Heiress Gone Wild
Page 31
“I’ll walk down with you.”
The two men departed the marquess’s dockside offices together. Ten minutes later, they had said their farewells, and a ferry was carrying Jonathan across the port from Hythe to the opposite marina where a Cunard ship waited to take him to Gibraltar.
As he passed through the crowd of people who were gathered on the dock to say good-bye to their loved ones, he searched for Marjorie’s face, though he knew it was futile. After this morning, he doubted she was in any frame of mind to come to the wharf and say good-bye. And even if she did, what would be the result? Leaving her at Ainsley Park had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. If he saw her now, would he be able to tear himself away a second time?
On the other hand, could he toss all his newly made plans aside and give up what he knew he wanted to do, and try to settle down to the insular, self-contained world of a British country gentleman?
Even as he asked himself that question, he knew it wasn’t possible, not for him. Even if that was what Marjorie wanted, even as much as he loved her, he could not do it. He needed a wider world than one tiny corner of England.
No, he decided as he paused at the gangplank for one last look around, if he saw her now standing here on the dock, the thing he’d be most inclined to do was heave her over one shoulder, scandalizing anyone who might be watching, and haul her aboard. He almost smiled at the notion, appreciating just how far he’d come from the overprotective guardian who’d thought he could make her stay in her room for propriety’s sake.
It made him laugh at himself now to think of that, for he knew Marjorie would never be controlled by his expectations, or anyone else’s. He knew she had an adventurous streak; it had been his greatest frustration two months ago. He could only hope that with time, it would prove to be his ally. If not—
The ship’s horn blew, a welcome distraction from the gloomy direction his thoughts had almost taken, but also a warning that he could not delay any longer. He turned and crossed the gangplank, where Warrick was waiting for him.
“I’ve seen to the luggage, sir,” the valet said, handing him his passkey. “Your stateroom is A-18. Shall I show you?”
Jonathan hesitated, glancing again over his shoulder. “No,” he said, holding out the plans and his dispatch case. “Here, take these, and order me some tea. I’ll be along.”
“Very good, sir.” Warrick departed, and Jonathan moved to stand with the other passengers at the rail as the ship pulled away and started out to sea. He kept his gaze fixed on the dock until the ship made the turn at Calshot and merged into the Solent, then he turned away and went to his stateroom, but to his surprise, he found it empty. Warrick had placed his dispatch case on the floor beside the writing desk and unrolled the plans on the desk’s surface, but the valet himself wasn’t anywhere in sight.
“Warrick?” he called, but there was no answer. Jonathan tossed his hat and passkey on the table by the door, then crossed to the bedroom, but it was empty as well, and he could only conclude that his valet had gone on some necessary errand.
Deciding the best way to take his mind off Marjorie was by doing some work, Jonathan proceeded to get comfortable for the task, removing his jacket, necktie, and collar. He was just starting on his cuff links when the outer door to his suite opened.
“Warrick?” he called.
“Yes, sir,” the valet called back. “I’ve brought your tea.”
Jonathan frowned, a bit puzzled. “Why didn’t you have a waiter do it?” he asked as he tossed his cuff links and tiepin onto the dressing table and began rolling back his shirt cuffs.
There was a pause. “It would have taken too long,” the valet said at last. Another pause, and then, Warrick resumed, “They didn’t put any milk on the tray. I’ll fetch it.”
“I don’t need milk,” he called back, but the door closed before he’d finished speaking. With a shrug, he finished rolling back his shirt cuffs, then walked into the bath and splashed a bit of cold water on his face. Grabbing a towel, he dried off as he returned to the sitting room, but he’d barely stepped through the doorway before he came to an abrupt, astonished halt.
Standing by the tea tray, disheveled, hat askew, breathtakingly lovely, was Marjorie.
“What the devil?” he muttered, staring, too stunned to move.
She laughed. “Well, at least you’re dressed this time. Mostly, anyway.”
He was moving before she’d even finished speaking, tossing aside the towel and taking the few quick steps to bridge the distance between them. “My God,” he muttered, sliding his hands up and down her arms to be sure she was real. “My God. What are you doing here?”
She bit her lip, giving him a look of pity. “Don’t you know by now how much I hate being left behind?”
He began to laugh, joy welling up inside his chest. Incredulous, still stunned, he hauled her into his arms. “Marjorie, my darling. My mad, wild, crazy ginger.”
He kissed her with each word, her mouth, her nose, her cheeks, her hair, and then her mouth again. “How did you get here? Do you have luggage? Are you real?”
“Very real,” she assured him and proved it by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. “As for how I got here, you’ll be happy to know my chaperones brought me.”
“Poor chaperones, indeed,” he replied, slipping his arms around her waist, “if they let you do something like this.”
“Well, I did promise them that we would get married. In fact, Clara said if we’re off to Gibraltar together, you’d better marry me, or she’d come find you and shoot you.”
Given that Clara had been making that threat ever since he’d been old enough to annoy her, he might have been amused, but Marjorie’s mention of marriage shredded any notions of humor, and he drew back a little, looking into her eyes. “You want to marry me? You’re sure?”
“Yes, Jonathan. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She sounded sure, but he wasn’t ready to dance a jig about it. “You weren’t last night. As I recall, you never did give me an answer. And this morning, when I told you my plans, you were dead set against ever marrying me.”
“I wouldn’t quite say that. I admit,” she went on as he raised a skeptical eyebrow, “I wasn’t sure last night, but before the night was over, you managed to change my mind.”
“And change it back. Or have you forgotten our quarrel this morning?”
“No, but your news was like a lightning bolt. One minute, you were showing me that lovely house you’d bought for us, and the next minute, you were telling me you were leaving. I felt as if everything I’d ever wanted had just been dangled in front of me and then snatched away. It all happened so fast, and I had no time to think.”
“Believe me, manipulating you or rushing you were not at all what I’d intended. Quite the opposite, in fact. Before you came to my room last night, I was readying myself for a long courtship. I thought you might need months or even a year or two to make up your mind about me. I thought you’d want to do the season, meet other men before you decide, and if that was going to be the case, I knew I’d have to have an occupation, or I’d go mad. When I met with Kayne, and we discussed making the deal, I knew at once it was the right thing for me, but I knew to persuade you would take time. When Kayne suggested I be the one to go to Gibraltar, I agreed, thinking it a good move on my part.”
“A good move to leave me? I like that!”
He smiled a little. “Call it a strategic withdrawal. I thought it would give you the opportunity to consider my plan. And I hoped,” he added, pulling her closer, “it might make you miss me a little. Realize you couldn’t live without me.”
“Oh, how conceited men are!” she cried.
“I was far too unsure of your feelings to be conceited. When you came to my room last night, I should have booted you out straightaway, because in the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t fair play otherwise, but I just couldn’t do it. I’m weak as water where you’re concerned
. What can I say? And then, later, when I had all your clothes off and you still wouldn’t agree to marry me . . . well, by then, I knew you loved me, so there was no way I was letting you go.”
“I didn’t want to let you go either, obviously,” she whispered, blushing a little, her arms tightening around his neck as she rose on her toes and kissed him.
“I’m glad, but this morning, it made telling you my plans so much harder. When I showed you the house, I knew I had to tell you what I’d agreed to take on, but it kept getting more difficult to say, and finally, I just blurted it out. And then, well, everything rather went to hell.”
He bent his head and kissed her. “This morning, I accused you of being afraid, but the truth is, I was afraid, too, Marjorie. I was afraid I’d ruined everything. I thought about not going, about backing out of the deal, but Kayne and I had already made an agreement, and if I failed to honor that, how could I ever expect you to count on me?”
She nodded. “I see that now, but this morning, I was just so shocked. But after I had time to think it over, I realized you were right, that I was clinging to old fears and other people’s ideas. And I didn’t want to do that anymore, not after what the baroness had said to me.”
He groaned. “That woman.”
“Well, you should thank her because what she said was what sent me to your room last night, and what made me realize I was in love with you, and what changed my mind this afternoon. She said life isn’t perfect, and things don’t always go according to plan—”
“Tell me about it,” he murmured, earning himself a punch in the arm. “Ouch.”
“She also said that life would be very dull if we never took any risks. And today, after I got over the initial shock of your news, I remembered her words, and I realized that if I refused you out of fear and the need to feel safe, I’d regret it forever. After all, my dull, risk-free life was the reason I jumped on a ship and followed you in the first place.”
“And despite all my efforts to see you properly looked after, here you are again.”
“Well, yes. You see . . .” She paused, smiling. “I got this smashing field camera as a birthday present. And I decided,” she added as he laughed, “the best way to put it to good use was by coming with you. Which reminds me . . . you’ve told me your career plans, but you haven’t heard mine.”
He blinked, taken aback. “You want a career?”
She nodded. “I’ve decided I want more for my life than balls and parties and being one of the idle rich. Are you surprised?”
“Since I met you, darling, surprise is my perpetual state. So, what is this career you’re embarking on? I hope it’s something you can do while you come along with me?”
“As a matter of fact, it is. I’m going to work for Deverill Publishing as a photographer and writer. I’m going to take pictures of our travels and write essays about them, and Clara’s going to publish them.”
“What a smashing idea.” He planted a kiss on her nose. “I love it.”
“I’m glad.” Her smile faded, her expression becoming serious. “Because I love you, Jonathan, and wherever you are is where I want to be, too.” The words were scarcely out of her mouth before she was laughing. “You look almost as stunned now as when you first walked out and saw me here.”
“I’m not just stunned, Marjorie. I’m awed.” He cupped her face and kissed her mouth. “An hour ago, I was wondering if I’d ruined everything, and now, here you are, making all my dreams come true.” He slid his hands down to take hers. “I love you with all my heart and soul, and I promise on my life that I will never abandon you or leave you behind. And no matter how much we travel, we will always have a home, for ourselves and for our children.”
“At Ainsley Park?”
“If that’s the home you want.”
“It is. I loved that house the moment I saw it, and I’m very much looking forward to making a home for us there. But first . . .” She paused to slide her arms back up around his neck. “I want a honeymoon. A long honeymoon, so I hope Lord Kayne doesn’t mind if you lengthen your trip a little?”
“I’m sure he’ll be delighted as long as I also secure some additional moorings. But as to getting married, darling, we’re in a bit of a pickle. I don’t think ship captains can legally marry people.”
“They can’t,” she answered at once. “Irene told me so. But she also said that we can get married at Gibraltar, and if we do that, the scandal of our elopement will die down after a while.”
“It seems my efforts to be a responsible guardian have gone completely awry.” He paused, giving a sigh. “To mitigate the scandal, I don’t suppose I could persuade you to remain in your room during this voyage?”
“Not a chance,” she said and kissed him.
About the Author
LAURA LEE GUHRKE spent seven years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed a construction company before she decided writing novels was more fun. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Laura has penned over twenty historical romances. Her books have received many award nominations, and she is the recipient of romance fiction’s highest honor: the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. She lives in the Northwest with her husband (or, as she calls him, her very own romance hero), along with two diva cats and a Golden Retriever happy to be their slave.
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By Laura Lee Guhrke
Heiress Gone Wild
Governess Gone Rogue
The Trouble with True Love
The Truth About Love and Dukes
No Mistress of Mine
Catch a Falling Heiress
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days
When the Marquess Met His Match
Trouble at the Wedding
Scandal of the Year
Wedding of the Season
With Seduction in Mind
Secret Desires of a Gentleman
The Wicked Ways of a Duke
And Then He Kissed Her
She’s No Princess
The Marriage Bed
His Every Kiss
Guilty Pleasures
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
heiress gone wild. Copyright © 2019 by Laura Lee Borio. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-285372-1
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-285371-4
Cover design by Nadine Badalaty
Cover illustration by John Paul Ferrara
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