Soon, again agitated, he was anxious for all the frivolity of the wedding day to end. But there was a certain protocol to observe. Even though he didn't give a whit about the people there, for the most part, he owed it to Sasha to give her the most traditional, beautiful wedding he could.
They were seated at the head of the table, with Sasha on his right hand. A wedding breakfast was served. It seemed to take three lifetimes for the servers to accomplish seating and bringing food and drink to the guests. Why had they invited so many? Garrett swirled the wine in his glass.
"Garrett?" Sasha's petite hand closed over his wrist. "Is everything all right?"
While he'd been grumbling about how long the breakfast was taking, he'd been ignoring his bride. The very person he longed to be with. "Forgive me, darling. I just wish—"
"Wish what?"
He leaned closer and whispered close to her ear, "I wish you and I were… alone."
She sighed. "I do, as well. Although I'm…"
"What, my love? What is it?" He held her hand in a firm grip. Oh, how he longed to take her face in his hands and kiss her, but it wouldn't do under the circumstances.
She lowered her gaze, her long dark eyelashes fanning her cheek. "I'm afraid."
Why hadn't he thought of that? Of course she was afraid of the unknown, for he was confident from her demeanor she'd never before been with a man. The first time he'd kissed her, he'd known she was inexperienced. It would make tonight all the sweeter for him. He squeezed her hand. "Don't be afraid, darling. I would never do anything to harm you, in any way. Do you believe me?"
"Oh yes, Garrett, I—"
Loud voices from outside interrupted them. Who would have the audacity to create such a ruckus at a wedding breakfast? Garrett gave Sasha's hand a squeeze then released it and stood. He frowned. The noise intensified. Whoever was shouting was coming closer. Garrett's cousin stepped toward their table. "Your grace, would you like me to inquire as to the problem?"
"Yes, if you wouldn't mind. I cannot imagine it is one of the guests, so we may have to call the magistrate for whomever the interloper is."
His cousin nodded and hurried toward the doorway. Garrett glanced down at Sasha. Her eyes were wide. "Don't be frightened, darling. I'm sure it's nothing. Don't let it concern you."
She nodded and sighed. Oh, how he hated for anything to spoil her day. Surely, though, whoever had caused the stir would be dealt with and dispensed of in a timely fashion.
Instead of the noise dying down, it increased. A man yelled. Garrett tilted his head. Had his own name been mentioned? And Sasha's? He patted her on the shoulder and skirted around their table. By now, everyone was watching the doorway, and several men stood. Garrett forced a pleasant expression on his face as he passed by one guest after another. Why did something negative have to happen today? This interruption would be the talk of the ton for weeks to come. As if he needed more attention drawn to his marriage.
Garrett reached the doorway just as he spotted the cause of the trouble. He widened his eyes. Lucien! Rushing toward his brother, he grabbed Lucien by the shoulders and shook him. "Lucien, what are you doing here?" He leaned closer. His brother was foxed, although the fact shouldn't surprise him. Lucien was often inebriated. And this time his clothes were rumpled and his hair stuck out at odd angles. But to show up at Garrett's wedding, uninvited, quite foxed, was unforgivable. After Garrett had ordered Lucien away, he'd made it clear it was to be permanent.
Lucien swayed and grabbed Garrett's coat, crushing the fabric in his hands. "Brother, I had to come."
"No, you didn't."
"Oh yes. Someone in town was talking about the Duke of Ravensworth's wedding day. Imagine my surprise when I wasn't invited to my own brother's nuptials?"
"You most certainly were not invited and you know the reason."
Lucien ignored Garrett's statement. "I assume the bride is the lovely Miss Douglas?"
Garrett leaned close, even though Lucien's breath was quite strong with alcohol. "Lower your voice. Of course it's Miss Douglas." He glanced around. Several men were standing in the doorway, openly staring. "You need to leave, Lucien."
"But brother, I need to see—"
"No. You need to leave now." Garrett swallowed hard. Since discovering his brother had killed Samuel, he'd hoped Lucien would fade away somewhere and never return. Yes, Lucien deserved prison or worse, but Garrett didn't want to be the one to send him there. He still couldn't believe Lucien was the guilty party he'd searched so hard to find.
"But—"
"Lucien, you need to leave." He grabbed his brother by the shoulders and swung him around until he faced the door. Lucien wobbled and looked as if he would fall. When Garrett reached out to steady him, Lucien laughed, darted past him, gliding easily past the men in the doorway.
Garrett sucked in a huge gasp. "No!" He ran after Lucien, not caring when he bumped into some of the men standing there.
Lucien rushed straight toward Sasha. Several women gasped and one even screamed. Lucien did look like a madman, with his unkempt appearance, running to the other end the table. Garrett hurried to catch up with him before he got to Sasha.
He caught up with him just as Lucien reached Sasha's seat. Wrapping his arms around his brother from behind, Garrett tried to pull Lucien away. But Lucien grasped the edge of the table with a fierce grip. Even pulling with all his might. Garrett couldn't budge him.
Lucien leaned in toward Sasha. She widened her eyes. "Lucien. What are you doing here?"
Lucien chuckled. "I had to come. I wanted to give the beautiful bride a kiss."
Sasha gasped and scooted her chair back away from the table. She swallowed hard, her eyes as big as saucers.
Garrett leaned back slightly, hauling Lucien's feet off the ground. If Garrett had to carry his drunken brother from the premises, so be it. Lucien kicked at Garrett until he let him down, but he didn't let go of his brother's arms. Garrett moved Lucien toward the doorway, intent on shoving him completely off the property if need be.
An older man, Garrett couldn't even recall his name at the moment, stepped forward and spoke over Lucien's head to Garrett. "Do you want me to notify the magistrate, your grace?"
Garrett frowned. He'd like nothing better, but was afraid somehow the magistrate would find out Lucien had killed Samuel. And if they already had him in custody for nearly destroying the breakfast, he would never be set free if they found out he was guilty of murder. As much as he loathed Lucien, he also loved him, somewhere deep in his heart. The sentiment was almost hidden there, but was there nonetheless. He didn't want his only brother to be hanged.
"No, that won't be necessary. I'll see to it he leaves." He gave Lucien another shove with one hand but held onto his collar with the other. He didn't want him to go back into the breakfast and terrorize his new wife.
As soon as they were headed toward the door, the same man who'd asked about the authorities spoke to someone else behind him. "Say, speaking of the authorities, did anyone ever discover who killed the new Duchess Ravensworth's brother?"
Garrett gasped. How had the man found that out? Yes, there would be word around about the killing, but Garrett hadn't thought news would reach anyone of his status. The people who frequented that inn were of the lower classes. His gaze fell on his brother. But then, Lucien was of a higher class and he'd often been there. How stupid Garrett had been. Hammersmith was not so large, and Chelsea not so distant. It had just been a matter of time before someone found out Sasha's brother had been killed and where.
Lucien stopped abruptly. Garrett bumped into him. Lucien whipped his head around and addressed the older man. "Her grace's brother was murdered?"
The man frowned. "Why, yes. Samuel Douglas. He was killed in a local inn near here, over in Chelsea, a few weeks ago. A fight, I heard, over a woman."
Lucien stiffened against Garrett. "No! No! It can't be!" He pulled away from Garrett and headed back toward the dining room.
Garrett gulped in air. He
ran toward the dining room as well. What was Lucien going to do? Sasha must never know that Lucien was her brother's killer. She might never be able to separate Garrett's love from his brother's iniquity.
Faster than Garrett could have believed possible, Lucien was again standing in front of Sasha. Garrett arrived just as Lucien bent over the table, reaching out his hands toward Sasha.
Lucien sobbed. "Oh, my beautiful Miss Douglas, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Sasha dropped her jaw and lowered her eyebrows. She stared at Garrett. "What does he mean? What is he sorry for?"
Garrett's world tilted, rocking everything he'd known before into a jumble of stone and ash. No, it could not be. He swallowed a lump in his throat. Maybe it wasn't too late. "Darling, don't pay attention to Lucien. You know how he can be. He's had too much to drink and—"
Lucien bent over farther, this time reaching Sasha. He grabbed her hand. Her fingers whitened. Was he crushing them? "I thought the man was worthless. A nothing. The fact that he died wouldn't cause a ripple of concern in our society." Tears dashed down Lucien's dirty face, dripping from his chin onto the white tablecloth. "But oh, Miss Douglas, you have to believe me. I didn't know who he was. If I had known he was… I didn't mean to kill your brother!"
Time stood still. Garrett's heart ached as if it would burst from his chest as he stared at Sasha. Her eyes widened as her face paled. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Staring at Lucien, her eyes glazed over, open but not seeing.
Lucien, sobbing, fell to the floor at Garrett's feet and curled into a fetal position.
Sasha fainted.
Chapter Thirteen
Sasha woke with a terrible throbbing in her head, as if several men with mallets pounded away. What in the world had happened? Birds chirped merrily outside the window, adding to the pain at her temples. Wasn't it her wedding day? Why would that cause her head to ache so? Perhaps the wedding had been just a dream. She opened her eyes a fraction at a time. Sunlight from a small opening in the drapes flashed across the bed.
Movement on the bed jostled her. "Sasha, love, are you all right? I was so worried." Garrett was stretched out beside her.
She gasped. Why was he here? Memories floated lazily through her mind. The ceremony, their whispered words of commitment and love. Knowledge that she'd always be loved, never be lied to, and never again be alone in the world. Her breath hitched. Had they had a wedding night? Had they…?
Garrett stroked her face, his long fingers making a soft trail down her cheek, ending at her chin. He frowned. "When you fell and hit your head, I was even more frightened than when I found you in the well. You have a small lump beside your left eyebrow, but the physician said there should be no lasting damage. You were only unconscious for a few minutes, but it gave me the scare of my life that something had happened to you again."
She lowered her eyebrows and rubbed her aching temples. Physician? Fallen? Why would she have… Lucien, dirty and sobbing, reaching over the table… She'd been frightened at his appearance, his clothes disheveled, his breath reeking of liquor. Wedding guests had stared, pointed toward them, whispered about the intrusion. Why had Lucien even been at the breakfast? Surely he hadn't been invited? Garrett had told her he'd ordered Lucien to leave the house. She'd been safe, then. Lucien would no longer try to entice her away from Garrett. She wouldn't have to fear what he'd do next.
Lucien had bent closer and said… The image of her new brother-in-law now formed the words with his lips. Words about Samuel. Words that couldn't be true. That he had… No! It couldn't be.
Her hands fisted, her fingernails digging into her palms. Pain sliced though her as if tiny knives pierced her skin. Grief and anger coursed through her. She didn't even care if her nails drew her own blood. As her heart pounded, her breathing labored and her mouth went dry. Forcing herself to swallow past the dry lump in her throat, she widened her eyes and stared at her husband.
Garrett pulled her tightly against his chest, his hand pressed against the back of her head, his fingers massaging through her hair. "It's just unthinkable. I'm so sorry for your loss, darling. And… to think that Lucien…" He lowered his head, his chin not far above his chest.
Tears pressed beneath Sasha's eyelids. So it was true. Her brother-in-law had murdered her brother. She and Garrett had been dealt a horrendous blow. Oh, how he must be saddened right now! Since they were now married, she could no longer think just of herself. Shouldn't she also comfort her husband? Wasn't it part of her responsibility now that she was a wife?
She nudged her head up under Garrett's chin, snuggling against him. "Oh Garrett, what you must be feeling, too. That your brother would do something so horrible. And to think we both learned this news on our most special day."
Garrett sucked in a breath and tensed, his arm muscles bulging beneath his shirt. Wait. Shirt? Why was he dressed if they were in bed? Sasha darted a glance down at her own attire. When had she been changed into her nightgown? Had she been so exhausted from the ordeal that she hadn't been aware? Had her unconsciousness lasted so long? Something clearly wasn't as it should be.
She pulled away from him, sitting up. A few seconds went by until the dizziness from her headache cleared. Had they not made love on their wedding night? Because of the news they'd both received? Surely it was the case, as she couldn't remember the night before. Or was it because she'd hit her head? Perhaps it was both. Yes, it made sense.
Garrett sat up as well. His face had gone pale, his green eyes wide. "Sasha, I…"
Her husband appeared ill. But of course he would, under the circumstances. Wouldn't anyone who'd found out his brother was a murderer? "I'm sure the news of your brother has affected you deeply, Garrett. I'm so sorry."
"Don't." He placed his finger over her lips. His hands trembled.
She grasped his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. "Can't I comfort my husband?"
He shook his head. "I don't deserve it."
"But why? I'm sure you, too, are grieving."
He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment "Yes. I am grieving. But it's nothing compared to your loss."
Fresh tears hit Sasha. More tears than she knew a person could cry. Her poor Samuel, killed in such a fashion over a woman. By Lucien. It still didn't seem possible. What had been the chance that she and Garrett were linked by love, but also by tragedy?
Garrett placed his hands on either side of Sasha's face, rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks. "Let me comfort you, darling."
Sasha peered into his eyes. She nodded. The time had come. It wasn't how she'd dreamed their first time would be, but it was how it needed to happen. For both of them. It would be sweet. It would be special. In spite of their grief and loss. "Yes. Let's comfort each other."
He reached around her, unbuttoning the fasteners on her gown. Sasha shivered when the fabric fell from her shoulder and cool air contacted her arm. Garrett stroked her skin from her neck to just below her collarbone. He moved closer, shutting his eyes, placing a light kiss on her left shoulder. Sasha's nerves tingled. How could such a small sensation produce hot sparks all the way to her toes? Garrett had kissed her before, but not like this. Nothing like this.
She inhaled his scent, a combination of spice and man. Losing themselves in each other was what they needed now. Garrett tugged the front of her gown, drawing it lower. Cold air hit her chest and stomach. Her thin chemise offered no warmth. But Garrett's touch produced a fire in her belly and below. She wouldn't be cold for long.
Sasha reached out, undoing his shirt buttons. He swallowed and groaned. His eyes were half-closed, his pupils dark. Her fingers came in contact with his bare chest and a light sprinkling of hair. She gasped. Never had she touched a man in such a fashion!
Garrett grabbed her hands and frowned. "Are you frightened?"
She shrugged. Might as well be honest with him. He was her husband. They would share everything now. "A little. Not of you, just—"
"I know. It's all right." He gently p
ushed her down on the bed. "I would never hurt you."
"That's one thing I know." She smiled. No, he would never harm her. Hadn't he proven that when he'd rescued her from the well? Nor would he ever lie to her. She sighed, willing away her nervousness. Surely every new bride experienced jittery nerves on her wedding night.
Garrett leaned down and kissed the sensitive skin above her collarbone. Suddenly Sasha longed for more. She pulled the gown down to her waist and lowered her hands as she anticipated what Garrett would do next.
He looped one finger under the edge to her nightgown, kissing her skin, inch by inch, as he tugged the fabric lower. Sasha's nerves hummed, anxious to be close to him. As his lips touched her skin above her breast, she closed her eyes. Surely this was why she'd been created.
****
Sasha sat on the garden bench, Douglas at her feet. The cat wound his way between her boots, purring as he rubbed his cheek against her skirt. She reached down and picked him up, settling him on her lap. He tiptoed in a circle before curling in a ball, kneading her thighs through her skirt.
She peered up at the cloudy sky. Yes, she'd miss Garrett today, but he had important business to take care of concerning his many tenants. She could never fault him for that. Didn't everyone deserve a good home? As she'd been poor herself not so long ago, it warmed her heart that her husband would be so kind to those in need. Their first few weeks of marriage had been heaven. She couldn't ask for a more loving husband. How was it that she, a poor hungry girl, had become a happy, loved duchess?
Douglas bumped his head against her hand. Sasha glanced down. "Not getting enough attention, are you?" She lifted one corner of her lips as she scratched the cat under his chin. Would Sasha someday bring her babies out here to the garden to play with Douglas?
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