A Convenient Bride

by Cheryl Ann Smith

  “What a turn,” Brenna said. She walked over to pull the bell cord. When the maid appeared, she requested tea and cakes. “I think we should sit and untangle this puzzle.”

  Brother and sister refused to acknowledge each other while waiting for the tea to arrive. Anne tended her husband, assuring him that she loved him and everything would work out. “Richard is nothing but a bully,” Anne said softly, to Andrew, but not quietly enough not to reach her brother. Richard stiffened. She continued, “If we have to return to Scotland to escape his reach, we will.”

  Brenna hid a smile. Their relationship reminded her of the way she and Simon argued. She realized how much she missed her brother. Once George and Clive were captured and life settled, she’d insist they pack up James and make a visit to London.

  Richard ignored Anne’s jabs and poured a brandy for Jace and Andrew. He handed a glass to his steward. After a few sips, the poor man’s color returned.

  “Thank you, Your Lordship,” he mumbled, careful to keep his eyes averted. He’d been trusted to find and rescue Anne from Lockley and had somehow ended up married to the woman. Brenna’s patience stretched thin when the tea seemed to take an eternity to arrive. This was a story she very much wanted to hear.

  The maid finally came and set out the small repast. In addition to the tea and cakes, there were small sandwiches.

  Brenna smiled. “Thank you, Brigit, you may go.”

  “Yes, Milady.”

  Reaching for the teapot, Brenna poured tea for herself and Anne. As Anne stirred cream into her cup, Brenna took a moment to examine her sister-in-law. Anne was tall and pretty and—as evidenced from their earlier, loudly voiced argument—strong willed. Richard needn’t have worried about her. His sister was obviously no ninny who’d made an imprudent match.

  “Enough tea stirring, Anne,” Richard commanded. “Tell me everything that happened after you ran off.”

  Anne sipped her tea. “I cannot believe you thought I’d run off with Lockley. That toad. If he were the last man in England, I’d still chase him off.”

  “Why, then, did you flee?” Richard pressed.

  She glanced over at Andrew. “I was in love with someone who barely gave me notice. I knew that if you chased after me, you would bring along the one man you trusted most to help you.”

  “Andrew?” Richard stared. “You were in love with Andrew?”

  Brenna was transfixed.

  “I was from the first day, when he arrived here to accept your offer of employment. I looked into his eyes and knew I would marry him someday.”

  Andrew smiled at his wife. “I felt the same.” He glanced at Richard. “However, I was not able to voice my feelings. A steward is not on the same level as a Lady. I could not ask for her. So I kept my feelings to myself.”

  “You’ve been in love with each other for the last four years?” Richard stared in disbelief. “You kept it well hidden.”

  “What part does Lockley play in this?” Brenna interjected.

  “Nothing,” Anne said. “At the Farnsworth musicale, I overheard him tell Mister Braun his plans to flee to France to avoid creditors. I assumed, rightly, that if I left at the same time, Richard would think I’d run off with the man.” She grinned, and Andrew took her hand. “To my surprise, Andrew found me instead of Richard. It was my chance to speak my feelings.”

  “How romantic,” Brenna sighed.

  Richard frowned at her. Brenna chewed down a cake to hide her amusement. “Your frown does not change my mind. This is very romantic.” She turned back to the couple. “Please continue.”

  Andrew took up the story. “I had ridden into Scotland, determined to find her. I’d given up and was about to return to England when I literally stumbled upon her at an inn. She, too, had decided to return home. We argued, she told me of her feelings, and I knew that no matter how angry you’d be, My Lord, I’d make her my wife.”

  “We do not move in society, so our marriage should be accepted without much notice,” Anne added. “We hope we will be allowed to live quietly here, at the hall.”

  Brenna sighed. Richard scowled. Brenna covered her mouth with her hand. Anne winked at her. Brenna grinned.

  “We decided to stay in Scotland over the winter and return in the spring.” Anne met Richard’s eyes. “I apologize for not contacting you. I know you worried. But I feared what you might do if you found us. I hoped the passage of time would work in our favor and settle your temper.”

  Andrew rubbed his head. “Still, you managed to injure me anyway, Milord. I hope my cracked skull has satisfied your desire for justice.”

  Richard did not answer. Instead, he walked to the window and looked out. The three waited in silence for him to speak.

  What happened next surprised Brenna and, by their faces, the other three occupants of the room, too. A low rumble sounded from her husband, which turned into a chuckle. He turned back to them, shaking his head.

  “Had I known of your feelings, Andrew, I would have begged you to take her. Anne has always been a thorn in my backside. Now she has someone else to deal with her emotional upsets and ill tempers.”

  “My ill tempers?” Anne stood. “You are as humorless as a goat. No, the goat has more humor.”

  Richard returned to them, bent to pull his sister off the settee and into a crushing hug, and swung her around. “Welcome back, Annie.”

  Anne laughed and smacked his shoulders. “Put me down, you brute. I’m getting dizzy.” Doing her bidding, Richard set her back onto her feet and went to Andrew. The man pushed to his feet. Richard took his hand.

  “Welcome to the family, my friend.”

  Sniffing, Brenna stood and dabbed her eyes with a knuckle. She was pleased to have Anne home safe and happily married. Richard would no longer worry that she’d come to harm.

  Anne snuggled against her husband and turned to Brenna. “Our love story is not the only one. I want to know how you two met and how Brenna managed to harness my brother under the marital yoke.”

  The story had to wait, as Jace stepped back into the room with Mister Freemont on his heels. Freemont drew in a few quick breaths before he could speak. “The Runners have the men on the run afoot. A huntsman from Brighton Manor saw them passing through their property. They cannot go far. The Runners have the roads blocked.”

  Richard stepped forward. “Trapped, they will be more dangerous.” He glanced at Brenna. “I have to go.”

  Reluctantly, she nodded. “Be careful.”

  “I promise.” He and Jace followed Mister Freemont out. Brenna slumped into the chair. A small cry brought her attention back to the door. Nanny held a fussing James.

  “He wants his mother,” she said, and brought James to Brenna, who cradled him in her arms.

  “There, there, sweetheart.” She made a silly face, and he smiled a toothless smile. “Who is my handsome little man?” she cooed, and lifted her eyes to see Anne and Andrew staring agape.

  She chuckled. “I have more than a marriage to explain. Anne, Andrew, meet James Ellerby, Richard’s son.”

  Brenna paced from the one window to another in the drawing room, watching for Richard’s return. After telling her story of how she and Richard met, eating supper with her new family, and getting James to sleep, she had nothing else to distract her from worry as the evening aged.

  “Any sign of them?” Anne came up behind her after seeing Andrew settled for the night to sleep off his headache, and peered into the darkness outside the glass. A misty-rain fell. “Wherever they are, they must be miserable.”

  “No, there is no word.” Brenna twisted her fingers and paced some more. “Where can they be?”

  Anne fell into step beside her. “From what I’ve seen, my brother and your Mister Jones are quite capable of taking care of themselves. They will return unharmed.”

  “I hope so,” Brenna said. “I do not want to think macabre thoughts, but two killers are trapped in the park. They’d not hesitate to shoot my husband.”

  The f
ront door opened, and Brenna and Anne rushed into the hallway. Richard, Jace, and Mister Freemont stomped into the manor, damp from the mist and appearing exhausted.

  They pulled off their hats and coats and handed them to Joseph and Mrs. Beal. Brenna hurried to greet her husband. He caught her against him. She felt dampness on his shirt and waistcoat. “Come, let us get you by the fire.”

  Tucked under Richard’s arm, she led him to the drawing room. Anne and the other men followed.

  Once the men were seated, Mrs. Beal brought food for the starved trio. Questions waited until they finished eating.

  “No sign of George or Clive, then?” Brenna asked. She sat beside Richard and linked their fingers.

  “The bastards are slippery. We think the huntsman foiled their escape,” Richard said, and kissed her knuckles. “We all believe they have reclaimed their hiding place, but know not where. There are many places scattered around the park to hide: hunting lodges, dower houses, manors all but empty from the owners heading into London for the beginning of the season. They could be anywhere.”

  “The Runners are stationed throughout the park,” Jace added. “Unless they manage to slip away in the rain and darkness, we have them trapped.”

  “We will ride back out at sunrise,” Richard said. “For now, I need sleep.”

  “Of course.” Brenna noted the tension lines on his face. “If you all will excuse us.” They said their goodnights and went upstairs. The guard was seated outside their door, and they sent Nanny off to bed. Brenna waited until Miles stripped the wet clothes off Richard before sending the valet away and tucking her husband into bed.

  “I am chilled and weary,” he said softly, his lids drooping. Brenna stripped to her chemise and climbed in beside him. She thought he was asleep until his hand slid up to cup her buttock. She smiled.

  “Your hand is cold,” she protested.

  “Everything is cold,” he replied. “Warm me, Wife.” She snuggled against him. Whatever his intentions when he cupped her buttock, fatigue proved a greater force, and he fell into a deep sleep.

  It was still dark the next morning when Richard awoke Brenna with his mouth on her breast and a morning erection. They barely had time for a brief encounter when James started to fuss. Richard took him from the crib and rocked the boy while he carried him to Brenna on the bed.

  “He is just as bossy as his aunt,” Richard said. He leaned to kiss them both. She changed and fed their son and watched Richard go to the wardrobe.

  “He does show early indications that he will be stubborn, like the Ellerbys,” Brenna said. She glanced at her husband. “Thank goodness I am so even-tempered.”

  Richard snorted. “You start every morning grumbling about the early hour. My ears ache from the abuse.”

  “How can I not grumble?” she protested. “You and James wake me up most mornings before sunrise.” To prove her point, she gestured to the window and the blackness beyond.

  “I did not hear you complain a few minutes ago,” he teased.

  Brenna frowned. “The same thing can be accomplished at a later hour,” she scolded lightly. “Once the sun has come up.”

  Richard chuckled. “A man’s passions do not follow a clock.” He pulled on his breeches. “You will just have to accept your lot.”

  Rolling her eyes skyward, she listened to the rain click against the window glass. “It’s still raining out,” Brenna said, after a moment. “Must you go?”

  He nodded. “Every moment they’re free puts more women in danger.” He came to Brenna and kissed her. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I love you, Brenna.”

  Her mouth dropped open. With a grin, he left her.

  Brenna slumped back on the bed, her heart beating at a rapid pace. Her shock was genuine. He’d given her no hint of his feelings. Now he spoke of love?

  “When did he come to this conclusion?” she muttered. It was not a declaration with poetry and candlelight, or during a romantic walk around the lake. But theirs was no ordinary relationship. The three words were heartfelt and wonderful. That was what mattered.

  James looked up. She smiled down at him. “Your father loves me, yes he does.” She caressed his soft cheek. “Is that not an interesting turn? He swore he’d never love again.”

  James kicked his feet and squealed. She laughed. “You are such a silly boy.” She came to her knees at his feet. She pressed her lips to one foot and blew. The funny sound and tickle caused him to squeak. They played for a time before Agnes came to help her dress. Nanny followed a few minutes later.

  “The men have gone out?” Nanny asked. She took James.

  “They have.” Brenna went to the window. With rain on the glass, the outside world was a blur. She leaned her forehead on the pane and prayed for Richard’s safe return.

  He loved her. She could not lose him to a killer.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Andrew was at the breakfast table when Brenna went downstairs. She was relieved that a night’s rest was beneficial to his health. He seemed fit as he and Anne chatted over their meal. After filling her plate, she took a place next to them at the table.

  “Your headache is gone?” Brenna asked, and received a nod.

  “Thankfully so.” Andrew rubbed his temple and winced. “I suppose I deserved a whack for marrying his sister without permission.”

  “I am just pleased that Richard accepted the marriage and that you both are back at Beckwith Hall,” Brenna said. “Richard missed you.”

  “I missed him, too,” Anne said. She took a bite of eggs. “Though sometimes he can be as angry as a feral cat.”

  “Yes, he certainly can.” Brenna thought of how different he was since they first met. He was not as stoic and laughed more often. “He was unhappy for a very long time.”

  “He was,” Anne agreed. “You and James brought hope and happiness back into his life. For that, I’ll always be grateful.”

  A sober cast hung over the household as Brenna finished her meal and went to check on James. The staff was quiet while they worked. Everyone was on edge over the hunt for the killers.

  The manor was protected with armed guards posted everywhere. Brenna hated that her home felt like a prison. The only positive was that James, and the rest of the family and staff, were safe.

  “What do you have planned for the day?” Lucy asked, when they met in the hallway outside Brenna’s bedroom.

  “Other than fretting over my husband being in danger and chewing my nails to the quick?” Brenna said. “Nothing.”

  Lucy made a face. “We could write letters. I have not written Miss Eva in almost two weeks.” She covertly glanced around them, as if looking for onlookers, then pulled something from behind her back. “Or we could take this map into your room and try to figure out where our killers may be hiding.”

  Brenna’s eyes widened. She snatched the map out of Lucy’s hand. “Where did you get this?”

  Taking Brenna’s hand, Lucy pulled her into Brenna’s former bedroom. “Remember back when we first came here and His Lordship mentioned that had Andrew not been missing, he’d find you a map to the hall so that you would not get lost?”

  “I do remember,” Brenna said.

  “Well, I asked Andrew if he had one for the park. He did. The man apparently has an interest in maps. Ask him about a place anywhere in England, and he’ll probably have a map to show you.”

  “This is wonderful,” Brenna exclaimed, then lowered her voice when Nanny shushed them from the other bedroom.

  Brenna dragged Lucy to the bed. They spread the map out on the coverlet and knelt for a better view.

  Though somewhat simplistic in its drawings, it showed many of the houses and landmarks she recognized from her explorations. “I know some of these places. This is Beckwith Hall.” She ran her fingertip over the map. “This is the abbey, and this, I believe, is the Cookson cottage.”

  She lifted her eyes to Lucy, awed. “You are brilliant.”

  “I like to think so,
” Lucy said, and flipped her braid over her shoulder. “Now where would our killers hide?”

  Finding a few familiar markings was easy. Figuring out the other notations proved daunting. There were smaller buildings Brenna took to be cottages or perhaps stables or dower houses. Branching out from Beckwith Hall, the properties nearby were also marked with the same careful detail. Too much detail. It soon became clear that they needed an expert to untangle the intricacies of the map.

  Excitement prickled through Brenna. “Please fetch Andrew. We will meet him in the library.”

  Ten minutes later, the three were hunched over the map, spread out on the desk. To her surprise, she discovered that Andrew not only had the map in his collection but also had drawn it himself.

  “So you know what each of these buildings are?” she asked. She was nearly giddy. And Brenna was rarely giddy.

  “I do,” he replied. He pulled a pair of spectacles from his pocket and slid them on. “What exactly are you looking for, My Lady?”

  “We want to see if the men have missed any hiding places during their search. Since many of the properties in the park are vast, there may be small outbuildings hidden from the road or tucked into wooded areas that are unseen unless someone knows where to look. And there is no time to press the neighbors for details of their properties.”

  Andrew lifted his attention from the map. “What an excellent idea,” he said, his eyes bright. “Hand me the pen and ink, and I will write what each of these markings are. We will give it to His Lordship, and they can do a more detailed search.”

  “Won’t it ruin the map?” Lucy said.

  He shook his head. “I have several other copies.”

  The steward took the pen and ink from Lucy and went to work. The two women watched, fascinated, by his vast knowledge of the park. “How do you know all of this?” Brenna asked, her curiosity overcoming her desire to see the task completed.

  “The property owners allowed me to walk their properties to find the correct positioning for each building, pond, stream, and whatever else I wanted to include. It truly is very accurate.”