by Aileen Fish
Her tears had slowed, so he helped her to sit up, allowing him to look her in the eye. “I was a foolish man with an even more foolish dream. My focus was narrow in seeking someone to blame. I wore blinders, not realizing the true cause of my concerns.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you sought Zephyr’s killer.”
“I did, although I know now I may never find him. I believe Sir Frederick might have been involved, seeking to alter someone’s financial status by removing a winning horse. But he’ll never admit to it, so unless a groom confesses, we’ll never know for certain. But Zephyr’s loss wasn’t the true cause of my father’s problems. It might have made them worse, I don’t know. His health has been failing since the winter after we lost Zephyr.”
“Will he not recover?”
“I don’t know. He won’t discuss it with me. Mother says he sees the doctor often, so if there is a treatment, Father is receiving it.” David toyed with the curls resting on Joanna’s forehead. “Now I make decisions based on what is best for Fernleigh, not how my father will receive them.”
“That is how it should be. You’ve done well with Triton, you should be proud.”
“I am. Perhaps next year I shall have two great runners, and more the year after that.”
Joanna tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
David wasn’t certain what she questioned, but his words were flowing like the Thames and couldn’t be stopped. “I realize now I require a partner at Fernleigh. Someone who understands all the qualities a horse needs to compete and can recognize a horse that enjoys running. I also need a wife. In particular, one who will not complain that I spend my days in the stable and return to the house smelling rather ripe.”
He pulled a curl straight and let it spring back, afraid to look Joanna in the eye. Afraid she’d turn him down yet again. It mattered more to him than all the winning horses in England. He was approaching the end post, it was time for the final push. “These past months in London I’ve discovered something I love more than horses, and it gives me more joy than winning a stakes plate.”
Drawing in a deep breath, David forced himself to meet her gaze. “Joanna, I will never deserve someone like you as a wife, but if you will have me, I will work every day to try and be worthy. I am a better man for knowing you. And I love you more than I know how to express. Please, say you’ll be my wife.”
Joanna’s eyes glistened, and David feared she would refuse him. She blinked and a single tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away, noticing the coolness of the soft skin of her cheek, and prepared for the worst. He opened his mouth to tell her he understood, when her fingers pressed against his lips.
“I have seen the kind of man you are. You are not perfect, but I would not be happy with a man who was. That man would chastise me for tracking mud—or worse—up the back stairs. He would expect me to have the neighbors in for tea, not make certain the new foal was nursing well. My life might not be what my mother dreamed for me, but I want something else.”
David thought his heart would burst, it swelled so as she went on.
“From the start I knew you were my best hope for the life I longed for, although I thought it was your love for your horses that proved it. I was wrong. Your love for me is what makes you perfect. No other man would tolerate me with a smile, and encourage me to give a horse his head. You are perfect for me, Mr. Lumley, and I would be proud to be your wife. I love you.”
David’s breath caught, and he placed his hands on either side of her face, lost in the love he saw in her eyes. She did love him, and it seemed she liked him, too. He pressed his lips to hers, gently at first, then building with the emotion within him that burned for release.
When he lifted his head, he remembered Lady Ophelia was in the room. He jerked his gaze to the settee where she sat, but it was empty. He sighed with relief. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been alone, or how quickly Lady Ophelia would return, so he lifted Joanna to her feet. Vacating her chair, he walked a few feet away and straightened his waistcoat and cravat. “I do have a request, however.”
“It begins already.” Joanna’s eyes flirted with him.
“Will you call me David now that we are engaged?”
She laughed. “If that is all you require of me, I will do my best.”
Lady Ophelia chose that moment to return. She glanced discreetly their way and resumed her seat. Joanna rushed to her aunt. “Mr. Lumley has asked me to marry him and I have accepted.”
Her aunt grinned and clasped Joanna’s hands in hers. “How lovely. I am very pleased for you. You must tell your mother so we may begin to make our plans.”
“She is asleep by now, and I don’t wish to waken her. I shall tell her in the morning.”
“And send word to Robert. He will be relieved to know it.”
David cleared his throat and walked toward them. “He’s aware I am here, and knows I planned to renew my offer. He approves of the match, to my surprise and great relief.”
Lady Ophelia took on that worldly, wise manner she often wore. “It is often easier to see the good in a man when one is looking from the outside. I know you’ll make Joanna very happy in life.”
Giving her a nod, David said, “I intend to do my best. Now, it is time I took my leave. I wish you both a good night.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
September 1810
Near Chester, Cheshire, England
Once again, Bridgethorpe Manor was in an uproar as Lady Bridgethorpe prepared for another wedding. “Two, in one year,” she said with a sigh at supper one evening. The weather had yet to cool as fall was still a few weeks away, so she’d ordered the canvas tent be set up in the park near the pond.
Lord Bridgethorpe appeared several years younger than he had at the last wedding, which pleased David. Something he’d done was responsible for putting a small spark of life back into his father’s eyes. “The year’s not over yet,” David said. “Perhaps Knightwick will make it three.”
“I don’t recommend making a wager on it,” his brother grumbled.
Hannah set down her napkin. “If Mama will allow me to return to Town for the Little Season, maybe I’ll find a husband.”
Mother smiled in that way she had which said she was not even considering whatever one of her children was asking for. “There’s no rush for you to leave us. I know your friend Amelia will be in Town, but she is older. You can enjoy a few more Seasons before your father will complain about the expense.”
Father chuckled without comment. David wondered if Father was ready for his daughters to leave the nest. With the twins and Lucy Anne still at home, not to mention Sam, there was no chance of the house becoming too quiet any time soon. And, as Joanna’s family was about to arrive, David was eager for the ceremony to be done with so he and Joanna could escape on their wedding trip through the Lake District.
Pierce sat on the other side of Hannah, a seating choice David would not have recommended. He still recalled what his friend had said about men noticing his sister’s comely shape. He wished he could hear what Pierce was saying that kept sending his sister into giggles. Perhaps after supper he should renew his warning about staying away from any of the Lumley girls.
The Lumley brothers, along with Pierce, took to the billiards table while the ladies set to whatever they had planned. This was David’s last night to relax with his brothers before Joanna arrived. In two days, he’d be a married man.
“Nerves bothering you already?” Pierce asked.
“No, why?”
“You’ve been chalking your cue for three minutes straight.”
David looked at his hands and tossed aside the chalk. “I was waiting for you.”
“I had my turn already, but if you prefer I shoot again I’ll be happy to oblige you.”
Glaring at Sam and Trey, who snickered from the table where they played cards, David walked around the table to line up his shot.
Knightwick leaned against the wall laughing at
their antics. “What about you, Pierce? Any plans to fill your nursery soon?”
Pierce snorted after taking his shot. “I don’t know that I’ll ever have a nursery. I’ve no need for one. Any money I haven’t spent before dying can go to my cousin. He has a wife and a little girl, he can use the funds.”
“Be careful,” David warned. “As I recall, I was protesting the idea, myself, not long ago.”
“Yes, but you were foolish enough to fall in love. I have no plans of ever doing that.”
Trey looked up from his cards. “How do you stop yourself from falling in love? I believe I fell three times during the Season.”
“Guard your heart, my boy,” Pierce said. “Find a light-skirt to distract you, or avoid London altogether in the spring.”
Chuckling, Knightwick ruffled Trey’s hair. “Do no such thing. I do recommend not acting on your feelings, but you’ve a kind heart and will find love returned before you know it.”
As was his wont, David hid in the stables when the carriages began arriving. As much as he longed to see Joanna, he’d prefer to greet her in private. Once she and her family were settled, he sent word for her to meet him in the garden. There, they could speak their hearts without interference, but still be within sight of worrisome mamas.
Standing in the shade of a wisteria arbor, he watched her walk the path. Her bonnet hid her eyes, but her cheeks turned rosy when she drew close enough to meet his gaze. David held out a hand to her, pulling her into the shade. “I’ve missed you.”
“And I you. We’ve been apart now as long as we were together. Well, as long as I knew you before we became engaged.”
“It won’t happen again. If I could have stayed with you in Bath, I would have.”
Joanna’s grin couldn’t be wider as she gazed up at him. “I had a sad thought as we traveled here. Never again will Triton and Patriot compete against one another for a purse. They will both be considered your horses.”
“This troubles you? We will never know which is the better runner, will we?” He ran his fingertips down the bare skin below her sleeve, watching the gooseflesh that followed in its wake. “I could always challenge you on the lane at Fernleigh.”
Her lips parted. “What would we race for?”
David leaned still closer. “I’m certain—” He kissed her briefly. “We could—” And pressed his lips to hers again. “Find some stakes—” And once more. “Worth our while.”
She rose to meet his kiss, and he let her experiment with her lips, heat building in his blood. She tasted of mint, and he craved more of it. When her lips parted, his tongue dipped between them.
Suddenly remembering they were likely being watched, he gripped her shoulders and set her back. “Tomorrow evening you may continue that.”
An attractive flush stole over her neck and up her face. David made himself a promise to learn just how low that warmth spread. But for now, he’d better get her to the safety of her family. “Let us go inside before I lose my resolve.”
Waiting at the altar had to be some form of penance for the dreams David had the night before his wedding. The small village church was much too warm, and the number of fans waving in the pews told him it wasn’t nerves making him so hot. He resisted the urge to tug at his cravat, knowing all eyes were on him to learn how nervous he was, or to determine if he’d walked into this mousetrap willingly or not.
If possible, Mother gleamed even brighter than she had at Stephen’s wedding. It was natural, he suspected, given Stephen was her nephew, but Mother had never applied labels to her love. One received all of it or none, and there was always enough to share with new family members.
Father showed the effects of the heat, but pride still brimmed in his eyes. For some reason, that emotion tugged at David harder than his mother’s love. He looked away to Lady Northcotte. She was a fragile sort, petite and pale, but she sat tall, a wistful expression on her face. Her sister-in-law, Lady Ophelia—now styled as Lady Johnston in honor of her marriage—sat beside her, and that lady nodded when he met her gaze. Sir Jasper looked as if he’d be happier when they returned to the manor.
Just when David began to wonder if Joanna had changed her mind, she and Northcotte stepped through the door. A gasp rang out in the church, echoing the stammer in his heart. Her beauty was stunning. Her ivory dress was trimmed in mauve ribbons and tiny silk rosebuds, which matched the posy in her hand. A few of the silk rosebuds were tucked into the curls atop her head. The color of the flowers made him laugh in memory. I look horrid in pink. I believe I could tolerate mauve. He made a note to ask if she’d chosen that color purposefully.
The future held the promise of laughter, and the shared pleasure of watching their horses run. He couldn’t ask for more, or for a more beautiful woman to stand beside him. From this day forward, he would no longer look back on where they began, or how they finally came to be in love. Perhaps all of that had been necessary for him to feel as strongly as he did about Joanna.
The exchange of vows passed in a blur, as did much of the wedding breakfast. David couldn’t take his eyes off his bride. His wife. The woman he would cherish all of his days.
As they rode away from his parents’ home in their carriage, Joanna tipped her head to one side and studied him. “You have had the silliest grin on your face all day.”
“Have I? I must make amends. Is this better?” He puckered his features in a horrid frown.
She burst out laughing. “Not at all. I hope I never give you cause to repeat that look.”
Planting a kiss on the end of her nose, he said, “I can’t imagine ever being cross with you.”
“I will remind you of that when we are old and you spend your days complaining that I have spent too much at the modiste or rode astride while pregnant.”
“You will never ride astride while pregnant, my dear. I won’t allow you to sit on anything higher than a chair, and even then I might have to place pillows around you to calm my fears.”
She was surprised to be warmed by his words, rather than angered he might treat her like fine porcelain. “I would go mad. You don’t treat your mares that way. I will not break easily.”
He wrapped his arms around her, nearly crushing her to his chest, before relaxing his hold and stroking her back. “I have come too close to finding out how easily you can be broken. I won’t let it happen again.”
His heartbeat pounded in her ear, the sound most comforting. “For all you have shared with me, I am grateful most for your love.”
Lifting her head, she found his lips with hers and poured all her emotions into her kiss. She was his to treasure now, and he was hers. For the rest of their lives.
The Bridgethorpe Brides Series
If you enjoyed David and Joanna’s tale, look for the other stories in the Bridgethorpe Brides series. In His Impassioned Proposal, we met Stephen and Jane, who got married in this book. And watch for Lady Hannah’s Impetuous Rogue, coming Winter 2014! Any guesses who Hannah’s rogue might be?
His Impassioned Proposal
The wounded hero comes home.
Six years she has waited for the man she hopes to marry to return from war and propose to her. When he finally does, he is so far in his cups as to not remember the event the next morning! Miss Jane Marwick can't decide if she has wasted her heart on the wrong man or if he just needs some time to recover from too many life-changing events.
Stephen Lumley isn't sure he's capable of being a good husband to any woman, but he only has a few months to convince himself and Jane he is worthy of her love, or she'll be off to London to find a man who is. He's not certain what his future will bring, only that he needs Jane in it.
The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley
Stubborn. Hard-headed. Single-minded. The qualities that make David Lumley a successful horse breeder are put to work befriending Lady Joanna Hurst with less than noble intentions. He’s tenacious in his pursuit of the answers he seeks.
Lady Joanna falls fast and hard for the handsome, w
itty and charming Mr. Lumley after her brother’s ultimatum to find a husband by the end of the Season. He is everything she imagined a husband could be, and more. Blissfully unaware of the conflict between their fathers, she believes he’ll declare his love soon. Then she overhears a conversation between Mr. Lumley and her brother, and all of Mr. Lumley’s tenacity will be needed if he’s to win back her heart.
About the Author
Aileen Fish is a multi-published author under several pen names, with stories ranging from historical to paranormal, and heat levels from sweet to scorching. She is also an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. When she has a spare moment she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their families.
Stay up to date with book releases at her website http://aileenfish.com or on Facebook
Do you like your romance steamier? Check out http://arithatcher.com!
Other Books by Aileen Fish
Excerpts and other format buy links are available at http://aileenfish.com/books.html
Immortal Temptress
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Enya's job is to escort the dying on their final journey, to make sure their souls get to heaven before a demon can steal their bodies. For centuries she has done this without emotion, until the body in question belongs to Kane Sullivan. Not only does she desire his rock-hard body, she can't bear the thought of him dying. But she's not supposed to become emotionally involved in a death.