His Bargained For Bride: Regency Matchmaker Book Four

by Jones, Celeste

  Uncle Jasper clasped her hand in both of his, his eyes scanning her from top to toe, as though he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

  “I must admit, my dear, that when Drake announced he had a fiancée, I wondered if he was having a joke at my expense. But you are no joke, of that I am certain.”

  Amy glanced away from his kind face and gave me a pained look. I felt the same pain.

  “No,” she spoke softly, “I am not a figment of your imagination.”

  “You are more like a dream come true. Oh, how it gladdens my heart to know that when I am gone Drake will not be alone.” Uncle Jarvis reached a hand out to me and when I extended my hand he joined it with Amy’s, our fingers intertwined. “Yes,” he said, looking at our clasped hands, “a perfect fit.”

  I moved to step away and disengage my hand from Amy’s, but Uncle Jarvis stopped me. “You are betrothed, there is no scandal in holding this pretty girl’s hand. Sit down and enjoy yourself for once, Drake.”

  Uncle Jarvis turned back to Amy. “He is notoriously serious. Much too much for his own good, in my opinion, but he thinks he knows better than I do. Maybe he does. But,” he leaned down to look directly into her blue eyes, “I hope he will listen to his wife.”

  At the word ‘wife’, Amy’s hand began to tremble. I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Now, Uncle,” I said, “you are painting me in a bad light already.”

  Uncle Jarvis chuckled but the chuckle soon morphed into a raspy cough and wheezing breath. I released Amy’s hand and stood up.

  “This is a long enough visit for today, Uncle. I will escort Amy out and then return to help you back into bed.”

  Uncle Jarvis nodded, but gathered himself together enough to place a kiss on the back of Amy’s hand. “Welcome to the family, my dear.”

  * * *

  Amy

  As soon as the door to Uncle Jarvis’ bedchamber closed behind me, I leaned against it and sucked in great gulps of air, my entire body shook and I feared I might begin convulsing.

  Drake wrapped his arm around my waist and walked me down the corridor to his library. I leaned against his body and hoped to absorb some of his strength for I was exhausted, physically and emotionally. I collapsed into a chair and he handed me a glass of water then poured himself something stronger.

  When I finally composed myself, I said the only thing I could. “This is wrong. We must put a stop to this. It is undignified and cruel.”

  I stood and paced the room, my vitality returning as I became more clear about the right thing to do.

  “I am sorry, but I cannot continue this charade. It goes against every fiber of my being, every ounce of my integrity. I have professed my desire to travel to America in order to care for those who have been abandoned or taken advantage of by others, yet I am doing the same thing. The end does not justify the means. I will find another way to finance my trip to America. Please, take me back to Cherry Grove Manor. I will return to London with Lady Tempest and Lady Calliope.”

  When I finished speaking, I turned to face Drake. My heart clutched in my chest. He looked utterly forlorn and I touched his shoulder. “Truly, I am sorry. Your uncle is such a dear man, that was evident even in a short meeting like we had, it is cruel to mislead him.”

  I braced myself for a tirade. I had gone back on my word. Had I not, just thirty minutes before, reaffirmed that this was business and not emotional? But life and people’s emotions and dignity cannot be free from emotional entanglement.

  This fact became even more clear to me as I saw the anguish on Drake’s face. Tenderness for him filled my heart. Good heavens. Had I actually come to care for this arrogant sot?

  Seeing him with his uncle, the kind way he behaved toward him, had softened my resolve against him. Perhaps in another time and place. Under different, less deceptive circumstances…

  No, I shouted at myself. I would go to America. My sister needed me. I had a purpose in life and a desire to help people, not sit around in a grand house doing nothing.

  “You are right,” he said, so softly I was not sure I had heard him correctly. “I was so desperate to make his last days peaceful, I lost all sense. I became something I abhor... a liar.” He raked his hand through his hair and gave me a weak smile. “I apologize for dragging you into this. Of course, I shall keep my end of the bargain.” He opened a drawer in his desk and drew out a fistful of notes. “Please,” he held them out to me, “take these.”

  “Absolutely not, I would not dream of it. It is tainted money.”

  “This money is just like any other money. It has no characteristics other than as currency.” He shook his head. “Only a woman would say something as foolish as that.”

  “What?” Those tender feelings I had developed turned hard. “How dare you say such a thing?”

  He stood up and we squared off, hands on hips, glaring at each other. Before either of us could speak, there was a knock on the door.

  “Enter,” Drake called out.

  An elderly servant stepped into the room. “I beg your pardon, my lord, but there is a commotion happening in your uncle’s room and I thought you ought to know about it.”

  Drake rushed from the room and I followed.

  Several voices emanated from Uncle Jarvis’ room and Drake threw open the door and stormed in. He stopped short and I ran into his back.

  “Surprise!” Lady Calliope and Lady Tempest as well as a man dressed in vicar’s vestments stood in the middle of the room. Uncle Jarvis, still in his dressing gown, beamed from his chair.

  “Our plans have changed. It seems one of Lady Tempest’s daughters has fallen ill so we must return to London. But we hated the idea of missing your wedding. And since you have no mother to assist you in the planning of it, we took the liberty of making arrangements for you.” Lady Calliope beamed from behind a bouquet of flowers which she held out to me. “I just picked these from Seraphina’s garden. I’m sure she wishes she could be here, but she has gone to assist Dr. Spencer with a birth in the country. And since Tempest and I were alone, we came up with this plan. Is it not a great surprise?”

  “Oh, surprise is hardly the word for it.” I felt queasy.

  “I had feared I would be gone from this world before you ever got married and now, I get to witness the happy event,” Uncle Jarvis said, looking more lively with each passing moment. “This is the best medicine.”

  The vicar stepped forward and addressed Drake. “Lord Stowe,” he said with a bow, “I am not sure how this happened but one minute I was engaged in my morning prayers and the next I was here preparing for a wedding. These ladies,” he slanted his eyes toward Lady Calliope and Lady Tempest who were arranging additional flowers around the room and chatting with Uncle Jarvis. He even offered some suggestions for proper placement of the blooms, “were not to be put off.”

  Drake opened his mouth but before he could speak, I interjected. “What a lovely surprise,” I said and Drake jerked his head around, a shocked expression on his face, and stepped toward me, pulling me into the corner.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, cryptically, his eyes intense.

  “Well, we both object to the charade,” I whispered in his ear. To any of the spectators, we looked like lovers sharing sweet nothings. “This would put an end to lying and...” I glanced behind me to Uncle Jarvis, “look at how it pleases your uncle. Rather than ending an engagement,” my mind spun, “I will simply abandon you when the time comes. I shall head off to America and no one will be the wiser.”

  “We are ready whenever you are,” Lady Tempest called out.

  Drake stared at me for a long moment. “If we marry, it will be a real marriage, in every aspect, do you understand me, for however long it lasts. Neither of us is good at pretending.”

  A shiver ran through me at the implication of his words. “Agreed.”

  Chapter 7

  Drake

  “I should like to make a toast to the happy couple,” Uncle Jarvis said, rising to
his feet and using the back of his chair as support. “I had lost hope of seeing my dear nephew find a woman to share his life. During my many hours spent in useless bed rest, I tried to imagine the perfect wife for him. Of course, she would need to have a spine of iron to stand up to him and not allow herself to be plowed over by the power of his will. But she also had to be kind and gentle, for underneath that crusty exterior, he has a tender heart. He has found all of that, and more, in Amy. You are a splendid addition to our family, my dear.”

  The day had not gone as I had planned. It seemed that from the instant I rapped upon the bright red door of Lady Ambrosia’s home, life had gone higgly piggly. For a moment I contemplated what might have happened had I not sought out the eccentric matchmaker at all and simply ignored Uncle Jarvis’ demands that I find a wife. Instead of toasting my new bride, I would have spent the afternoon at tasks in my library, checking on my uncle’s health and watching him slowly decline.

  Instead, Uncle Jarvis looked twenty years younger and had there been any music, he might well have danced with Lady Tempest or Lady Calliope, or both. As it was, he was seated between them, sipping champagne and enjoying a festive meal which the cook had been able to create on short, short notice. Instead of the shallow sunken cheeks which had seemed to get more and more hollow over the last few months, his face appeared full. Full of happiness.

  I observed him for another moment as love swelled in my heart. He was a rascal to be sure, but he was my only family. He had sacrificed for me and loved me with all his heart.

  And now, I was married.

  Amy sat to my left, chatting with Lady Tempest. With her head turned, I noted the creamy curve of her neck. Imagined placing my lips there and then working my way around her throat, along her collarbone and then lower to the pert breasts outlined by her gown. I would draw the hard tips into my mouth and suck until she moaned with longing.

  “Drake, hello,” Uncle Jarvis waved his hand to get my attention. “Did you not hear me speak to you? You look like you were off in a fantasy.” Then he glanced at Amy and smiled. “Well, that is understandable when one has such a lovely bride.”

  Amy blushed and Lady Tempest and Lady Calliope covered their mouths with their hands in order to hide their knowing smiles. “Yes, well, perhaps it is time for us to be on our way home, Tempest dear. Our work here is done.” Lady Calliope placed her linen napkin on her plate and made as if to get out of her seat.

  “Oh no, please do not rush off,” Amy said. I could not decide if I was pleased to have such a well-mannered wife or a bit put off that she was in no hurry to be alone with me.

  Then I remembered the scene a few hours earlier when the ladies had been cackling with laughter... at my expense... over their breakfast.

  Was it possible that Amy did not wish to be alone with me? She was a widow. Had her prior husband been an exceptionally handsome man? How had she felt about him? I had not considered any of these matters before, as I had not intended to get married.

  * * *

  Amy

  The vicar rode away with Lady Tempest and Lady Calliope who promised to deliver him to the parsonage before they left Briar Glen. Not only had the two ladies charmed Uncle Jarvis, they seemed to have broken through the vicar’s frosty exterior as well.

  Seeing a man dressed in vicar’s attire had brought back many painful and shameful memories for me and though I had been able to tell myself that not all members of the clergy were like my former husband, I was just as glad to see him leave the premises.

  As I watched the carriage roll down the long driveway of Jade River Hall, the weight of the events of that day finally hit me and I felt overwhelmed. How had this happened? In one moment, Drake and I had agreed to call off our charade and the next thing I knew, I had agreed to get married.

  Somehow, entering into a lifelong commitment to a stranger had made more sense than a pretend betrothal.

  My head spun with the state of my life. Instead of making my way to America to care for the underprivileged, I was married to a lord and living in the sleepy village of Briar Glen.

  Of course, this was only a temporary situation. I would be on my way, with a sizeable nest egg, as soon as Uncle Jarvis passed away.

  Oh good Lord. I could either wish that dear man dead or I could try to make the best of my current situation. What a horrible dilemma.

  At least I was no longer lying to everyone around me.

  I spun around to return to my new home... oh how had my life gone completely off course? At least Lady Tempest and Lady Calliope had brought my belongings from Cherry Grove Manor. They must have been pretty confident in their plan to get Drake and me married right away.

  Those two ladies were nothing if not confident. Or at least determined.

  I paused for a moment looking up at Jade River Hall. It rose from the landscape like a grand beacon. I stared from window to window, three stories high. I was now Lady Stowe, Viscountess of Redmond.

  I took a deep breath and stepped inside the doorway and ran directly into Drake’s firm chest. I jumped back. “Oh, I beg your pardon, my lord.”

  “We are married now, Amy. Please, call me Drake.”

  Though in my mind, I had been using his Christian name, I had yet to address him directly so familiarly.

  He stepped toward me and I moved back until the hard wood of the front door stopped my progress. He reached out and cupped my cheek in his bare hand.

  It was warm against my skin and my breath hitched in my throat. My pulse thundered in my ears and I looked into his eyes then glanced away lest he perceive my yearning and insecurities.

  He gripped my chin between firm fingers, stroked his thumb over the tender flesh of my throat. “Say my name, Amy.”

  I didn’t trust my voice not to quiver, but it was churlish and childish to ignore his request. “Drake,” I whispered and heat spread through my nether region.

  His lips turned up in a seductive smile before he claimed my mouth with his own. He moved his hands to frame my face, making it impossible for me to escape. His lips teased mine gently for an interminable amount of time and when he finished I clung to him, gasping for air.

  He gathered me into his arms and carried me to his bedchamber. He kicked the door open and it banged into the wall, the sound echoing throughout the room.

  We both ended up on the bed, he hovered over me, his mouth claiming my lips savagely. As though his life depended upon it and I responded in kind.

  Longing and yearning, loneliness and anxiety all coalesced in that moment upon his large bed. I grabbed at his neckcloth, my fingers fumbling with the knot. He pushed my hands away and opened the knot himself. “Hmm. What an eager bride you are, Amy.” Unwinding the length of silk, he revealed the flesh of his throat and a few dark hairs in the opening of his shirt.

  Rather than toss the cloth to the side as I had expected, he bound my wrists together above my head. I gasped in protest.

  “That is what happens to wives who are too eager. Who cannot keep their hands to themselves. You need a lesson in self-control, Amy. Are you ready to learn it?”

  Tingles of delicious anticipation roiled through my body, though being at his mercy without the use of my hands gave me a few flutters of anxiety. Not to mention my eagerness to reach out and touch his body.

  After securing my hands, Drake left the bed and I ached for the loss of the weight of him over me. Though I could not use my hands, I watched eagerly as he shrugged off his coat and loosened the ties of his shirt, lifting it over his head to reveal the firm planes of his chest and the muscles of his arms. No wonder he had carried me up the grand staircase of Jade River Hall with such ease.

  My chest heaved up and down, my breathing shallow. The heat in my womanly core felt like it might set the mattress aflame and I writhed from side to side. Drake removed his boots and tossed them aside, then, his gaze holding mine, he slid his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers. I moaned, imagining the feel of his hot flesh, narrow hips and hard thighs ben
eath my touch.

  In one rapid motion, his pants were off and added to the pile of his discarded clothing. His manhood stood rigid, the tip of it nearly reaching his navel. I whimpered and arched my hips in that direction. He reached over and flipped me onto my stomach, raised my skirts, tore away my pantalettes, tossing them to the growing heap of clothes on the floor and set about swatting my arse.

  “Ouch! What is that for?” The surprise only heightened my arousal and the sharp swats on my flesh sent stinging bolts of lightning straight to my pleasure center. Still, I did not care for his high-handed manner with my buttocks. Were not spankings meant for punishment? What had I done wrong?

  “You need to learn patience, Amy. I am in charge, in all things, but most especially in the bedroom. You will do well to remember it.”

  I ought to have objected. Who was he to say he was in charge in all things? Was this not a business deal between equals? However, with three more hard swats to my arse, I turned into a gasping, jumble of arousal on the verge of a climax.

  Drake spread my thighs wide and landed a three fingered swat on my nether lips which sent me shooting to the heavens with loud, unladylike, guttural groans of pleasure. “Bloody hell!” I shouted at the apex while stars danced in my vision. I tried to muffle my erotic noises in the pillows of the bed, but the pulsations were too strong and I raised my face and let loose.

  Drake stroked the curve of my hip. “Good girl, Amy, that was an excellent start.”

  Oh good Lord. There was more to come? I continued to pant like a dog at the end of a long hunt, while languid sensations coursed through my body. Still on my stomach, it was easy for Drake to loosen the closures on my dress and spread it wide, pushing the sleeves down my arms as far as possible considering my hands were still tied together over my head.

  His hands delved beneath the fabric of my skirts and I moved my bottom to attract his touch. “Have you not learned, Amy?” He gave me three hard smacks and the crack of his hand on my flesh resounded in the air while the moisture from my womanly core seeped down my thigh.