by Dawn Brower
"You know I'd never force you to do anything, but I think in this you believe as I do."
"I'm at a loss as you haven't explained anything to me," Liam reminded him. "How am I to know if I agree or not if you don't?" He silently hoped his father wasn't about to ask what he thought he was. After he mentioned the botched attempt to betroth him to Lady Gemma, Liam couldn’t help but wonder—he couldn’t possibly want him to marry Gemma. Could he?
"First, you should be aware of the circumstances regarding Lady Gemma and why Lily is so concerned," his father told him. "Then I will explain my idea and the two possible solutions to it. One is a better option, and the other should only be considered if you are against the first."
"And what is happening with her?" Liam stood up and paced around the room. He stopped a few steps away and pinned his father with a stare. "Quit stalling and tell me what's going on."
"Alfie is—being difficult."
"In what way?"
If his father didn’t tell him what was going on soon. Liam wouldn’t be held responsible for his actions. Their conversation was driving him mad.
"He has squandered the entire inheritance. If the estate weren't entailed, he'd sell it to pay off his enormous debts. That leaves him in a bit of a bind. He needs money and as fast as possible."
Liam nodded. "I think I see the correlation. Lady Gemma still has an inheritance, and he wants to get his hands on it."
Viscount Torrington stood up and joined him in front of the desk. His eyes had an angry edge to them. Liam knew his father well enough to realize he wanted to do some damage to the new Earl of Devon. Whatever Alfie was doing enraged him. Liam had a bad feeling about what was going on with Lily's friend.
"In a manner of speaking yes and he is willing to use whatever is at his disposal to get it. Lady Gemma is afraid he might force the situation to get his way."
"I see." Liam scowled. "Does she have reason to believe he will act so dishonorably?"
"This is old news." His father frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I got the letter today from your sister. It might already be a foregone conclusion. I'm afraid we may be too late with how slow mail travels between England and America. I don't know what we'll find if we go to the Earl of Devon's estate."
Not good news, in fact, they were quite horrid. Liam might have issues with Lady Gemma, but he'd never wanted anyone to hurt her. He'd willingly help her deal with her cousin if he could find a good solution to her problem.
"I hadn't even considered that. We are wasting time. What are your solutions?" Liam asked.
"Lady Gemma needs a husband. She doesn't gain majority and control over her funds for five more years. She only has one solution that will effectively work for her."
With those words, Liam's fears were realized. His heart beat faster in his chest and the pounding in his head intensified.
His father wanted him to marry Lady Gemma.
Liam should be appalled at the suggestion, especially as he’d already tried to betroth them when they were younger. He had never denied that Lady Gemma had beauty in spades. She had luxurious crimson hair and eyes the color of jade. His mouth watered thinking about her beautiful complexion and soft curves. That was until she open her mouth to speak. Listening to her droll on and on for what seemed like forever, he invariably forgot how exquisite her body and face appeared and wanted to put some much needed distance between them.
Why should he sacrifice his life for her?
The brazen redhead had been the bane of his existence for several years now. It took the death of her father for her to back away. Admittedly he admired her tenacity and willingness to make her wishes known, but that didn't mean he ever desired to tie himself to her forever. Perhaps his father's other solution would be easier for him to stomach.
"You are not suggesting what I think you are." Appalled, Liam sat back down in his chair. Shock filled him to the brink. He had to be reading the situation wrong.
"I had hoped that you had some tender feelings for the chit. You are constantly arguing with her." His father sat back down in his chair, a slight knowing smirk resting on his face. "That is a form of passion. Trust me I know a bit about denial in that area."
"Well, you're incorrect in your assumption." Liam glared. He didn't have any feelings for Gemma. She was a nuisance nothing more. "There aren't any tender feelings on either side. The girl irritates me to no end. I never did understand what Lily saw in her."
"That's too bad. I still have the betrothal contract I signed with Lady Gemma's father. We could have used it to our advantage."
Liam stared at his father with a blank expression. He'd actually signed the contract? How could he have done that? His father had reassured him he'd never force him to marry anyone.
"Excuse me could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you correctly." Liam hoped he'd heard wrong. Sadly he doubted he had. "You informed me the betrothal hadn't been finalized."
"That's correct," His father grinned. "However Devon hoped I'd change my mind and told me to keep the contract. All I have to do to make it legal is sign my name to it."
Liam blanched. His father was losing his mind. There wasn't a chance in hell he'd make him marry Lady Gemma. "But you're not going to, right
"So you are not willing to help?"
"I didn't say that." Liam shook his head. "I'm willing to hear the other plan you have. I'm hoping it is preferable to the latter."
"The other plan involves you basically kidnapping the girl and taking her to your sister in South Carolina."
Relief flooded him at his father's words. Calm now that the storm of anxiety fled his stomach, Liam took a deep breath and considered his father's other idea. He had to agree that the second plan held more appeal. It was preferable, but not that much better in the grand scheme of things. He would still be forced to spend a considerable amount of time in Lady Gemma's company. How would he be able to get through a voyage with her? They would have to take the Sea Rover for the crossing. No other ships were available, and their steamships were only in the planning stages of being built. If he had any luck, it wouldn't take more than three weeks to complete.
The bonus, of course, would be to see his sister and his new nephew. He sincerely wished to see them so that no price was too high for him to be able to spend time in their company. He would even be willing to get to know his brother-in-law as well. Maybe he would find a way to like the rat bastard. His father may have forgiven him for stealing Lily, but Liam didn't feel like he deserved such absolution. The man had a lot of audacity to run away with the daughter of Viscount Torrington—a former pirate. Liam would give him that much.
"That plan is more conceivable to accomplish," Liam said. "But is kidnapping really necessary? Do you believe Lady Gemma will be unwilling to go to live with Lily?"
"I honestly do not know," his father sighed. "I hate to tell you this, but I think you're going to need ammunition to get her out."
"Explain," Liam demanded.
"If you go in prepared Alfie won't have anything to argue about."
"How do you suggest I do that?"
His father grinned. It almost had a wicked tinge to it. "I'm going to sign this betrothal. Go to the bishop and demand a special license. With the right amount of money and the betrothal as evidence, he won't deny you."
"I fail to see why I need to go to such lengths."
"Alfie won't let Gemma go willingly. You're going to have to force his hand." His father paused and looked him in the eye. "I'm not telling you to marry the girl. Just use the tools I'm giving you to save her."
"All right I will go see the bishop now. Afterward, I will retrieve Gemma and bring her back here to plan our next move." Liam said.
"Good. I'd hate to disappoint your sister. I hope we are not too late to help Lady Gemma."
With those words, Liam got up and walked out of the study. He had never been a fan of Lady Gemma Kemsley, but he had never wished her ill will either. If she had more trouble than she co
uld handle, Liam had no choice but to help her. His sister depended on him, and he had never let her down before—he certainly didn’t plan on starting with Lady Gemma.
The chit had better be prepared to do everything necessary to leave her home. Liam didn't suffer fools and luckily for him he knew that she didn't either. No matter what he believed, her to be he had always been able to see the keen intelligence in her eyes. Perhaps with age she had also gained some maturity to go along with it.
Chapter Two
Gemma Kemsley couldn't believe her rotten luck as she strolled into the sitting room on her father's—her cousin's estate. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that her father passed away eighteen months ago. Her cousin, Alfie, inherited the title and the entailed estates upon his death. He also became her guardian. A reality that Gemma loathed for many reasons, the biggest being he had lecherous intentions towards her.
He said in no uncertain terms she would be his wife whether she liked it or not. Well, Gemma didn't like it and vowed to find a way to escape his plans for her. She took a page out of her best friend Lily's book and started to scheme her way out of the situation. The only option for her would be to run away and live in America. Lily would welcome her into her home. She just needed to find a way to leave without Alfie knowing what she had in mind.
"Ah, there you are Gemma, dear. We have some things to discuss."
Disgust filled her at the sight of her cousin invading her space. He smelled just as foul, like a night of overindulging in cheap liquor. Bloody hell, why couldn't he be in London at one of his clubs? They probably wouldn't admit him anymore. No doubt the whole ton had begun to realize the new Earl of Devon was headed to debtors' prison. It couldn't happen soon enough to satisfy her. The horrid man continued to harass her on a daily basis. She didn't know how much longer she could stand to put up with his unwanted advances.
Why did her father have to die and leave her in Alfie's care? She missed him every day. Living without him was hard enough, but to constantly have to defend herself rattled her to her very core.
"As far as I'm concerned we have talked more than I have ever liked. Go away Alfie I am not in the mood to fend off your licentious advances today," Gemma told him.
"I don't care what you want, dear. I came to inform you that your time is up. At the end of the week, we will wed. Just as soon as I can obtain a special license." His eyes leered over her bosom as he delivered the awful news. "You look especially lovely today. How about we seal the deal with a kiss?"
Lovely? Like that was going to work on her. She'd rather stand outside in a lightning storm and beg to be struck dead than marry her cousin. Kiss him? Not bloody going to happen.
Alfie reached for her. Gemma took a step back to prevent being held in his embrace. She knew it wouldn't stop at a kiss. No, her cousin wanted to do more than press his lips on hers. He wanted to ravish her until she no longer retained any shred of innocence.
Alfie believed she owed him because he allowed her to live with him after he moved in. As her guardian, he got a stipend to provide for her living expenses. He couldn't touch the majority of her inheritance without a valid reason.
Thankfully her mother had left her a large sum of money upon her death. Only marriage or reaching her majority would allow her access to it though.
It took her a while, but she finally understood why her best friend, Lily, had been so against marriage. It was unbelievably ironic that she succumbed to it as soon as she left England, but that didn't make her argument against matrimony any less valid.
"I'd rather kiss a dead fish than allow you anywhere near me." She gave him a scathing look and frowned at him.
Heat filled her cheeks at the idea of him touching her. Not in a good way either. She didn't desire him; rather she wanted never to lay eyes on him ever again. Alfie was the exact opposite of the man she truly wanted—or rather used to long for.
"No reason to be so vicious. You'll like it once I warm you up a bit," he said, an evil grin on his lips.
In her haste to get away from him she tripped and fell backward on the settee. She tried to get up before he could take advantage of the situation, but her efforts were futile. He pounced on her after her misfortunate collapse. His lips pressed hard against hers. When she tried to open her mouth to scream he pushed his tongue inside her mouth and squeezed her breast in the palm of his hand.
Pain shot through her and continued to spread through her nipple. Alfie pulled her onto him and grinded himself against her stomach. She could feel his hardness as he rubbed himself on her. She'd lose the contents of her stomach soon if she couldn't get him to let her go.
What could she do? Not a lot of options were making themselves known to her and she was fast running out of time. An idea came to her as Alfie pushed his tongue into her mouth again. Gemma bit down on his lip and drew blood. She could taste it as a small drop fell on her tongue, it was bitter and disgusting.
"You little bitch," he shouted with rage. "You're going to pay for that."
He yanked Gemma's dress and tore the side of her bodice. He reached forward and pinched her nipple between his forefinger and thumb. She screamed out as his nails dug into the sensitive tip. She had to put some distance between them before something she couldn’t escape from happened. It was clear Alfie planned on claiming her against her will.
Gemma grabbed his arm, her nails digging in and leaving half-moon imprints into his flesh. She yanked his arm away from her, ripping his hand off her bruised breast. She fought to get away from him, but it was a struggle she was losing. Her cousin was too strong, and she didn't have the ability to fight him. Tears started to fall from the corner of her eyes. This was wrong, so very wrong, and Gemma couldn't stop it from happening to her.
"Alfie, Ole' Chap, I do hope you are not doing what I think you are."
That voice—Gemma knew that voice. Her heart raced in her chest and tingles of fire danced across her stomach. It haunted her dreams and made her want things she knew she'd never have. Alfie let her go, and she fell back on the settee. She jerked her bodice over her exposed breast, embarrassment settling in the bottom of her stomach like a dead weight.
Gemma looked over and straight into the stormy blue eyes of the only man she had ever wanted—ever allowed herself to love. His pale blond hair hung loosely over his collar making her want to run her fingers through it. She knew that the fine blond strands would be silky if she'd were to touch them.
At one time, she believed he would be her everything, the one person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.
Too bad he didn't return her feelings.
No man had ever compared to him—no one ever would. This man standing in front of her, glaring at her cousin, filled her with desire and longing. Liam Marsden had ruined her for anyone else.
"I don't know why you feel comfortable waltzing in, but Gemma and I were in the middle of something. You can show yourself out the same way you came in," Alfie said.
Fool. Liam Marsden didn't take orders.
Gemma didn't know why her cousin even thought that nonsense had a possibility of working. She was simultaneously irritated and relieved Liam had showed up. She didn't know why he came out to the country, but he had saved her from ruin. She might be perpetually angry with him—but now, she'd have to set that annoyance aside to thank him. Gemma owed him a debt she didn't think she'd ever be able to repay.
"Well, I came to see my fiancée. I have to say I don't like that I walked into you getting rough with her. Explain yourself, man, before I commit murder."
Fiancée? She stood up her gaze whipping toward Liam’s. A blaze of longing rushed through her with that one word. What the bloody hell was Liam talking about? The only place he had ever asked her to marry him had been in her dreams.
Sadly, in reality he ignored her whenever she came near him.
So this little announcement of his baffled her. What was the man up to? Did he know something about her situation and decided to
come and save her? It wouldn't work as much as she wanted it to. Claiming to be her fiancé wouldn’t make Alfie let go of her. He'd fight Liam every step of the way unless there was proof of his prior claim.
"Gemma is not your fiancée," Alfie said. He sneered, evil apparent in his gaze. "I think I'd know if I had approved of someone for her to marry."
"That's because you didn't approve it." Liam folded his arms across his chest. He oozed smugness as he looked Alfie in the eye.
Gemma hid a smile. That had to goad her cousin a bit.
"Then you can leave. I'm the only one who can approve who Gemma marries." Alfie waved his hand attempting to dismiss Liam.
Liam ignored him and stalked forward. "Her father signed the contract before he died." He turned and gave her a glance that scorched her from the inside out. Gemma only barely restrained from fanning herself. "I have waited patiently for her mourning to end so we can be married. I think it's time that we proceeded with our plans."
"What contract? Why wasn't I made aware of this?" Alfie asked as he glared at Gemma.
Gemma just shrugged her shoulders in his general direction. She didn't have the answers he sought. She didn't have any idea what Liam was talking about. Surely her father would have told her if he had signed a contract for her to marry someone. This had to be some ruse on Liam's part. Whatever he planned she had every intention of following along with it. Anything to help her get away from her cousin would be very much preferable to submitting to his licentious groping.
"I have it right here," Liam said as he shoved the contract at Alfie. "The old earl's signature is at the bottom giving permission for me to marry his daughter, Lady Gemma Kemsley."
"I don't understand. Why didn't the solicitors tell me about this?" Alfie asked, his face turning three different shades of red.
Liam had the contract in his hands and Alfie attempted to snatch it from him. Liam just shook his head and folded it back up, placing it back in the safety of his inside pocket. Cool, calm, and collected—that was Liam.