The Earl of Morrey

by Lauren Smith

  “All right.” James stood and followed him to the door. “Safe travels.”

  Adam collected his coat and hat before heading to the waiting coach. Once inside, he let out the breath he’d been holding, and he couldn’t resist replaying that moment in the library with his future bride.

  He had suspected someonewas listening to him and James. He wasn’t sure who he had expected. He had certainly not expected to tug sweet, innocent Letty into his arms a second time. He also hadn’t expected her reaction to the encounter.

  Lord, the fire burning in those lovely brown eyes had driven him half-mad with lust. She had no understanding of her reaction—that was painfully clear. But he could teach her. She was a woman who would enjoy excitement in the bedchamber. She would enjoy playing games and would embrace lovemaking.

  He realized now that he was a damned lucky man. But he also knew that he would have to be careful with her. A woman as innocent as Letty could easily become frightened and confused by her own passions.

  The coach took him to his townhouse first, where he and Caroline discussed his plans at length. After the wedding, Caroline could return to London if she wished; indeed, he nearly insisted on it, because the farther away she was from Letty the safer she would be. This way, he would only have to worry about protecting one woman.

  “Adam, you know I can take care of myself, and it is my duty to protect my future sister-in-law. I adore her, and this must be so frightening for her. Having another woman to confide in would help her.” Caroline had stiffened her spine and raised her shoulders. Yes, he wouldn’t win this argument at all.

  “Very well, you may stay and guard my new little wife, Caro.”

  His sister’s usually solemn face turned impish. “I am so excited, Adam. Truly, she is so sweet and clever. Your babies will be beautiful.”

  Caroline had a fondness for children, and for a moment, Adam was lost in a daydream of what those children would look like, andhow completely devoted he would be to them. It was something he had not thought of since John had been murdered.

  But perhaps it would be possible. If he could keep Letty safe and protect her, they could have such a future. All that stood in his way was finding and removing the threat against her. He needed to formulate a plan with Avery Russell.

  Russell was one of the few spies in England who knew the larger picture when it came to spycraft. Most had only bits and pieces of information,in order to keep their mission as a whole safe. If he had to guess the nature of the French threat, he would wager that the Bonapartist struggles were at the heart of this.

  It was a bloody relief that Napoleon Bonaparte had died, but his supporters still gave the French royals plenty of problems. Normally, England was glad to have France preoccupied with its own problems, but Napoleon’s overthrow of the monarchy had ruffled the feathers of every decent Englishman.

  Rebellions, uprisings, the killing of kings—England had done it beforeand had no wish to do it again. A country undergoing rebellion was a country exposed, a country that could be easy prey for others. Whether it was France, Spain, or any of the other power-hungry nations of Europe, all would happily prey upon the British Isles if they sensed weakness.

  Adam had never been ignorant of politics, but after John’s death he’d been thrust into the forefront of a battle that was fought in the shadows. With whispers, coded messages, and stiletto knives flashing in the dark, everything had become so tangible, so very real and threatening that Adam had trouble sleeping most nights.

  “Adam, are you happy about this? Truly?” Caroline’s question broke through the darkening spiral of his thoughts.

  He reached across the drawing roomtable and touched her hand.

  “I believe I will be. There is just so much that weighs upon me. I worry for your safety and Letty’s. I cannot help but wonder which path is safer for her: to be my wife or to send her away somewhere the French cannot find her.”

  “There is likely no place to send her where French spies could not find her, Adam.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. There are some rather wild and unexplored places in the far north of Scotland where she would be safe.”

  Caroline shook her head. “Oh, you cannot mean to take her to see Uncle Tyburn?”

  Their uncle, a robust old man, was a Highlander through and through. Although he had been born long after the dreadful events at Culloden, he still held true to the old ways, as dangerous and illegal as that could be.

  “Tyburn would be safe. He has an old castle surrounded by flat land that has been cleared of forests. He can see a person coming for miles, as long as it’s daylight or the moonlight is bright enough.”

  “Why don’t we put Tyburn as a very last option. Letty is very English, and I’m not sure if dragging her through the pitted roads of Scotland to spend time in the fierce, frosty Highlands would be ideal for your honeymoon.”

  “You have a point,” Adam conceded, then rose from the table. “I must be off for Chilgrave. Do you wish to come early with me or travel with Letty?”

  Caroline seemed to debate this a moment. “I believe I shall come with you. There’s much to do to make it a welcoming place for a bride and for a wedding reception to be achieved tomorrow. As much as I adore you, Adam, you are still a man and quite incapable of planning a proper wedding.”

  Adam laughed. “Very well, I concede on that as well.” He went to seek out his valet, and then it was time to leave. He could not shake the feeling that danger would still come, even to the sanctity of Chilgrave Castle, but he hoped that whatever evil followed he would have the strength to stop.

  4

  Letty and Gillian arrived on Bond Street just as the shops opened. They needed to get what Gillian deemed the necessities for her meager trousseau, and after a spot of lunch that wasn’t nearly long enough, they were whisked back home to finalize their packing.

  Before Letty could catch her breath, Mina was helping her into her carriage dress, and she was boarding the coach for a two-hour ride to Chilgrave Castle—a place she’d never been before but, by the next night, would be the mistress of.

  Was it all real? Was she to see her future home tonight, or was this some fantastical dream? There had been no amorous glances across a roomful of chaperones or flowers delivered to her door; all the things she knew and had come to expect of such moments were absent. She’d longed for a proper courtship. Romantic interludes of the sort her mother had told Letty about when she was just a young child. Most young ladies began their courtship dance at balls or card parties in the assembly rooms. She had begun hers at knifepoint.

  Letty’s parents’ marriage had been a love match, which was not as rare a thing as some made it out, but for her parents it had been unexpected. Because theirs had been a love match, they’d spent their entire marriage sharing a suite of rooms and the same bed. They shared their lives with each other, and rarely had they ever spent time apart. Letty had learned later on as she grew up how rare that was, even for couples who married for love.

  As the buildings of London gave way to green fields and trees and idyllic villages, Letty found herself ever more silent as Gillian and James spoke with her. She answered in monosyllables as her mind churned with thoughts of her uncertain future as the Countess of Morrey.

  As they reached Chilgrave Castle, she saw it at first from a distance, a square fortress with circular towers at each of the four corners. The design was simple, but the strategy behind it was clever. A wide moat separated the castle from the land surrounding it. A long stone bridge stretched across the water to the castle, which loomed eerily in the fading sunlight. It reminded her of the sort of castle a child might try to build in the sand on Brighton Beach, but this castle could not be washed away by any wave. If any part of the structure were to crumble in some distant future, it would only be because of the long march of time.

  “What do you think, Letty?” Gillian asked. “I’ve been here a few times. It seems quite austere outside, but inside, it is a proper ho
me.”

  Letty kept her gaze upon the structure. “It is certainly daunting.” The coach drove over the narrow bridge to pass into the courtyard. Castles like this had been built during the time of Edward III,the royal age of castles. But that era of time, like many others, had faded.

  “You’ll find it’s quite nice,” Gillian said again. “Most medieval castles were built strictly for military fortification. When the ancient Morreys had this castle built, however, they sought to reconcile the military purpose with the prospect of a lord and lady living comfortably within. The courtyard is not made of stone, but rather full of lush gardens and a fountain. I hope you’ll find it as beautiful as I do.”

  Letty was used to a sprawling estate that ambled over rolling hills, a place where she felt able to run free. Despite Gillian’s assurances, Chilgrave felt closed off, a stone cage. She shivered at the thought.

  The coach rolled to a stop, and a fleet of footmen met them as the three of them exited the coach. Their valises and trunks were removed and carried inside after them. Letty watched as her two dark-blue painted trunks were hoisted up between a pair of servants and hauled out of sight.

  My entire life, packed away into two trunks. My silk gowns carefully folded, my jewels blanketed in velvet pouches. My favorite books wrapped in cloth and stacked neatly to one side. Will my small life have a place here in this vast gray structure?

  “Welcome!” Caroline Beaumont came down a narrow stairwell to greet them. “I trust the ride wasn’t too unpleasant?” Caroline rushed to her halfsister first. “Gillian!” And the two embraced each other.

  Gillian smiled. “Caro, it’s so lovely to see you!”

  “How’s my little nephew?”

  “Fine, fine. Gabriel is with his nurse while we stay for the wedding. You must come back to London and see him soon.”

  “I shall. He’s such a little dear. So beautiful.” Caroline sighed dreamily. Then she turned to Letty, her joy still evident. “Oh, Letty, I’m so happy to see you again!” She hugged Letty with the same enthusiasm.

  “You look quite worn out. I imagine today was hectic. Why don’t you come in and freshen up for dinner. Then you can go straight to bed and rest.”

  “Thank you, Caroline, we would like that. Letty and Gillian have barely had time to eat all day.” James chuckled. “All that shopping and making preparations.”

  “I can imagine.” Caroline squeezed Letty’s hands and gestured toward the stairs. “Follow me.”

  Caroline tucked her arm in Letty’s, the warmth of the gesture waking Letty from her maudlin thoughts.

  “We have a lovely room all prepared for you,” Caroline said.

  Letty walked through the gatehouse that formed the front door for the main part of the castle and up the winding staircase Caroline had come down. Richtapestries hung from stone walls, making the medieval castle feel warmer and more welcoming.

  “Where is Lord Morrey?” she asked Caroline.

  “Adam will be here shortly. He was in his bedchamber, seeing to a few things. He and the housekeeper got a bit dusty when they were up in the attics earlier this afternoon.”

  Letty wrinkled her nose in confusion.“The attics?”

  “Yes. I believe he was looking for the Morrey coronet. It was our great-grandmother’s. We put it away when she died. It’s perfectly splendid, and you may wish to wear it for tomorrow’s ceremony.”

  Letty liked to think that she was above being excited over jewels, but the thought of a coronet did give her a girlish flash of excitement that made her feel extremely foolish. She had graver concerns than pretty diamond coronets. Like the fact that a French spy was likely looking for her.

  They entered a wide hall. The stone walls had been covered with wood and papered over with an expensive and lovely emerald wallpaper. Crown moldings painted with gold decorated the ceiling, bordered by Grecian scenes that would have rivaled any Wedgewood china. Between portraits of past Morrey ladies dressed in flowing gowns and dashing men in their bright, brilliant doublets, there were tall mirrors lined with vines covered ingold plating. It was not at all like the outside of the castle. The interior had a gilded, glorious atmosphere, each room exuding a warm decadence. Gillian was right—it was rather lovely.

  “James, Gillian, you have the bedchamber here.” Caroline opened a door and showed them into a beautiful bedroom with a dark-red coverlet and red brocade hangings. “I’ll have a footman meet you here in half an hour to escort you to dinner.”

  “Thank you,” Gillian said.

  “Letty, your room is at the end of the corridor. It’s in the west tower. It has a lovely view. One of the best rooms, in fact.”

  The room Letty was to sleep in had painted walls the color of a winter sky. Opposite the bed in the circular room was a bookcase built into the wood-paneled walls. The natural white posts of the bed gleamed in the firelight. It was large for a tower room. The four-poster bed was made fromwhite birch tree wood, roughly hewn. The black knots in the wood were like a dozen eyes staring at her from the pale faces of the posts, but even that was strangely beautiful. The coverlet on the bed and the bed hangings were a shimmering frosty-green color.

  “Well? What do you think? Adam thought you might like this room. It will be your own personal room, even after you’re married.”

  At this, Letty faced Caroline. “I’m not to share my husband’s room?”

  A deep voice came from the doorway.“You certainly may . . .”

  Letty and Caroline turned to see Lord Morrey, standing tall and handsome in buff trousers and a burgundy waistcoat. The firelight played with him the way a lover might, caressing his features and illuminating his silver-and-gray eyes.

  “Oh, Adam, why don’t you say hello to Letty? I need to run down to the kitchens.” Caroline flashed Letty a knowing smile before hastily leaving the bedroom.

  For a second, Letty wavered as she faced the man who had, less than twenty-four hours ago, held a knife to her throat, kissed her, and become engaged to her. The whirlwind that was Adam Beaumont was making her dizzy. She straightened her shoulders, rallied her remaining strength after the trying day she’d had, and met his gaze.

  “Good evening, Lord Morrey,” Letty breathed. She still felt nervous around him, especially thinking of that moment in the library and how fear and excitement had mingled together in his presence.

  “Adam, please. I cannot have you calling me ‘Lord Morrey,’ even though tomorrow I will become your lord and master.” There was a sensual teasing to his words that dashed the rebellious retort that flew to her lips.

  “Adam,” she said softly, and Adam came deeper into the room.

  “Yes?” He reached her, their bodies only a few feet apart now.

  “I do like this room. However, my understanding of marital relationships was that we would share a room. My parents shared a bedchamber, as do James and Gillian, and that was my expectation. I acknowledge I do not have a large amount of experience to draw on, and we will be married to each other rather quickly. What do you think our arrangement ought to be?”

  “What do you wish our arrangement to be?” he countered with a hint of playfulness.

  Letty bit her bottom lip. “I want to . . .” She fisted her hands in her skirts as she studied him,and he leaned casually against the doorjamb, blocking her escape. Not that she was sure she wanted to escape.

  “Say it. Say what you desire. You need never fear telling me what you need. Do you understand?” The playfulness in his tone was gone, and that brooding intensity of his that left her breathless had returned. His stare ensnared her, rooting her in place.

  She sensed he was telling her something deeper, something more profoundly intimate, but she didn’t yet quite understand.

  “I would like to share a bedchamber with my husband—with you.”

  “I sense some hesitation,” Adam said as he continued to stare into her eyes. He reminded her of a cat her mother once had, a Russian blue beauty with green eyes that could peer into one’s so
ul. The cat would stare at her, unblinking, and she had been convinced the feline could read her every thought. Adam shared that same trait.

  “Are you surprised? You frighten me a little. The way you held that knife, the way you look at me . . .You must know I’ve never been with a man in any intimate way. I have no experience with this. That is why I hesitate.” She lowered her voice when she spoke of intimacy, not that anyone could hear her. They were quite alone for the moment.

  Adam’s gray eyes studied her, unlocking something inside her, something that made her feel weak at the knees, yet she held her ground, even as his gaze seemed to burn her skin as it roved over her body. He reached up to catch a loose curl that fell against her throat. The whisper of his fingers against her skin sent her head spinning, her blood humming.

  “I will endeavor to make us friends as well as lovers.” He leaned in just enough that she inhaled the scent of him, and her body hummed with a feminine awareness.

  Friends and lovers, not merely husband and wife. A marriage, she knew, could have a profound meaning and connection between two people, or it could be a piece of paper and some muttered words that bound two unhappy souls together until one of them died.

  “Are you afraid of me?” Adam asked ashe lifted her face to his.

  “No . . . Not exactly,” she said, surprised at the ease with which she could answer him when he spoke in that commanding voice.It was true. She didn’t fear him. She was nervous and more than a little anxious, but not afraid. She was worried about what being a wife to him would entail, especially in the bedroom. She had experienced a great range of emotions in the last day,and she’d accepted that the life she’d wanted, the life she’d planned for, was not going to happen. She had longed for marriage, but under much different circumstances.

  Yet when she was alone with him, as she was now, he seemed to cloud her thoughts until all she could think was that she wanted him to keep touching her, how the danger and excitement of that touch sent wild thrills through her.