“Why would he do something like that?”
“Because you’ll be marrying his daughter. The ten shillings is her dowry. That dowry will go to Lord Manning in order to free you so that you can marry her.”
Stephen’s jaw dropped. “You arranged a marriage for me?”
Enjoying the shock on his brother’s face, Brad nodded. “You’ll be marrying her in two weeks. At that time, you can put all of that knowledge you learned from your mistress to good use. Aren’t you glad you were with her the other night? When I spoke to her, she made it clear that you desperately needed her lessons. Maybe now you won’t be a failure in bed with your wife.”
Stephen glowered at him. “You’re doing this out of spite. You’re getting revenge on me for all the times I taunted you.”
Brad shrugged. “I won’t deny that you deserve this. It’s been a long time in coming. But Stephen, this is your own doing. If you’d been responsible, you wouldn’t be in this predicament right now.”
Stephen stared at him for a long moment as if trying to decide whether or not he was bluffing.
“I’m telling you the truth. You will be married in exactly fourteen days.” Then he smiled. “You know how much I like even numbers. And I’m particularly fond of the numbers ten and four. This will mean good luck for me, though I’m not sure I can say the same for you. Lady Eloise will make the perfect match for you.”
Stephen gasped. “Lady Eloise? She’s the Duke of Silverton’s daughter?”
Brad nodded.
“But she’s horrid. No one in their right mind would marry her.”
Brad rose to his feet. “I agree. That’s why you two make the perfect match. I’m done with you, Stephen. From this point forward, you are going to be her annoyance to deal with.”
Ignoring Stephen’s protests, Brad went over to the door and knocked on it. Lord Manning opened it up, and Brad stepped out of the room. “Thank you for letting me talk to him,” Brad said.
Lord Manning smiled as he locked the door. “Was it worth it to see the expression on his face when you told him the news?”
Brad returned his smile. “It was.” Then he said goodbye to Lord Manning and left the townhouse.
***
When Brad returned to his townhouse, he was surprised to see Lord Devonhurst in the drawing room with Ava and another lady. He didn’t think the gentleman would venture anywhere near him again, let alone show up in his townhouse.
Ava and the other lady watched closely as Lord Devonhurst performed a card trick. Brad remembered him doing such tricks when he was a child. Lord Devonhurst would visit his father, and if Brad, Loretta, or Stephen were in the room, he would entertain them with a few tricks. He said he had picked up the tricks from a visit he took to Italy. And though Brad had begged him to show him how he did the tricks, he would say, “A magician never reveals his secrets.”
Apparently, Lord Devonhurst hadn’t changed because when Ava asked him how he did the trick, he said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. It would ruin the trick.”
Though Ava seemed disappointed, she admitted, “I suppose it would.”
Her friend chuckled. “It’s more fun this way. I’d rather believe he did it by magic.”
“Don’t feel bad, Ava.” Brad spoke up as he walked over to them. “He’s been withholding that information from me since I was five.”
Lord Devonhurst rose to his feet, and Ava and her friend followed suit. Lord Devonhurst slipped his cards into his pocket and offered Brad a smile that let him know everything was going to be all right between them.
Brad offered a smile in return before he offered a greeting to Ava and her friend.
“This is my dear friend, Opal. Her husband is Lord Farewell,” Ava told Brad.
Brad tried to think of who Lord Farewell was, but the gentleman didn’t come to mind.
“My husband likes to keep to himself,” Opal said, as if she could read his mind. “He’s slowly overcoming his shyness, but he’s not ready to go to a stranger’s residence. He has a lisp, and he’d rather spend time with close friends and family.”
Oh! Brad knew who the gentleman was now. He’d heard about him when the scandal erupted at Lord Steinbeck’s townhouse during one of his balls. At least with that scandal, everyone’s clothes had been on. Though that scandal had made the Tittletattle, he didn’t think it was nearly as embarrassing as what he’d gone through.
However, Brad had to admit he was surprised that no one seemed to believe Stephen’s version of events. No one had even mentioned it at White’s or at any other time he’d been out in London. Maybe the people in London knew Brad would never have a lady in his bed without being married to her. In that case, the article hadn’t done the damage he’d expected.
“I should go,” Opal said. She turned to Ava. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ava nodded. “I’ll be at your townhouse around one.”
After Opal left, Lord Devonhurst turned his gaze to Brad. “You have a wonderful wife. She’s charming and delightful.”
Smiling at Ava, Brad said, “I know. She’s the better part of me.”
Ava blushed. “I could say the same about you.” She looked between the two gentlemen. “I’ll let you two have your privacy.”
“Are we still going to the market today with your family?” Brad asked her before she could leave.
“My family is expecting us in an hour.” Ava glanced at Lord Devonhurst but asked Brad, “Should I send word that we’ll be late?”
“Don’t change your plans on my account,” Lord Devonhurst said. “What I have to say won’t take long.” He took Ava’s hand in his and kissed it. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“It was a pleasure to meet you, too, my lord. I enjoyed those cards tricks very much.”
Brad waited until she was out of the room before he said, “If I didn’t know you were an honorable gentleman, I’d worry you were trying to steal her from me.”
Lord Devonhurst chuckled. “She is devoted to you. I saw the way she looked at you when you came into the room. Never has a lady been more in love with her husband than she is with you.”
Pleased that Ava held him in such high esteem, Brad gestured for Lord Devonhurst to sit. Taking his own seat, he said, “I want you to know I have arranged for my brother to marry the Duke of Silverton’s daughter. The announcement hasn’t been made public yet, but it will be soon.”
“I didn’t come here to talk to you about your brother. I came over because I learned that your wife had an unusual confrontation with the Duke of Silverton’s daughter.”
Brad’s eyebrows furrowed. “You know what happened between my wife and Lady Eloise?”
“I think everyone in London knows about it. I have nothing but respect and admiration for your wife. Even though other ladies witnessed Lady Eloise’s atrocious behavior, your wife was the only one who was willing to defend Lady Aston. Lord Aston explained the whole thing to me. He’s a good friend of my brother’s. Your wife told Lady Eloise that there was nothing more important than family. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is to hear. I, myself, feel the same way, and I know you do, too. You are blessed to have someone like Ava. She’ll make an excellent mother for your children.”
“She will. I know I’m fortunate to have her.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know I’m very pleased to hear you openly supported your wife. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to do that.”
“Actually, it was. I’m proud of Ava. I’ve hated Lady Eloise for a long time because of the way she treated my sister. It was nice to know Ava wasn’t going to flatter Lady Eloise like everyone else does.”
Lord Devonhurst laughed. “You’re a lot like your father. He would be proud of Ava, too. He would also be proud of you.” He paused then added, “Hopefully, someday, Stephen will be more like you two.”
Brad shrugged. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen to him. All I know is that I can’t make things better for him. He’s going to have to
do that for himself.”
“Yes, he will, and I’m sure it will require some hardship for that to happen.”
Brad wasn’t sure what kind of hardship Stephen would have to face in order to finally take responsibility for his life, and quite frankly, he didn’t care to dwell on it. Stephen was an adult. He was going to have to be on his own from now on. Brad was done with him. All he wanted to do was move on with his life and enjoy what he had with Ava.
“I won’t keep you any longer than I already have,” Lord Devonhurst said as he stood up. “I hope you and your wife will come to my next dinner party.”
Brad rose to his feet. “We’d be delighted.”
“Good. I have a couple more tricks I’d like to show her with my cards.” He gave Brad a friendly pat on the shoulder. “I’ll let you know when the dinner party will be.”
Brad nodded and saw him to the front door. That had gone much better than he expected. What Stephen had done through his reckless behavior, Ava had amended. She really was an asset in his life.
Eager to be with her, Brad headed up the steps and went to her bedchamber. When he entered the room, she was at her armoire, two caps in her hands.
She turned to him. “Do you think I should wear the one with the lace or the one with the flowers?”
Surprised by the question, he shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“I want to look pretty.”
“You’ll look pretty in either one of them.”
She chuckled. “I like that answer. You should say that every time I ask you what will make me more attractive.”
He glanced over at the armoire, which barely had anything in it. Taking her and her family out to buy some clothes was a good move on his part. Though he had told her they should buy some clothes, neither she nor her family had done so yet. He suspected it was difficult for them to spend money. While it was true he liked to save as much as possible, he realized there was a time when he should spent it.
Hoping to encourage her to buy enough gowns to fill the armoire, he said, “I’m excited to find out how much you’ll save today when you ask for those discounts.”
She set the cap with the flowers into the armoire then put the one with the lace on her head. “You are?”
“I haven’t seen your negotiating skills yet. I think it’ll be fun to watch.”
“Well, I think the more clothes I buy, the better the discount should be.”
“It’s that kind of thing I’m looking forward to watching today. I can already picture you saying that to one of the shop owners.”
She shook her head in amusement as she shut the armoire. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were only interested in me because of how I buy things.”
He closed the distance between them and kissed her. “That’s just one of many things I love about you.”
“I know.” She returned his kiss then slipped her arm through his. “Are you ready to be entertained?”
“I am. Maybe I’ll learn something that I can use when I have to negotiate prices on future investments.”
“You never know. You just might if you pay close attention.” She gave him a wink.
Laughing, he escorted her out of the bedchamber.
Author’s Note
My original plan was to let Stephen Bachman suffer forever, but during the course of the story, I saw some redeeming qualities in him. Granted, those qualities were subtle. I didn’t see them right away, but they were there. With Lady Eloise, there were no redeeming qualities. So I can’t give these two a happy ending.
I’ve decided that Lady Eloise is going to die about three or four years after she and Stephen marry. That being the case, I’m going to make Stephen’s book the first one in a brand new Regency series, which will be the Marriage by Fairytale Series.
I’ve always wanted to do a series of Regencies that were based off of familiar fairytales. I’ll put my own spin on them, of course, and that spin will fit the time period and the stories I typically write. Stephen’s book will be loosely based off of the beauty and the beast fairytale.
Stephen’s book will be called The Marriage Contract, and here’s the description:
On her wedding day, Patricia Cotter, the widowed Lady of Pruett, signed a contract agreeing to the following:
1. She would never look at her husband’s face.
2. She would never remove the sheets covering the mirrors.
3. She would never ask her husband about his past.
In return for doing these things, she will have a secure place for her unborn child and her worries will be over. She has nothing to lose by agreeing to her husband’s terms.
Yes, she’s heard the rumors about Mr. Stephen Bachman. He was said to have killed his first wife, though there is no proof condemning him of the crime. He is aloof and never leaves his townhouse. He is practically a prisoner in his own home.
But as she gets to know him, she begins to believe her husband isn’t the beast everyone’s made him out to be. There just might be a gentleman worth loving beneath his hard exterior. The questions is, can she get him to let go of the past so he can open himself up to the possibility of a fairytale romance?
This book will be available early 2018.
***
Also, if you haven’t read Loretta and Tad’s romance but would like to, it’s available. It’s called The Rake’s Vow, and it’s Book 2 in the Marriage by Bargain Series.
Here is the description for The Rake’s Vow:
Thaddeus (Tad) Darkin, the Duke of Lambeth, used to be a rake. In fact, before Lord Edon was scandalizing the Ton, Tad was the one everyone was talking about. Many gentlemen secretly wished they had his charm with the ladies. All reputable ladies were warned to stay as far from him as possible, which only made him all the more attractive. Then, after a tragic event, he took a vow of celibacy, promising he would never be intimate with another lady again. Over the years, this caused him to be the most sought-after single gentleman in all of London. And even though he doesn't want to marry, his steward left him in financial ruin, so whether he likes it or not, he must take a wife.
After being rejected by the gentleman she was hoping to marry, Miss Loretta Bachman is on a mission to save her reputation. She needs to marry someone who will impress the prestigious ladies in her social circle. So when she catches the leader of the group talking about the very handsome and hard-to-get Duke of Lambeth, she's determined to get him to marry her. All she needs is a little bargaining power, and fortunately for her, she happens to have the money he needs to save his estate.
When she learns of his vow to remain celibate, she agrees to keep away from his bed. After all, her only reason for marrying him is to secure her social standing in London, not to have a love match. All she asks is that he pretends to be deeply in love with her when they're in public. That way she will succeed in impressing the Ton. But before long, the lines between what is pretend and what is real starts to blur, and it's hard to decide how far to push the limits of their agreement.
You can find it at these retailers.
Already Available in the Marriage by Fate Series:
The Reclusive Earl (Book 1)
Titled gentlemen are supposed to be perfect. Whether it be good looks, charm, or eloquent speech, everyone expects an earl to be refined in every way. And if the earl isn’t, he risks being shamed by the Ton. No one knows this better than Landon Tait, the Earl of Farewell, who’s been on the receiving end of the Ton’s gossip since he first made his appearance in London.
After the last Season, he vowed to stay as far from London as possible. But when his brother lands into serious trouble, he has no choice but to come to his aid. He tells himself he’ll make it quick. Just one evening and his brother will be free from trouble. Then he can return to his country estate to enjoy his life of solitude.
Miss Opal Beaufort is attending a ball when she overhears the snickers about a certain gentleman who was born with a lisp. Several ladies sneak to a private room to listen to hi
m, and something in Opal snaps. She can’t stand the idea of someone being made the laughingstock of the Ton. But as soon as she intervenes on his behalf, a scandal ensues, and she finds herself unwittingly betrothed to him.
Now, Landon isn’t only forced to stay in London to face the ridicule of the Ton, but he also must deal with a beautiful wife who might find him as imperfect as he fears.
You can find it at these retailers.
Coming Next in the Marriage by Fate Series:
Make Believe Bride (Book 3)
Lord Whitney is intelligent, rich, and good looking. But he’s also boring. Despite his notable attributes, he has nothing worthwhile to contribute to the gentlemen he would love to establish friendships with. One thing he’s noticed is that all the gentlemen around him are getting married. So in order to have something in common with them, he does something he never thought he’d do: he lies about being betrothed.
His ploy works. For the first time in his life, gentlemen are finally inviting him to dinner parties. Soon, however, they start asking him questions about the wonderful lady whose father is an exceptional investor. It comes to a point where he can no longer keep up the lie. He has to find a lady to fit the image of the one he created.
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