Ruined by the Earl (Marriage by Deceit Book 3)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with him for this afternoon, all thanks to timing. Horrible, rotten timing. Next time, she just might wear something to hide her face when she ventured out in public.

  Chapter Eight

  Melissa, her mother, and Logan reached her townhouse, and she dutifully went to the drawing room as her mother instructed. And, just as she promised, her mother left her alone with Logan, looking all too happy about it.

  “I’ll tell the butler to bring you something to eat and drink,” she told them. “What would you like, Lord Toplyn?”

  “You can call me Logan,” he replied. “And I’d love some green tea and tarts, if you don’t mind?”

  “I don’t mind at all. That’s why I asked.”

  Melissa gagged as her mother giggled—actually giggled!—before heading down the hall to find the butler. Logan turned toward her and shot her a grin that was the perfect blend of conceit and triumph.

  “Your mother’s a wonderful lady,” he told her. “No doubt you got your grace from her.”

  Just to annoy him, she let out a sniffle and wiped her eyes, turning her back on him so he wouldn’t see she was only pretending to cry.

  A pair of warm hands settled on her shoulders. Gasping, she scooted away from him, almost knocking a chair over in the process. Her cheeks warmed from embarrassment at having demonstrated just how ungraceful she really was.

  “Don’t touch me,” she snapped, choosing to stand behind the settee which only left enough room between her and the wall so he couldn’t come up behind her like that again.

  “My dear, sweet Melissa,” he said, still smiling like a fool. “I fully intend to touch you often.”

  “You do and I’ll cut your hands off.”

  He settled in a chair and laughed. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. You’re too much of a lady for that kind of thing. Besides, if I didn’t have hands, I wouldn’t be able to pleasure you, so you’d only be punishing yourself.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “I receive no pleasure from your touch.”

  “That’s because I haven’t touched you anywhere interesting yet.”

  She wasn’t sure what he was getting at, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. There was no way it could be. This was Logan who was talking, and if she’d learned anything about him in her short time with him, it was that he was a scoundrel. Scoundrels couldn’t be trusted, no matter what.

  The butler came into the room and set down the tray.

  “Oh good!” Logan leaned forward and poured the tea into two cups. “These look delicious. Thank you.” He gestured to her. “Come. Sit and enjoy the refreshments.”

  She waited until the butler shut the doors before answering him. “I will not sit down. I will never sit down when you’re in the room. I can’t ever enjoy anything that I’ll ever do with you. My life is quickly coming to an end.”

  She had hoped her words might wound him, even a little, but he didn’t look the least bit upset by them. In fact, he didn’t even make an attempt to pretend to be hurt.

  He took a sip of his tea and let out a satisfied sigh. “Now, this is how you make a good green tea. Green tea is good for you. It has many beneficial properties. Did you know that?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You should. It’s one of nature’s best remedies. If you mix some ginger in, it can relieve an upset stomach.”

  “All the ginger in the world can’t relieve the pain you give my stomach.”

  He took another sip then set the cup down. “I knew there was fire in you. Once your father told me how your mother reacted when she found out he was pretending to be someone else, I knew you’d be a lady of great passion.”

  “My passion is for Lord Waxman, not you.”

  He shrugged. “Lord Waxman doesn’t know the meaning of the word passion. He’s much too stuffy. If you took him to bed, he’d put you right to sleep. Trust me, you don’t want to sleep until you’ve been satisfied.”

  Once again, he was alluding to things she didn’t understand. And she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it one single bit. “I’ll thank you to talk of things I’m familiar with.”

  “I like the fact that you’re not familiar with those things. But don’t worry. Soon enough, you’ll know what I’m talking about.”

  “I don’t care to know what you’re talking about. I’ll be happy if I never have to talk to you again.”

  “That only proves how wrong you are. You might not realize it, but the fact that I’m letting you say all of this to me is a good thing. Not every gentleman would tolerate his wife talking to him this way. Fortunately for you, I’m intelligent enough to believe ladies have something worth saying.”

  She gripped the top of the settee. “All that ever comes out of your mouth is complete and utter nonsense.”

  He selected a tart and bit into it. Leaning back in the chair, he swallowed then winked at her. “You won’t be saying that when you understand what I’ve been saying. But I’m not going to prove that to you today.” He nodded to the settee. “Why don’t you sit down? It’s more comfortable than standing.”

  “Because I don’t want to sit.”

  “All right.” He shrugged and took another bite of the tart. “This is really good.”

  “You like it?”

  “I do. It’s a lot better than a crumpet.”

  “I asked Cook to add a little something special for you if you happened to stop by again,” she said, hoping he might assume there was some poison in it.

  But her ploy didn’t work. He finished it and replied, “I had no idea you cared. Thank you, my dear.”

  She gritted her teeth. He was impossible. Completely and totally impossible. There was no reasoning with a gentleman like him.

  Shooting her what he probably thought was a charming smile, he got up and reached for her hand. She did her best to dodge him, but he was too quick for her. His hand wrapped around hers, and she thought he was going to pull her to him. But instead, he stepped toward her.

  “Melissa,” he said, lowering his voice, “I’m not a bad gentleman. I promise you I’m not.”

  “You’ve given me little reason to believe otherwise.”

  “The scandal was a necessity.”

  “You could have chosen someone else.”

  “True, but you happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

  “Lucky me,” she muttered.

  To her surprise, he pulled her into his arms. “You are lucky.”

  She would have responded. She wanted to. But he kissed her, and she was too shocked to do anything but let him. Then, when she could finally act, she slapped him.

  His grin grew wide. “Now there’s that fire in you.”

  She wiggled out of his arms and hurried behind a chair, keeping her hands behind her back so he couldn’t grab her again. “You wanted me to slap you?”

  “It wasn’t my first choice, but it showed me your passion. It was the passion I was after. To be honest, I was hoping you’d kiss me back. Maybe throw me to the floor and make love to me.”

  She gasped. “You, sir, are no gentleman.”

  “I can only hope that in time, you will become less of a lady. All the prim and proper nonsense can get rather boring.”

  “Then you should have picked someone else to condemn to marriage with you.”

  “If you think protesting our marriage is going to deter me from you, you’re wrong.”

  She rolled her eyes. Knowing him, he probably enjoyed making people miserable. She just happened to be his latest victim.

  “I look forward to seeing you at the dinner party your mother so kindly invited me to.” He winked then headed for the drawing room doors.

  First the dinner party. Then the wedding. And after that… She wouldn’t let herself think it. Every time she did, she started crying all over again. Just how was she supposed to live out the rest of her life with him?

  ***

  Logan felt somewhat triumphant as he a
rrived at White’s. Yes, Melissa had slapped him after he kissed her, but he had been able to take her in his arms and get a kiss in. That was further than he thought he’d be able to go.

  He’d certainly enjoyed the little bit he was able to do. Her body was soft and curvy, just as a lady’s should be. He hadn’t thought about it before, but her breasts were perfect. They’d probably fit just right in the palms of his hands, if not be a little bigger. Bigger was better, of course, but he was certainly excited about the prospect of seeing and touching them.

  What he needed, however, was to be so good at exciting her that the last thing she’d do was slap him. And there was only one gentleman he knew who had what he needed so he could learn how to do just that.

  But on his search for Lord Edon, he happened to find the Duke of Ashbourne sorting through some books. Once again, he was in the corner of the room, alone. Why did he even come here if he didn’t intend to talk to anyone?

  Logan almost left him to himself but realized the duke seemed to be looking for something. Why, oh why, did he feel the strange compulsion to help him out? That was the kind of weakness that got him into trouble when he tried to find a lady for the duke to dance with last month. But he reasoned his financial woes had been settled and he wouldn’t be gambling any more money, so he had nothing to lose this time.

  Logan approached him, but the duke was so absorbed in his search he didn’t notice. Logan cleared his throat and waited until the duke looked at him to speak. “What are you looking for?”

  The duke frowned at him then turned back to the books.

  With a sigh, Logan stepped around him, so the duke couldn’t keep ignoring him. “I’m offering to help. It just so happens I read quite of few of those books, and I can direct you to the one you’re looking for.”

  The duke didn’t answer right away, but after a long moment, he said, “Fine. Since you’re so insistent on it, I’d like to know which book offers the best investing advice.”

  “Lady Seyton didn’t have as much money as you thought?”

  “What she had or didn’t have is none of your business.”

  Surprised by the defensive tone in the gentleman’s voice, Logan put his hands up in the air. “I’m not judging. It’s obvious you didn’t create the scandal with her because of her money. You fell in love with her. If it’d been a marriage of convenience, you wouldn’t be going all over London at her side like a faithful dog.”

  “I’m not a dog.”

  “I didn’t say you were. I only said you were like a dog. I have nothing against dogs. They’re wonderful creatures. The most loyal of companions. No matter what, you can depend on them.” Noting the duke’s guarded expression, he added, “I didn’t mean it as an insult. It’s admirable you succeeded in a love match, despite the odds stacked against you.”

  And as obvious as it was the duke was in love with his wife, it was just as obvious she was equally in love with him. So really, he was to be envied. But Logan kept his thoughts to himself.

  Selecting one of the books, Logan said, “This is the best one, especially for someone who’s getting started with investments.”

  “You read it?” the duke asked, taking it from him slowly, as if he was afraid if he touched it, he’d somehow contract some horrible plague because Logan touched it first.

  “Why must you be so cynical about everything?” Logan muttered. In a louder voice, he continued, “Yes, I’ve read it. And after not taking the book’s advice, I’d say the advice is worth heeding.”

  “Why didn’t you do what the book says if you wanted to make money?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t believe it was as easy as the book claims. I assure you, I’ll be doing what it says once I secure my bride’s fortune.”

  The duke opened the cover and flipped through a couple pages, his eyebrows furrowed.

  “Oh for heaven’s sakes,” Logan said. “Why do you find it impossible to take my advice? If I had that stuffy Lord Roderick come over here and recommend the book, would you believe him?”

  He thought for sure the duke would insist on getting Lord Roderick’s opinion, but then the duke nodded and tucked the book under his arm. “Thank you.”

  Logan watched as the duke went over to a chair and sat down. He opened the book and started reading it. Well, would wonders never cease? The duke was able to show him a little bit of trust after all. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe it meant Melissa would come around to understanding she could have done worse than him.

  He heard a round of laughter from the other room. Edon must be there. Whenever gentlemen gathered around at White’s, most of the time, Edon was in the center of the group. He hurried to the room, and sure enough, Edon was telling five gentlemen a story that had earned him more laughter.

  “The Duke of Rumsey doesn’t hum songs in his sleep,” one of the gentlemen argued.

  “He does. My mother told me all about it, and she’s married to him,” Edon replied. “Though I admit, it’s disturbing to think she shares a bed with him.”

  The gentlemen laughed again.

  Edon pulled out his pocket watch then finished the last of his brandy. “As fun as it’s been, I need to go.”

  “Oh, surely you can stay for another few minutes,” one of the gentlemen protested.

  “I’m afraid not. I promised my lovely wife I’d take her and our daughter for a walk. You know what they say: a husband who spends time with his wife gets a willing bed partner.”

  Despite the murmurs of complaints from the others, Edon rose to his feet and slipped the pocket watch in his pocket. Logan intercepted his path before he could leave the room.

  “May I have a word with you?” Logan asked.

  “I really do have to get to my wife.”

  “I’ll make it quick.”

  Edon nodded. “All right. What is it?”

  “Do you have a copy of the book on pleasuring a lady?”

  “I do.”

  “How much would you like for it?”

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll have it delivered to your townhouse, wrapped in brown paper so no one knows what it is. I’ll include the price for it then.”

  “All right,” Logan replied. “I appreciate it.”

  Edon offered another nod then left.

  Logan smiled. Good. Now that he had the book which made Edon London’s most notorious lover, his mission was done.

  Chapter Nine

  Melissa refused to go downstairs a couple evenings later when her lady’s maid told her Logan had arrived for dinner. Let her parents entertain him if they wished, but she had no such desire. Nor did she think she could keep her food down, knowing full well tomorrow morning she was going to be marrying him.

  Another sob rose up in her throat, and she grabbed a clean handkerchief. This was her last night free from the misery of being his wife, and she had to spend it with him. Life was so unfair.

  A few minutes later, another knock came at her door. But this time, it wasn’t her lady’s maid. This time, it was her mother.

  “Are you ready, Melissa?” her mother asked when she peeked into the room.

  “No,” Melissa sniffled, “and I never will be.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” her mother softly began as she came into the room, “you need to give Logan a chance.”

  “If you want to marry him, then do so.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You know I can’t. Nor would I if I could. I love your father too much.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes.

  “Your father reminded me of something shortly after you and Logan were betrothed.”

  “You mean, when Logan kissed me so I’d have no choice but to be betrothed to him.”

  Her mother paused for a moment then nodded. “Fair enough. He did arrange things in that direction.” She went over to Melissa and touched her shoulder. “Your father reminded me of the scandal that secured my marriage to him.”

  Melissa shook her head. “Father would never create a scandal. He’s much too honorable fo
r that.”

  “He didn’t set out to create it. But when he met me, he claimed to be the gentleman my father had arranged for me to marry. His motive was to marry into my family’s fortune. By the time I found out the truth, I was so angry I wanted nothing to do with him ever again, even though I had grown quite fond of him.”

  Melissa wiped her eyes. “You married him because you were in love with him and realized you couldn’t live without him?”

  “No. I married him because he told everyone I was expecting his child.”

  She gasped and lowered the handkerchief. “Were you?”

  “Of course not. We hadn’t shared more than a kiss up to that point. But everyone believed him, and we married in a hurry. Your brother didn’t come along until two years later, but by the time people realized the truth, it was too late to change anything. It didn’t matter, though. I loved him and was glad things turned out the way they did.”

  “Logan and I are not Father and you.”

  “I know, but if you take time to get to know Logan, you’ll find the two are a lot alike.”

  Melissa sighed. Logan had won her mother over. So why was she surprised her mother would offer this advice?

  Her mother gently urged her toward the door. “Come along. Dinner’s ready, and we can’t eat unless you’re there.”

  “You can’t expect me to actually eat.”

  “Try to eat something, even if it’s small. It’s important to keep up your strength. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

  Melissa grimaced.

  “The wedding ceremony will be long and drawn-out,” her mother added. “After that, we’ll have the breakfast. Then, of course, you will be going to his townhouse. After evening, there will be the matter of the wedding night.” Her mother grabbed her and stopped her from leaving the room. “Oh dear. I forgot all about that part.”