A Scarlet Bride

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Connor sank to the blanket beside her. She opened the basket of food and began dispensing the wooden plates and silver eating utensils.

  Turning to glance at him, she noticed his lips turned up in a smile. "Have you nothing to say, Mr. Manning?"

  "Connor," he reminded her, then shrugged. "You're right."

  "I'm astonished." Holding a wrapped sandwich in midair, she stopped and glanced at him. "You agree with me?"

  She set the sandwich down on his plate.

  ''Yes, I agree with you." He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly. "But—there are just as many men who act like fools over women. They fawn over them like lovesick puppies. Chasing debutantes, promising them their hearts' every whim."

  Alexandra raised her brows at him and laughed cynically. "I wouldn't know. I've never met that type of man."

  He smiled. "You wouldn't. You're a strong woman. You need a mate who is your equal or stronger."

  "And I guess you feel that you fit that description," she replied, her tone sarcastic.

  "Very much."

  She shook her head. "But I wasn't looking for a husband. I had no intention of ever marrying again."

  He shrugged and smiled. "I had no intention of marrying either. Not since the woman I thought I was in love with decided I was not wealthy enough to marry." He paused. "Then I realized how much my sister needed a woman's influence."

  "Why not hire a companion?" she replied, wondering who the woman was he had been in love with. "Why would you choose someone like me, a woman whose past is sullied with a scandalous divorce? Why not some lilywhite debutante?"

  "Debutantes are boring. And most fathers frown when I approach their virginal daughters. As for a companion, Suzanne has already run off countless governesses."

  Alexandra shook her head at the irony of the situation. "So I was the only candidate to become Mrs. Manning?"

  ''No. I wasn't actively searching, but when an excellent opportunity stares me in the face, I don't usually turn away."

  "How can I be considered an excellent opportunity?"

  He smiled, letting his eyes roam over her. "Dear, from a man's perspective, I made a very good match."

  "Even without a dowry and the knowledge the union will never be consummated?"

  She felt his heated gaze upon her. "You were a prize even without a dowry."

  A frown furrowed her brow as she raised her gaze to his. He had ignored her comment about consummating their union, but he had promised he would not force her to be his wife in every sense of the word. "Either I've misjudged you and you're not the intelligent businessman I assumed you were, or you're lying."

  He frowned, and she could tell she had finally succeeded in irritating him. "Only time will tell, won't it, my dear?''

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning Connor sat beside Alexandra in the surrey, driving through the streets of Charleston. He'd been surprised at her easy acquiescence at his suggestion that they drive into the city and spend the day. He only hoped she wouldn't balk when he revealed their destination.

  Alexandra gazed out at the streets. "In the last five years, the city has changed so much."

  Peddlers hawked their wares, their voices promising quality and guaranteeing the cheapest price.

  "After the hurricane of '93, a lot of the city had to be rebuilt," Connor replied.

  A breeze cooled Connor's skin and tickled his nose with the smell of salt water. Children's squeals of laughter came from the yards of nearby homes.

  "You can't tell there was ever any damage," she said.

  "Oh, but there was." He glanced at her, enjoying her company, wanting today to be perfect. "I thought maybe a good way for you to become reacquainted with the city would be for us to rent bicycles and ride through the streets."

  She glanced over at him in surprise. "It's been so long since I've ridden. Oh, this will be fun!"

  Connor smiled, relieved at her enthusiasm. Honestly, he hadn't known how she was going to respond to his suggestion. He pulled the buggy to a halt in front of the rental shop and hurried around to help Alexandra alight from the surrey. He wrapped his fingers around her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her out and set her on the ground. For a moment, he stared into her green eyes and she smiled.

  Just the slightest upturn of her lips sent his heart into a somersault before landing at his feet. He was always unprepared for the way his body reacted so strongly and so swiftly to Alexandra. His wife.

  She placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him expectantly. "Can we ride along the ocean?"

  "If that's where you want to go. But I thought you were afraid of water."

  "I am. But I love the ocean." She tugged on his arm.

  Connor had never seen his wife show this much excitement, and it pleased him that all it took was the promise of the two of them spending the afternoon bicycle riding.

  They rented a tricycle for her and a bicycle for him as the tricycle was easier for her to ride with her long skirts.

  At first they rode down Church Street, passing St. Philip's Episcopal Church. Connor rode behind Alexandra, making sure she had no trouble navigating the streets. At the corner of Meeting and Broad Streets, Connor pointed out the Charleston City Hall and, across the street, the county government courthouse.

  For well over an hour, they rode through Charleston, enjoying the sights. Finally, they stopped on Meeting Street and bought lemonade at the Old City Market.

  While they sipped the tart liquid, Alexandra asked, "When are we going to the beach?"

  "As soon as you finish your drink. I thought we needed some refreshment before we went on, and the cycles have to be back before dark." He noted how the sun glistened on her hair, bringing out the red and gold tints.

  She took a sip of her drink. "Why did you choose to do this today?"

  Connor halted the glass of lemonade that was halfway to his lips and lowered it back to the table. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to do something special these first few days of our marriage, since I really couldn't offer you a honeymoon."

  She raised her brows. "I don't understand you."

  "What's there to understand?" he questioned.

  "You're going out of your way to be nice to me. I would never have guessed you like to ride bicycles."

  "Why shouldn't I be nice to you? As you said the morning after we married, there's a lot we don't know about each other," Connor said, gazing at her, wanting to taste her cherryred lips. Would they taste of tart lemonade? Or would they be sweet? "I just want to get to know you."

  She frowned, a furrow in her brow. "I did say that, didn't I. But I guess I hadn't expected you to be so charming. I didn't expect you would want to spend time together. So what else are you keeping secret from me?"

  Connor grinned and drained the rest of his lemonade. "That you will just have to discover. I'm not telling."

  Alexandra walked over to her tricycle and sat. She looked back over her shoulder, tossing a wayward curl from her face, and challenged him. "The last one to the beach has to reveal something the other person doesn't know."

  "You're on," Connor called as he jumped on his bike and sped past her.

  "Drat!" Alexandra said as she watched him race like a madman down the street. "He's going to get himself killed, riding at that speed."

  She peddled as fast as her long skirts would allow and still she only managed to barely keep up with Connor. And even then she knew he had slowed to keep within a safe distance of her.

  What a poorly planned dare, and now she was going to have to reveal something that he didn't already know about her. Should she tell him she was a writer? Should she tell him about her exhusband?

  No, the afternoon sun was warm, the sky was a breathtaking blue, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun. Whatever she told him must be lighthearted and impersonal.

  Hester's Revenge would definitely not be something she'd want to share with him on this particular day, or a
ny other if she could help it.

  The sound of the surf pounding softly on the shore reached her ears. Connor took a side street that suddenly opened up to a fiat expanse of sand and water. A seagull screeched overhead and some young boys chased each other in the surf.

  Connor stood smiling confidently beside his cycle, waiting for her, his arms crossed over his chest. The breeze blew his dark hair across his forehead in a wayward manner.

  She pulled to a halt beside him. Sometimes she got herself into more trouble with her silly suggestions. He helped her off the tricycle and she felt her boots sink into the soft sand.

  "Well, I'm waiting," he said.

  "Isn't it beautiful," she said. "The ocean terrifies me and intrigues me at the same time."

  "You're stalling."

  "What is there to tell? I thought you knew everything about me," she said, her voice lilting.

  "If you won't tell me, I'll just start asking questions." He paused. "Who was your first beau?"

  She laughed.

  "What's so funny about that question?" Connor asked, insulted.

  "From the time I was twelve, I was in a boarding school. As soon as I graduated, Father married me to Gordon." She sighed. "Beaux are an area of life that I've missed."

  "Surely someone tried to steal a kiss?'' Connor insisted.

  "You were allowed one question and you've used yours up,'' she said, smiling at him flirtatiously, feeling coquettish.

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the surf. "I like this game. Why can't we continue playing? We'd find out all of each other's secrets very quickly."

  She let him lead her closer to the water. "Then we'd either be bored or mad at each other. This way there's still that element of danger or surprise. Besides, you're asking all the questions and that's not fair."

  He took them to where the surf was reaching out to the shore. They walked along the edge of the water, watching as the current retracted the water, taking sand, pebbles, and anything else it could suck back into the sea. "Okay, you ask me a question," he said.

  She smiled. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. So many things she longed for answers to. But she only chose one. The most curious one. "You told me there was another woman. You even hinted at why you didn't marry her. Explain."

  He frowned, staring at the hypnotic motion of the sea. "Next question?"

  Alexandra shook her head. "Uhuh. You must answer the question or forfeit the game."

  "Let's just say she married my best friend," he said, looking out at the ocean.

  Suddenly the water came rushing in, covering the tops of their shoes. At first Alexandra felt terror as the water swirled about her ankles, but Connor grabbed her hand and, laughing, pulled her out of the surf and back up on the beach.

  Alexandra looked down at the hem of her wet dress and her soaked shoes. "You did that on purpose, you rat!"

  "How can you say that! Look at my own clothes."

  She saw that his shoes were covered with sand and a piece of seaweed clung to his pant leg.

  He took her by the hand and pulled her back towards the ocean.

  "Don't," she cried, but she didn't put up much of a resistance. "Ladies aren't suppose to frolic in the sea."

  "No one is watching! It will be our secret."

  She laughed as they ran down the beach, playing chase with the surf, sometimes getting wet, sometimes outracing the water. Connor held onto her tightly, keeping her fears at bay.

  When they finally made it back to the bicycles, the sun was beginning to slide toward the edge of the sky, casting long shadows on the ground.

  "We better start heading back," Connor said reluctantly.

  Alexandra looked down at her skirt. At least three inches of her hem were damp with water and sand. Her toes squished inside her shoes, their dampness chilling her feet. But the amazing thing was, she was happy. She'd had more fun today than she could remember in the last six years of her life.

  She couldn't let the day go by without saying something. Moving to within inches of Connor, she picked up his palm, his fingers strong as she shook his hand.

  "Thank you for today, Connor. I had a wonderful time."

  He reached down and planted a kiss on her nose, and it was then she felt the gritty feeling of sand on her face. Yet his kiss was touching and sweet and somehow left her aching for more.

  "You're welcome, Alexandra. Let's go home. Leona will have dinner waiting."

  Yes, Connor Manning was definitely a rake, a charming rake, one she was determined to resist with body and soul. But he was definitely making it more and more difficult.

  ***

  Candlelight illuminated the table, flickering over Connor's irresistible stubborn jaw and full lips. The gas lamps had been turned down, creating a cozy atmosphere of intimacy. Connor had hovered over her all evening, waiting on her like a cherished mate, and even though she resisted, she couldn't help but feel special. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like a lady, and after their outing today his attention made her feel extraordinary.

  Yet, the odds of him winning the Kentucky Derby were greater than the chance of him getting into her bed. But then the poor man had not accepted the reality of the situation and though she enjoyed his attention, she knew she was playing with fire. Fire of a sensual nature. For some reason, when the man kissed her, he had the uncanny ability to make her burn with a flame she had never experienced.

  The last two days had given her a grudging sense of respect for Connor. He carried with him a sense of legacy and responsibility regarding his home. He was a complex man, much more than the rake she'd met at the Rutherfords'.

  Rising from his chair, Connor said, "If you're finished, why don't we have coffee in our sitting room upstairs?"

  Alexandra blinked, trying to refocus her thoughts. "All right."

  He walked around the table, then pulled out her chair and offered her his arm. Together they climbed the stairs, her skirts rustling against his legs, the sound loud in the stillness. The lamps were low as they entered their sitting area, and Alexandra took a seat on the divan.

  "Do you play chess?" Connor inquired as he paced the floor before Alexandra.

  Years had passed since she'd last played chess with her father, since the first and last time she'd beaten him. One loss to his daughter and they had never played again.

  "I play a little," she said, smiling at him, thinking this might actually be fun.

  "While Leona is bringing up our coffee, I'll set up the board."

  "Okay."

  Alexandra glanced around the room. Though they shared this sitting area, it had a decidedly male flavor. The drapes were heavy red brocade. Two tables made from rich dark wood graced the room along with the Oriental carpets that covered the floor. If she were the permanent woman of the house, she would change this room to reflect more of a neutral atmosphere.

  Connor finished placing the chess pieces on a wooden board set on one of the oaken tables in the center of the room. She joined him, sitting across from him, and before he could object, turned the board around and moved a white pawn out two spaces.

  "I gather you want to go first," Connor said, his eyes scanning the board as he decided where to make his first move.

  "Ladies first."

  He glanced up at her, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter. "Why do I get the feeling I'm about to take a tumble?"

  She shrugged. "Whatever would give you that idea?"

  "Your eagerness. Beating a man at chess is not ladylike," he chastised.

  "Then why did you ask me to play—unless of course you thought I would bow to your superior male qualities, then swoon at your feet in glorious reverence when you won."

  The corner of his lips turned up into a smirk. "The idea of you swooning before any man is ludicrous."

  She smiled. "It is rather comical, isn't it?"

  For a few minutes the only noise in the room was the slide of wood against wood as they made their moves. Each one testi
ng the other.

  Moving his knight into position, Connor captured her rook and gave her a confident grin.

  Alexandra moved her knight, capturing his rook. She leaned back and relaxed her, every move in control.

  Stunned, he gazed at her in amazement. "How long have you been playing this game?"

  "Long enough," she replied.

  "Did Gordon teach you to play chess?"

  "Hardly. Gordon didn't want a wife who knew how to beat him at anything."

  Connor moved his queen into position, threatening her king. He glanced at her, the blue of his eyes seeming to envelop her as he laid his hand on her arm."You've never spoken to me about your marriage to Gordon. Someday I would like to hear your side of what went wrong."

  Alexandra quickly returned her gaze to the safety of the board. For a moment nothing was said, but the warmth of his hand lay against her arm, feeling like the weight of a chain. The memories his words evoked were restrictive and heavy.

  Finally she looked up from the board, her eyes meeting and holding his gaze. What was Connor up to now? She swallowed nervously. "I don't care to discuss my marriage to Gordon with you or anyone else."

  She moved her bishop into place.

  He sighed and moved his second rook before his gaze returned to hers. "There are two sides to every story. All I'm asking is to hear your version."

  Panic almost overwhelmed her as she realized he was waiting, listening for her to tell him what Gordon had done to her. No one had ever asked for her side, or shown an interest that she could have been wronged. Part of her wanted to confide in Connor, yet she couldn't bring herself to talk about the wretched situation. To unlock and trust him with the intimate knowledge of her first marriage was more than she was capable of right now.

  She rubbed her temple, trying to ease the tension she felt building in her head, and then moved her queen before she glanced up and met his blue eyes. "My first marriage was a terrible mistake and I knew it almost from the beginning. I was young, I was naive about... what happens between a man and a woman. Suffice it to say that we were miserable together, and I soon realized he married me for my dowry."

  Connor's eyes shifted from her to the chess game. "Doesn't sound much different from other marriages."