Big Bad Professor: An Alpha and a Virgin Romance

by Tia Siren

  Mary looked up at him, but could neither bring her head to nod or shake. She didn’t know if he would be there for her. He had run at first wind of her financial problems. And now he wanted the best thing that happened to her family gone. But, she knew that she still cared for him, and still loved him. But perhaps not in the same way.

  Maybe he is right, thought Mary. The Amish will take care of us. They always do. Maybe the best decision is just to listen to the Bishop and accept his decision.

  That night, Samuel bed courted her. But there was more than a bundling board between them this time. Mary felt confused and alone. She knew that John was sleeping on the couch, by himself. All he had done was help their family and work hard. And yet Samuel wanted him gone. She knew that John would be happy to see Samuel marry her, so long as he knew it was what would make her happy. But would that make her happy? Mary wasn’t sure.

  In the morning Samuel left early to attend to his chores. There was no sad goodbye. She wasn’t sure if she was even going to miss him. His heart has grown cold and Mary didn’t know if the boy she grew up with still existed. She felt like he had been pretending all these years to love her.

  *****

  John had spent all morning thinking about how he would defend himself against the Bishop. He didn’t know how the decision would be made, but he knew he must be ready. The decision of that day would affect the rest of his life.

  Mama, Mary, Ruth and John got in the buggy to see the Bishop. John was worried that he would not receive a fair judgment. He thought of all the good things that he had done over the past few weeks that he spent with Mary and her mama. He knew they would stand up to defend him. But he didn’t know if it would be enough. He had hurt so many people in the community, part of him understood if they never wanted to see him again.

  They entered the Bishop’s house and were surprised to see that many were in attendance. Samuel was sitting in the back, and looked pleased to see John walk in. John scanned the room and saw his father in attendance. They acknowledged each other with a nod.

  The Bishop has absolute authority in the affairs of the Amish. He could admonish a person for not wearing their head covering properly or being late to church. John knew that he was completely at the Bishop’s mercy. But this is what he wanted. This is what he had prayed for, to have structure in his life. He was ready to accept whatever the Bishop said.

  The Bishop opened up the Ordnung, the rules that governed life in their community. He began reading reasons that one might be excommunicated. Most of them dealt with things like fornication and drunkenness and the like. But then he got to leaving the Amish community, and severing fellowship. John knew that he had been guilty of that, everybody knew.

  “And what sayest thou in response?” Asked the Bishop.

  John had prepared a defense. “You said that I may be treated as a visitor, and stay with an Amish family if I could. That is what I have done. If it so pease the church, I would like my host, Deborah to vouch for me that I have obeyed the Ordnung these past few weeks as a member of her household. Not only that, but I have helped with the chores and done much to improve their financial situation.”

  The Bishop and the Deacons behind him did not look impressed. “Is this the case.” He asked Deborah.

  “It is,” she said. “Since the passing of my husband our family has been in great need of a man to help with all of the chores.”

  The Bishop looked offended. “And why have you not sought out help from the church in this case? We are a close knit community that supports one another. That is part of what makes us Amish,” replied the Bishop.

  “Helping is what makes us Amish, is that right?” Asked John.

  “That is a big part of it,” replied the Bishop.

  “If that is the case, then I can prove that I am dedicated to my faith in God and in living as an Amish. I have money that I have saved up that I will give to Deborah and Mary. They will not need to sell their house or their farm.”

  The room fell silent. The Bishop paused for a few moments before answering. “But we could excommunicate you right now, and then you would never be able to benefit from your generous gift.”

  “If I understand the Ordnung correctly,” continued John, “If I am shunned, no member of the church would be able to receive anything from me. Which means that I have to give the gift now, before you can excommunicate me. I have already found what I was looking for, even if you kick me out. It only took one family to take me in and show me love for me to trust in God again. I know that He lives and that serving Him is more important than serving the Amish or the Ordnung or anything else. Do with me what you must, but my conscience is clear,” said John.

  There was commotion as what John had said came as a surprise. Mary and Deborah had tears in their eyes at such a kind offer. The Bishop and the Deacons conferred together before they rendered a decision.

  “Are you sure about this, John? You know you don’t have to,” said Deborah.

  “Yes, I am more sure about this than anything I have ever done,” he said. “You and Mary have been a huge blessing in my life. More than you could ever know. So I need to show you how grateful I am.”

  Mary and Deborah gave him a hug together. John felt that he had found the belonging that he had longed for. Whether or not he was shunned, he didn’t care. He now had faith in people again.

  The Bishop motioned for everybody to be silent again. “As you know, the Amish culture depends on strict adherence to the Bible and to the Ordnung. If we deviate with something small, soon it will become bigger and eventually our culture is lost. That is how we have done things for 400 years. But, the Deacons and I have decided that John has shown his commitment to serving others and to faith in God to such a degree that it absolves him of any of his transgressions against the church. We deem that he not be excommunicated. This is contingent on him fulfilling his promise of course.”

  John nodded at the Bishop who nodded right back at him. There was a big heart in him all along. John saw his father in the corner or the room looking at him with the typical Amish reserve. But then he smiled and walked over.

  “Son, I am so proud of you.” He hugged John. “You know that is all a father ever hopes for, that he can be proud of his son. Your mother would be proud too.”

  “Father, I’m sorry for…”

  “There is not time for that now. Right now is time to rejoice,” said his father.

  Mary and Deborah looked elated at the news. Especially Deborah. “So looks like we are going to have even more time to get to know each other,” said Mary.

  “Ya, and that isn’t such a bad thing,” replied John. He had not wanted to get his wishes up for Mary, for fear of disappointment. But now he allowed himself to dream. He saw Samuel walking out of the room, seemingly the only person that was upset.

  “Come on, let’s go home,” said Deborah.

  *****

  That night, John was to bed court with Mary for the first time. It was something that he had never done before. “Hi,” he said when he got on his side of the bed. He didn’t know what else to say. “I kind of like that I can talk to you all night,” he continued.

  “So do I,” whispered Mary. “How does it feel not to be sleeping on the couch? Do you feel more like family?”

  John laughed. “I think I have a way that would make me feel even more like family though. Will you be my wife, Mary?”

  Mary squealed. “Of course I will. You are my best friend, and what better than to be married to your best friend.” She wanted to jump out of bed and scream and tell the whole world. But what she wanted even more was to lay in bed and enjoy getting to know the man that she would spend the rest of her life with.

  *****

  THE END

  Regency Romance Collection

  The Bet of the Season – A Regency Romance

  ''Lord and Lady Ashington and their daughter Emily,'' the announcer shouted.

  Emily stood with her parents at the top of the marble
staircase and looked down into the ballroom. She noticed how everyone seemed to be looking at her.

  ''I hadn't expected there to be so many people,'' she whispered to her mother.

  ''As you know, your father and I always host the first ball of the season. We like to invite as many people as we possibly can. We find it gets the season off to a rousing start. This is the first ball you have been to here since your coming out. It's going to be a splendid occasion.''

  ''It all looks very spectacular,'' Emily whispered, just before her father led them down the stairs to their eager guests.

  When they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Emily's mother turned to her, ''there are several eligible young men here this evening my dear. Please don't wander off with your cousins before I have had a chance to introduce you to some of them.'' Emily looked around, curious to see who her mother could possibly mean.

  She was very familiar with her surroundings. Although this was the first ball she had been allowed to attend at Priory Manor, she had spent many a childhood hour in the ballroom with her sister and cousins, hosting pretend balls. Emily remembered how exasperated her mother had been when she had borrowed her pearls to dress up in. ''They are priceless, and you are swinging them around like you found them in a back alley,'' she'd told her.

  The ballroom was the largest in the County of Yorkshire. Priory Hall had been the seat of the Ashingtons since the days of King John. It was one of the finest stately homes in the land. Emily was amazed at how colorful the event was. At her debutante ball the previous summer, all the young ladies had worn white. That was behind her now, and she was able to go to balls where the ladies wore splendid colors. She had chosen to wear a striking gold muslin dress with gilt edges and silk flowers woven into it.

  ''Cousin Emily,'' Beatrice exclaimed, enthusiastically. ''You look stunning. I adore your gown. Such beautiful silken flowers. And your tiara of pearls is simply exquisite. You are the most amazingly beautiful woman here this evening.'' She looked at her cousin, who she adored, and tried to see what was different about her this evening. Emily was tall and slender, and Beatrice thought her dress showed off her tiny waist to perfection. She noticed Emily's Mediterranean blue eyes sparkling under the light of the giant chandelier, her blonde hair falling beautifully to her shoulders in perfectly manicured locks. Then Beatrice realized. It was her makeup that was different. In particular her lips. Emily had voluptuous lips, as perfect as was humanly possible and this evening she had used lip rouge. She looked stunning.

  ''Nonsense cousin, if anyone is the Belle of the Ball, it is you.”

  ''Well then, let these two beautiful women go and find themselves, two handsome princes. There are so many unattached men to choose from, we'd better hasten or we will run out of time.”

  ''Oh cousin, I would like nothing more than to go with you but mummy has asked me to say here. Apparently she wants to introduce me to some eligible young men of her choosing. I am terrified. She has such poor taste. Every man she points out to me is so dreadfully dull. I am young, and I want someone handsome and dashing, not someone twice my age.''

  ''Well then, I will go and search for us while you are meeting these dull creatures. Come and find me when you have finished. You never know, I might have some success.''

  Emily watched her walk down the side of the dance floor and strike up a conversation with a tall looking gentleman of similar age.

  ''Emily, please come over here,'' her mother said. ''I would like to present the Duke of Bedford.''

  The Duke took Emily's hand and pressed it to his lips. ''Enchanted,'' he said.

  ''My Lord, it is a pleasure to meet you,'' Emily replied as she curtsied. She looked at the man her mother presumably found to be of sufficient breeding to contend for her hand. She was pleasantly surprised. The Duke was not old and stuffy. He was young and handsome. ''Miss Emily, would you do me the honor dancing with me?''

  Emily was keen to dance with the handsome Duke. She was relieved it was a country dance and not one of the more intricate dances. A country dance was simple and would allow her maximum time with him. A lot of other dances called for many more partner changes. She'd never seen the point of being asked to dance by a man, only to spend the rest of the dance in the arms of several other men.

  As they undertook the required steps, Emily studied him. He was, at least, six feet tall, and he had a very elegant Roman nose. His eyes were green, and his hair was dark. How on earth did such a young man become a Duke, she wondered? She'd always imagined Dukes to be old. Emily recognized his uniform and was impressed to note he was an officer in the Dragoons, one of the bravest regiment in the British Army.

  ''Thank you, Miss Emily, you are indeed a very fine dancer. You have learned the art well. Now I promised to return you to your mother. I believe she has some more guests she would like you to meet.''

  *****

  ''She really is the most impressive young lady. Her beauty knows no bounds,'' Robert Masters said.

  The Duke nodded in agreement. ''She is indeed an amazing creature. Any man would give all he is worth to take her hand in marriage. What do you say Charles?''

  ''I say, if she were in an auction only the richest men in the land need attend. She is a very fine woman I agree.''

  Robert Masters, The Duke of Bedford and Charles Carrington were standing in the corner of the ballroom looking on as Emily endured a dance with one of her mother's less inspired choices.

  ''You mentioned an auction, Charles. That really is an interesting thought.'' Robert said.

  ''Yes, that's it,'' the Duke exclaimed. ''We all three admire her. Any one of us would take her as a wife at the drop of a hat. Instead of competing with each other and risking our friendship, why don't we three place bids for her. The highest bidder earns the right to court and marry her ahead of the lower bidders. We'll bid in five rounds. The last bid to be the final word. What do you say?''

  ''A bid a week for five weeks, Robert said.''

  ''Agreed,'' said Charles.

  *****

  ''Emily, Emily, the most terrible thing has happened.''

  ''Beatrice, what on earth can be so terrible on this magnificent occasion?''

  ''I hardly want to tell you. It is so shameful.''

  ''Really, Cousin. Tell me.''

  ''Alright,'' Beatrice took a deep breath. ''I believe the three men over there,'' she nodded her head clandestinely, ''have decided to buy you?''

  ''What? What do you mean, buy me? I'm not for sale.''

  ''No, sorry, I don't mean buy, I mean bid for you.''

  ''Really, Beatrice, you are making no sense whatsoever.''

  Beatrice was so enthusiastic to tell her cousin what she'd overheard, she had lost all clarity of thought. She took another deep breath and tried again. ''I heard the three men over there talking about you. They all like you, in fact, they would all marry you at the drop of a hat. The man in the uniform said it would be a pity if their friendship were to be spoiled by them falling out over you. To avoid this, they have decided to place bids. The highest bidder will win the sole chance to approach you, and they assume marry you. There are going to be five rounds of bidding, one each week.'' Beatrice let out her breath, relieved she had managed to convey the story accurately this time.

  ''How very presumptuous of them. I wonder what makes them think I am interested in marrying any of them?''

  ''I really don't know cousin. But you must admit, they are all very handsome.''

  ''They are as you say, quite handsome. But they have rendered themselves much less so by entering into to this ridiculous activity. I have an idea.''

  ''Please tell me,'' Beatrice said anxiously.

  ''They are going to place bids for my hand in marriage. It is I, however, who will decide which of them I will marry, if any of them. I will pretend to be interested in them all. I will court each one of them and find out what they are like. Then I will persuade the one I like the most to bid the highest amount so we may continue our courtship and see if w
e are suited enough to be married.” Emily paused. “There is just one difficulty. I am acquainted with the Duke of Bedford, but I don't know the other the gentlemen. Could you please find out for me?''

  Beatrice obliged and at the end of the ball. Emily now knew the names, the Duke of Bedford, Robert Masters, and Charles Carrington.

  *****

  The Duke of Bedford's carriage pulled up outside Priory Manor. A footman opened the door. As the Duke climbed out, he looked up at the house. It was very large, indeed. He estimated, at least, fifty rooms. The front of the house had a stone staircase leading up the front door. The large windows were arranged symmetrically and the he noticed the clock in the facade. It was three pm.

  ''The Duke of Bedford is here to see you, Miss Emily,'' the butler announced.

  ''Thank you, Jennings, please show him in.''

  ''Miss Emily, I was most surprised to receive your note yesterday. Pleasantly surprised, I might add. I do get a lot of invitations from young ladies but seldom from one as beautiful as your good self.''

  ''It is kind of you to say so. Please be seated,'' Emily pointed to a French sofa opposite her. A maid poured tea, and they studied each other.

  ''I do hope you don't think it forward of me to ask you to tea.''

  ''Not at all. I am, after all, a Duke. I assume it is not often that you have the privilege of entertaining such a titled man.''

  Emily disliked the conceit of his answer. ''I will come to the point, my Lord. I much enjoyed our dance the other evening. It is not for a lady to ask, but I would like to know you better. Do you think me too forward?''