and he marched into the house and promptly found the butler.

  “Make sure that Miss Butler is packed up and removed from this house immediately,” he said as he seethed with anger. The butler was so shocked that all he did was nod his head and quickly turn around to do as bid. There was no way that he was going to let Miss Butler disturb his home and ruin his happy marriage. He truly loved Ada and would do anything for her.

  Flynt went into the drawing room to see his mother and aunt settled there. He sighed with relief to see that Miss Butler was nowhere in sight and hopefully hadn’t told her lies to his family.

  “What on earth is the matter?” Dowager Statham asked as she looked up at Flynt, then set her needlework aside.

  “Just a bit of a misunderstanding is all,” Flynt said as he settled down into a chair. “Miss Butler has greatly upset Ada, so I have sent her away.”

  “My goodness, what for?” Dowager White asked. “I quite liked Miss Butler.”

  “She threatened to ruin us all with her lies. I cannot stand for such a person to be living with us. Therefore, I told her to get her things and leave immediately,” Flynt explained.

  “But why won’t you tell us any more?” his mother demanded to know.

  “Mother, this matter shouldn’t be given any more attention. I’ve dealt with the situation, and we shouldn’t even speak of Miss Butler again in this house. I’m afraid of how it has affected Ada, and I love her too much to lose her,” Flynt admitted.

  “Oh, my dear boy. It surely can’t be that serious? If it’s all just lies?” Dowager Statham reasoned.

  “The heart is such a fragile thing when you are deeply in love,” Flynt said as he lowered his head into his hands and began to rub it. “This is such a nightmare.”

  “Flynt, I don’t understand what is going on, but this all doesn’t sound very good,” Dowager White said in a shaky voice. “I have a very bad feeling about this.”

  “Don’t worry yourself, Aunt Bertie. I told you. I took care of it,” Flynt said as he raised his head once more from his hands. But as he looked at his aunt and how pale she’d become, he knew that perhaps he should have been a little more tactful with the older woman. With emotions running so high, he was starting to wonder what the best way would be to handle this situation. Ada had helped him feel so confident that now he was second-guessing himself as he looked at the concerned women before him.

  Flynt rose from his chair and went looking for Ada. He knew that he needed to speak to her to explain that Miss Butler was leaving their home and would never be back to hurt them again. He dashed up the stairs, and upon seeing Ada’s lady’s maid standing outside a spare bedchamber, figured that Ada was hiding out in that room. As he neared, he could hear soft crying coming from the other side of the door.

  “Ada,” Flynt called as he pressed himself up against the door. “Ada, darling. You don’t have to worry anymore. I’ve sent Miss Butler away.” But all Flynt could hear in return was her soft crying.

  “Go down into my study and get the skeleton key. Make sure she is taken care of,” Flynt said down to her lady’s maid. The woman nodded and was quick to walk away and do as instructed.

  “Ada, please come out. We need to talk about this,” Flynt said into the door once more. But no matter what he tried to say or do, she was unresponsive and only continued to cry more. Flynt eventually stepped back from the door, wondering if he should just barge in once the skeleton key was discovered. But knowing that his wife was thoroughly distraught at the moment, he figured he should just give her some space.

  Walking down the hallway to their own bedchamber, Flynt went in and changed into some more comfortable clothing. With a simple pair of trousers and a muslin shirt, he felt at least a little better than he did before. But as he stood and looked at the room that he and Ada had created together, the sheets still a mess from their night of lovemaking, his heart started to crumble at the idea of losing Ada over the chaos that Miss Butler had brought into his home. If it were the last thing Flynt did in his life, he would make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

  ~*~

  Ada felt as though she would never feel well again. Her tears kept coming and coming as though there was no end to all of the pain that was swelling up in her chest. She kept thinking repeatedly of how much she had loved Flynt, had trusted him with her very life, and now felt let down completely.

  Even when her lady’s maid came into the room, having found the room key, she refused to talk to the woman. She came and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her back and trying to soothe her. The darkness of the room only seemed to add to Ada’s mood, so when she was able to speak, she asked her lady’s maid to open the windows so at least she could see some sunlight.

  It was slow going, but eventually, the never-ending tears stopped. Sunlight was brought back into the room, and Ada finally sat up on the side of the bed. Her lady’s maid helped her stand and walk a bit around the room even though Ada felt so weak and fragile. The words that Miss Butler had told her kept running through her mind, and she felt her heart completely close against Flynt.

  A bath was drawn for her, and she allowed her lady’s maid to help her into the hot water. It seemed to heat her skin to the point where she felt all her sorrow and pain being numbed for a short time. Her hair was washed thoroughly, and after having her skin scrubbed almost raw, she was dressed in a very comfortable nightgown and helped back into bed.

  After a time, her lady’s maid brought up a tea tray. The woman stayed with her, encouraging her to eat something or at least drink a few cups of tea to settle her nerves. She was given a book but wasn’t interested in reading. And when her lady’s maid suggested that she go down to visit the others of the household, Ada was quick to refute the idea.

  “The Master is very worried about you,” her lady’s maid said.

  “At this point, I didn’t think he would really care about me,” Ada said as she looked away from the woman.

  “And the women of the family would like to come and visit you. They are beside themselves with worry over you,” she pressed. But Ada wouldn’t give in. She dearly did not want to see or talk to anyone as she tried to decide what to do about herself.

  As the afternoon came, however, it seemed that she couldn’t hide out in her room anymore. When the door to the bedchamber opened, she had expected that her lady’s maid would be returning with another tea tray. But instead, Dowagers Statham and White came walking into the room. Dowager Statham’s cane struck the carpet and yet still made a loud thudding sound as they came to the edge of the bed to see her.

  “Child, what has happened?” Dowager Statham asked.

  “Has Flynt not told you what Miss Butler revealed?” Ada asked, surprised by the question.

  “No. He says that he has handled the situation, and we are not to speak
of it any longer. But if it has affected you so, then I think it demands an explanation,” Dowager Statham explained.

  Ada couldn’t believe it. How could Flynt not share the terrible news with his mother and aunt? Ada looked away from the widowed sisters as she tried to will herself not to cry anymore. She knew that it would do terrible things to her health, and the last thing she wanted to feel at this moment was weak. But if Flynt was refusing to talk to his own mother about the situation, then it meant that he felt guilty about not remembering he was already married and hoped to sweep it all under the rug. It was all so hard to believe.