Persuading Patience

by Emma V. Leech

  Lady Marchmain was staring at her now, open-mouthed, looking so much like an enraged goldfish that it was all Patience could do not to succumb to a bout of hysterics. The woman seemed incapable of speech, however, so Patience carried on.

  “I’ve never flattered him, I’ve always been honest with him, and August appreciates that. He knows he can trust me, you see. He knows that I will always be there for him, that I will never let him down or turn away from him when he needs me. He’s never had that in his life, not since his father died.” Patience heard the quality of her voice change, her mounting anger growing more obvious as her emotions rose to the surface. “You shut him out,” she said, advancing on Lady Marchmain now. “You left him alone, to fend for himself, and I will never forgive you for it. All he wanted was for you pay him a little attention, to love him just a little bit. He’s very easy to love, your son, which makes it all the stranger to me that his mother is such cold-hearted bitch.”

  Lady Marchmain snorted, a calculated look in her eyes now. “Yes, I see now,” she said, her expression sharp with malice. “I see why he married you. He thought to find a woman to stand up to me, to take control of things on his behalf because he’s too gutless to do it.”

  Patience rolled her eyes, and muttered the worst curse words she could bring to mind. “The only reason that August can’t fight you is because he’s too kind-hearted and loving,” she shouted, really angry now. “You’re his mother, for heaven’s sake. Do you think he wants to hurt you, to shame you by throwing you out of the house?”

  Lady Marchmain laughed at that, the sound harsh and taunting. “Throw me out? I should like to see it,” she said, the words almost a snarl, the woman’s thin lips drawn back, giving her an almost feral expression. “He wouldn’t dare!” Patience stared at her with dismay and wondered if she was actually unhinged. There was just something lacking in the woman, some absence of normal human emotions.

  “No,” Patience said, her tone cool but fierce. “I don’t suppose so.” She took a step closer until their faces were level, and stared into green eyes that were at once familiar and foreign. “But I would,” she said, meaning it with all her heart.

  Patience turned on her heel and left, hurrying back towards the house. She was shaking and furious, sick with the onslaught of emotion and yet relieved to have said what she needed to. One thing was clear enough. There was going to be no middle ground, no negotiating. One way or another, Lady Marchmain had to go.

  “Patience!”

  Patience turned, torn between relief and consternation as August called her. She had hoped for a moment to compose herself before seeing him, and yet her desire to run into his arms was overwhelming. In the end, she allowed herself the luxury of the latter and hurried to him, throwing her arms about his waist and burying her face in his chest.

  “Well, good morning to you, too,” he said, laughing, and then exclaimed as he took her hand. “What have you done, love, you’re bleeding?”

  Patience looked at her hand, only then becoming aware of the pain. She’d gripped the stem of the rose so hard in her anger that a thorn had pierced her palm. August reached for his handkerchief, wrapping it around her hand with care, and studying her now.

  “What is it, Patience?” he asked, his eyes full of concern. “You’re whiter than that rose you’re clinging to.” He paused, then, frowning. “Oh, God. Mother.” His face was furious now. “What did she say to you?” he demanded, one hand going to her cheek as he searched her face. “I’ll bloody kill her this time,” he raged, moving to let Patience go. There was something in his eyes that frightened her, though, and she clung to him.

  “No, don’t go,” she said, holding onto him and smiling as she saw how torn he was. “I’m fine, truly,” she said, taking a deep breath and trying to make herself believe it as much as him.

  “I won’t let her hurt you, Patience,” he said, anguish in his voice. “I’ve let her berate and bully me all these years, but not you, I won’t let her do it to you.”

  Patience smiled, touched by the sincerity in the words and pulled his head down, kissing him. “I love you, August.”

  He stilled at that, the tension draining out of him as he stared at her. “You … you’ve never said that before.”

  Patience nodded, knowing that she’d been too frightened before this moment, her trust in him had not been as strong as his had been for her. But that had changed. He wouldn’t let her down. She believed it now. She understood him now, and she would place her whole heart in his hands with no regrets, no half measures or limitations. “I know,” she said, regret in her voice. “And I’m sorry for it. But it has always been true, August, since the very first time you kissed me.”

  He swallowed, happiness shining in his eyes, and she sucked in a breath, shaken by her need for him. “Say it again,” he said, pulling her closer.

  Patience grinned at him. “I love you.”

  He gave a triumphant bark of laughter and swung her up into his arms as Patience gave a shriek of outrage. “August!” she exclaimed as he carried her back towards the house. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to celebrate,” he said, kicking open the front door as Patience blushed scarlet. “By making love to my wife.”

  “Oh, good Lord,” she mumbled, catching sight of a wide-eyed maid, who gave a squawk of alarm as August carried Patience past her and up the stairs. Patience groaned and covered her face with her hands. “August, I was never more embarrassed, you wretch, it will serve you right if you do yourself an injury, you silly fool,” she added as he wrangled their bedroom door opened and kicked it shut behind them. “I’m not exactly light as a feather.”

  “Good God, that you’re not,” he said, chuckling as he dumped her on the bed with a whirl of muslin skirts. He took a moment to catch his breath as Patience glowered at him.

  “Well you didn’t have to agree with me,” she retorted, watching as he made short work of divesting himself of coat, waistcoat, cravat and shirt. Patience swallowed as he clambered over the bed and set to work undressing her.

  “I’m nothing if not honest, love,” he said, giving her a devilish grin as he bared her ample breasts for his attention. “And believe me,” he added, giving her assets a worshipful look. “I was never more glad about anything.”

  Patience squealed as he set about proving his point, and it was some time before a sensible word was heard from either of them.

  ***

  “I’m never going downstairs again,” Patience muttered, her tone indignant despite the fact she couldn’t keep the stupid smile from her face. August chuckled, a rather wicked sound that did something quite extraordinary to her insides. He lowered his lips to the back of her neck.

  “Fine by me, love,” he murmured against her skin. “Shall I just take all this off again?” he asked, tugging at the back of her dress.

  “Don’t you dare!” she said, trying her best to sound cross and only giving a ridiculous giggle as his hands covered her breasts and squeezed. Good heavens, how absurd, she’d never giggled in her life before. This man was a menace. “Stop that at once,” she scolded, fighting for breath as her body came alive all over again despite the fact she’d been made love to most thoroughly for the best part of the morning.

  “Give me one good reason,” he demanded, making it very hard for her to think at all, until her stomach gave a loud rumble of protest.

  “That’s why,” she said, snorting in a most unladylike fashion. “I’m starving.”

  August huffed at her. “Well,” he said, returning his attention to doing up her ties with obvious regret. “I suppose I don’t want you wasting away to skin and bone.”

  “There’s little chance of that,” Patience replied, her tone dry.

  The sound of wheels over gravel took their attention, however, and they both moved to the window to look down at the carriage that had just drawn up outside house.

  The carriage door opened, and a moment later, Patience gave a cry of delight as sh
e saw the elegant figure that emerged from it.

  “Cilly!” she cried with delight and relief, and hurried down the stairs as fast as she could to greet her step-mother and -sister. Not a moment too soon, either, as both Cilly and Caro were looking a little cowed by the icy look on the blasted butler’s face.

  “Roachford,” August said, his hard tone making the butler start a little. “Have the two best guest rooms made up right away, please, and we’ll have some tea brought to the parlour. My wife’s family will be staying with us.”

  The butler glowered for a moment, hesitating.

  “Is there a problem, Roachford?” August asked, his tone quiet but nonetheless threatening.

  “No, my lord,” the butler replied, giving a curt nod and moving away.

  “Oh, Cilly,” Patience cried, hugging her step-mother to her as the rather diminutive woman tried to crush the air from her lungs in turn. “I’m so pleased to see you both.”

  “Are you quite sure?” Caro replied, grinning and giving Patience a naughty wink. “Did you really just come down for breakfast?” she added, making Patience blush like fury as August laughed.

  “Deny everything, love,” August advised her, not helping in the least as he removed her from Cilly’s grip and tugged her against his side, kissing her with adoration in his eyes.

  “Dreadful creature,” Patience muttered, shaking her head at him and then looking back at the twin expressions of shiny-eyed happiness on Cilly and Caro’s faces as they both gave a besotted-sounding sigh over her husband. Patience rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, do come along,” she said, amused and delighted. “I’m starving if you’re not, and I want to hear all about the scandal we’ve created.”

  Chapter 23

  “Wherein honour must be served.”

  Patience allowed Cilly and Caro to chatter about inconsequential matters until she’d devoured enough tea and cake to stop her stomach protesting, and then set her plate aside.

  “Come along, then, you’d best tell me the worst of it,” she said, smiling even though her nerves were all on edge. August reached for her hand and she felt a little braver as his long fingers laced with hers. Cilly and Caro exchanged a glance, which didn’t ease her fears. “What happened after we’d gone?”

  “St John kept visiting,” Cilly said, her words hesitant and her lovely face full of tension. “At first we told him that you were ill, so that there was no chance of him catching up with you,” Cilly said, smiling at Patience, though it was so obviously strained that Patience felt her heart clench with anxiety. “But once we were certain that you must be married, Lord Lancaster spread the story about, like you told him to, my lord,” she added as Patience looked between them.

  “What story?” she demanded, frowning at August.

  August squeezed her fingers, a look of such affection in his eyes that Patience felt a stab of alarm.

  “Lord Lancaster told everyone the truth,” Cilly said, sounding unreasonably calm in the circumstances. “That August abducted you and forced you to marry him.”

  “What?” Patience exclaimed, outraged and shocked, and overwhelmingly touched that August would take all of the blame.

  “You didn’t think I’d really let your reputation be damaged any more than necessary, did you?” he said, his voice full of warmth. “I wasn’t going to let everyone think that you’d eloped with me willingly. Besides,” he added with a snort. “It’s no more than the truth.”

  “Of course it isn’t true,” Patience objected, feeling a burst of anger at the idea he’d been in any way to blame, despite her initial fury with him. “You did not force me to marry you!”

  “Yes, I did,” August replied, perfectly unruffled. “Once I’d forced you into that carriage, you had no choice, you’d have been ruined.”

  Patience threw up her hands in frustration. “August Bright, if you don’t know by now that I wanted to marry you with all my heart, I shall really have to question your sanity.”

  August beamed at her, lifting the hand he held to his lips. “Well, I’m glad that’s true, but you were none too pleased at being kidnapped, as I remember, love. Please do correct me if I’m wrong,” he added with a wry grin, winking at Caro and Cilly as Patience huffed out a breath.

  “You deserved everything you got,” she said, glowering a little. “But I was only angry because you didn’t ask me, you know that! If you’d only explained, I’d have been in that blasted carriage before you could have said knife.”

  “Oh, ho, what a plumper,” he said, grinning at her. “But nonetheless, it’s nice to hear you say so.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek and Patience felt her irritation slip away. She turned back to find Caro and Cilly watching them with that daft dewy-eyed expression again, and tried to get things back on track.

  “So everyone believes August kidnapped me, against my will?” she said, wondering how on earth they were going to live it down. Poor August would be thought the worst kind of villain. She would have to do something about that.

  Cilly nodded, as the rather frightened look returned to her eyes.

  “What is it, Cilly?” she asked, frowning as Cilly looked back to Caro, who reached out and took her mother’s hand.

  “You’d best tell her, mama,” Caro said, looking grave.

  Cilly sucked in a breath and nodded. “Once … once the story got about, it spread like wildfire. So we stayed home at first, hoping to let things die down a little.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs Bridges,” August said, the remorse in the words only too obvious. “Patience rang a peal over me for what I’d done to you, and I can only say that you are welcome to second it. I was so terrified that she would end up with St John that I didn’t give anyone or anything else a second thought, and for that, I truly am sorry.”

  To both their astonishment, Cilly sprang to her feet. Her slim figure trembling with indignation. “Don’t you dare be sorry,” she said, wringing her fingers together in distress as her eyes glittered. “I’ve never been more grateful to anyone in my life,” she said, rushing over to grasp August’s hands. “Patience has saved myself and Caro more times that I care to recall,” she said, and Patience put a hand to her mouth as a fat tear ran down Caro’s cheek. “She’s been keeping us in order since she was a little girl and it’s about time she had someone to depend on. If not for you, Lord Marchmain, she might have married that … that dreadful man!”

  To Patience’s horror, Cilly dissolved, heaving sobs that showed the depths of her distress. Patience and August got to their feet and guided Cilly back to her seat. Patience sat down beside her, putting her arms around her. “Whatever happened?” she asked, wondering if she really wanted to know, and posed the question to Caro, as Cilly was clearly beyond answering it. She was very aware of the anger radiating from August in waves, and swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted was for any more scandal or upset. The idea that August could be hurt if he confronted St John was a horrifying thought. She had to try and keep tempers from running amok.

  “Mr St John came to see us,” Caro said, her voice low and hesitant. “He demanded that we tell him the truth about what happened. He … he said that he would call you out,” she added, looking up at August, her face white with anxiety. “I didn’t want that and I knew Patience wouldn’t either so … so I told him that it was true, but only in part. I said that you had forced Patience to go with you, but the only reason that she hadn’t agreed to go was because she didn’t want to break her promise. I told him that you loved Lord Marchmain, Patience,” she said, blinking back tears. “I told him that Lord Marchmain knew you’d only accepted St John’s proposal because you believed he didn’t care for you, that Lord Marchmain knew you were too honourable to break your promise, and so he did it for you.” Caro swallowed, her lovely face frightened and pale. She swallowed and looked up, eyes glistening. “He was very angry.”

  “Oh, Caro,” Patience said, reaching out to take Caro’s hand and feeling her heart drop as Caro sucked in a breath.
<
br />   “Show her, Caro, darling,” Cilly said, wiping her eyes on the handkerchief August had given her.

  Caro peeled off her gloves to show livid bruises around her slender wrists.

  “It’s not as b-bad as it looks,” she stammered, trying to smile. “He only shook me, and you know h-how easily I bruise, Patience.”

  “Oh, my God!” Patience exclaimed, pulling Caro into an embrace now.

  “I’ll kill him,” August said, the words so low and matter-of-fact that Patience released Caro and leapt to her feet in horror, terrified at what he might do.

  “No, August,” she cried, clinging to his arm. “I want him to pay as much as you do, but we must think. I won’t lose you because of that wicked man, do you hear me?”

  “Do you see what he’s done, Patience?” August shouted, running one hand through his hair, his eyes wild with fear. “Did you not hear what he did to Miss Trencher? You might have been married to that monster.”

  Patience ran to him and he enfolded her in his arms, holding on tight.

  “The idea of him hurting you, any of you,” he said, his voice taut as he shook his head. “He can’t get away with this. I must deal with it.”

  “August, no!” Patience pleaded, but there was a stubborn look in his eyes that she’d not seen before, a determination that she knew would not be swayed. “Let us at least calm down a little and not go rushing off half-cocked. Please, August. There is nothing to be done today, after all.”