Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss: #3 The Whickertons in Love

by Wolf, Bree

  To him, it was all very ludicrous.

  The wedding breakfast was a rather intimate affair for Lord and Lady Whickerton had invited only family and closest friends. Thorne himself had only a few acquaintances in London and had therefore refrained from adding to the guest list. He knew no one in town whom he would wish to see at his own wedding.

  Of course, all of his new wife’s family was present. Thorne would not have wanted it any other way. After all, deep down, he was still hoping that one day, one day they would look at him and see family as well.

  Today, however, he found them looking at him with caution. While the youngest, Harriet, smiled and laughed openly, the new Lady Pemberton in particular seemed rather disapproving. Her gaze narrowed whenever it fell upon him and filled with deepest concern whenever it fell upon Christina. She truly worried for her sister.

  Thorne could not deny that the thought troubled him. He had hoped that his wife’s family would know that despite his humble upbringing he had grown into a decent man. He knew himself to possess numerous faults, of course. Nonetheless, he always thought of himself as someone who tried his best to do the right thing.

  Perhaps with regard to Christina, he had been selfish after all. Could they sense it?

  From across the room, Thorne watched his new wife speak to her two married sisters. All their faces held a look of concern as they whispered to one another. He could see Christina look up at him every once in a while before she would turn back to converse with Louisa and Leonora. He could not help but wonder what they were speaking of and wished the day would finally end so that they could be alone together and finally speak openly.

  Something was bothering his new bride. Something was on her mind that plagued her. He had to know what it was, or he knew he would not find any sleep tonight.

  “Welcome to the family.” Christina’s brother, Troy, stepped up to him, his words contrary to the look upon his face. His eyes were watchful, not unlike his grandmother’s. However, no smile lingered upon his face. Instead, it rather resembled a scowl, something apprehensive and even slightly threatening in the way he was looking at Thorne.

  Ignoring the slight hostility in his new brother-in-law, Thorne offered him a kind smile. “Thank you. I deeply appreciate all your family has done, and I hope that in the future we all shall be close.” He glanced at Christina. “I know it would mean a lot to her.”

  His new brother-in-law followed his gaze before it returned to him. “It would, yes.” Something in his expression softened; only a little, but it was there.

  Still, a moment later, his lips thinned, and his jaw hardened as he took a step toward Thorne, his own blue eyes narrowed as they fixed Thorne with a somewhat menacing glare. “My sister might seem strong, dauntless even,” he said very slowly, his voice so low that Thorne had to strain his ears to listen. “Yet there is a deeply vulnerable side to her. A side she herself is not even aware of for she has yet to see the ugliest side of the world.”

  Thorne nodded, finding his new brother-in-law’s words to all but echo thoughts of his own.

  “I am here to make it unmistakably clear,” Christina’s brother continued, “that if you treat her with anything less than absolute respect,” his voice dropped into a low, menacing growl, “I will tear you limb from limb. Is that understood?”

  Thorne would have been offended by his new brother-in-law’s words had he not seen the fierce protectiveness and deepest concern that lingered beneath the man’s hostility and his accusatory words. “You have my word,” Thorne vowed solemnly. “I shall guard her happiness with my life.”

  For a long moment, the two men simply stood there, regarding one another, trying to make out the other’s character. Then Christina’s brother nodded slowly. “Good. I am glad to hear it.”

  Thorne knew that he would be tested, and he did not mind. Still, he could not help but notice that while his wife had a large family surrounding her, shielding her, protecting her, he had no one.

  No one except for Samantha.

  If only she could have been here today!

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A Husband’s Consideration

  Christina was not certain whether she wanted the wedding breakfast to be over quickly or for it to last as long as humanly possible. She continued glancing in her new husband’s direction, uncertain how the sight of him made her feel. There was still that fluttery response in her belly from his smile each time he caught her looking at him. Another part of her, though, somewhere centered near her heart, felt heavy and burdened and unable to step into this marriage with hope and expectation.

  Sarah had not come.

  Deep down, Christina was not surprised. Of course, Sarah had not come. Her parents would not have allowed her. Nevertheless, Christina had hoped to be able to speak to her friend. She had put it off for the past sennight, and now, it was too late.

  All Sarah had asked was for Christina to tell her what it was she wanted; whether she wanted to marry Thorne or not; only Christina had not voiced her intentions either way. She had simply remained quiet, knowing that it was foolish to wait and expect life to sort itself out. Yet she had.

  And now she was married.

  Married!

  Was that reason for joy or sadness? Oddly enough, it seemed both were applicable.

  “Are you all right?” her mother asked gently, brushing a curl from her forehead and tucking it behind her ear. Her blue eyes were full of concern, determinedly held at bay so as not to worry Christina further. “You look…” She simply broke off; yet her meaning was clear. How could it not be?

  Christina sighed, not knowing what to say. After all, she had not shared any of these thoughts with her mother. A part of her desperately wanted to while another feared that her mother would tell her unmistakably that, yes, she had been selfish, that she had betrayed her friend.

  Sarah was simply too good a person to have said so. Of course, that did not mean that she did not feel it, that she did not think it. Was that why she had not found a way to escape her parents today of all days?

  “I’m fine,” Christina told her mother, willing a bit of a smile on her face. Still, the look in her mother’s eyes told her clearly that she was fooling no one.

  Her mother cleared her throat, her gaze momentarily falling from Christina’s. “Is there anything…you wish to know? Anything you wish to talk about?”

  As before, Christina could see apprehension on her mother’s face. “It is not necessary,” she replied, seeking to settle her mother’s nerves. “I spoke to Louisa and Leonora, and I feel quite at ease.” She inhaled a deep breath, seeing the doubt in her mother’s eyes. “It is only Sarah I worry about.”

  “How so?” A frown came to her mother’s face. “I thought you were doing this, marrying him, in order to ensure that she would not have to.” She glanced over her shoulder at Christina’s new husband. “Are you saying that is not the reason why you agreed to marry him?”

  Christina closed her eyes, emotions within her warring with what to do. “At first, I thought so,” she finally admitted, her eyes finding her mother’s once more. “Now, I am not certain.”

  A hopeful smile came to her mother’s face. “Is it possible that you have come to care for him?”

  Christina bowed her head. “It is not only possible. It is highly likely.”

  To her surprise, her mother pulled her into her arms, a relieved sob leaving her lips. “Oh, I’m extremely glad for you, my child. You have no idea how much I worried for your happiness.”

  Christina embraced her mother, feeling some of the tension leave her body.

  Releasing her, her mother stepped back, her hands remaining entwined with Christina’s. “Then why are you concerned? If you care for him, you should be happy.” Blue eyes searched Christina’s face, incomprehension in them.

  “He is a good man.”

  Her mother’s frown deepened. “And that is a problem?”

  “He would also have been good for Sarah.” Christin
a shook her head as another wave of guilt washed over her. “Now, she is once more in danger of being married off to…anyone. Whatever happens to her now, it will be my fault!” Tears burned in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away.

  Her mother’s eyes widened before she pulled Christina into another soothing hug. “Oh, my dearest Chris, you cannot think that. You—”

  Christina pulled back. “But it is the truth. I know it to be.” She shook her head and took a step back, unable to discuss this any further, knowing that she would break apart if she did. Never had Christina felt so powerless, yet so selfish at the same time.

  “It is time for us to leave now,” Christina told her mother before glancing at her husband across the room, his eyes upon her in a way that made her wonder if he knew how she felt. “It is time for us to leave.”

  Suddenly, Christina felt as though she could not bear her family’s inquisitive glances a moment longer. They knew her too well. Indeed, never would she have thought that it could be a downside to having a loving family. A family who took an interest in her life. A family who saw how she felt. But right here, right now, it was.

  She needed to get away.

  “I suppose it may be time for us to depart, my dear,” her husband’s voice suddenly spoke out from behind her shoulder. She felt his fingers touch her elbow, asking her to turn and look at him.

  Christina nodded, wondering if perhaps he actually knew what she needed in that moment. She looked up at him and saw concern in his eyes as they swept over her face.

  Concern and confusion.

  Indeed, he did not know what made her want to flee; yet he had responded to her need without a moment of hesitation. It made her like him even more, which was equally a blessing and a curse. Would she forever feel torn about him?

  Although her family was somewhat reluctant to let her leave, Christina insisted. Goodbyes were exchanged and well-wishes repeated before the newlyweds made their way out the door and down to the pavement to where the carriage stood waiting…to take them home.

  Home.

  Before entering the carriage, Christina turned back and looked upon the townhouse she had called home her whole life. How strange would it be to live elsewhere now? Would she ever come to think of another house as her home? Right here in this moment, she could not imagine it to be so.

  “It feels odd, does it not?” Thorne asked beside her, something knowing in his voice as though he understood her perfectly. “Sometimes places are just that, and sometimes places hold our hearts.”

  Her gaze moved from her old home to her new husband. “Have you ever left a place you considered home behind?”

  He remained quiet for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “Not in the way you are right now.” He held her gaze for a moment longer, then he offered her his hand.

  Christina took it and allowed him to assist her into the carriage, strangely relieved that she would not be facing this new chapter of her life alone. Only he was a stranger to her, was he not? Then why was it that his mere presence seemed to calm her nerves and put her heart at ease?

  It was late afternoon when the carriage rolled down the street toward her husband’s rented townhouse. Christina could not help but wonder for how much longer they would remain in town. Thus far, she had not asked him of his intentions. How soon would he insist they return to Manchester? How much more time did he need to set his affairs in London in order?

  “What are you thinking about?” Thorne asked into the silence lingering in the carriage. He sat across from her, his eyes watching her with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Was it possible that he felt not unlike she did herself?

  Christina sighed and leaned back in her seat, allowing her eyes to shift to him. “I don’t quite know. There’s so much on my mind that I have trouble focusing on just one thing.”

  Her husband nodded. “I know what that feels like.”

  “You do?” Christina regarded him with a frown, wondering how many facets of her husband she had yet to discover.

  A soft chuckle drifted from his lips. “Is that so unusual? Life is made up of so many parts, and I suppose it would be somewhat contemptuous to expect them to all line up neatly and not come rushing at one all at the same time.”

  Christina felt herself smile at him. “And what do you do when life rushes at you from all sides?”

  He shrugged. “I try my best not to be overrun.”

  “And do you succeed?”

  Again, he shrugged. “Sometimes.” His eyes looked into hers as though he knew that there was more she wished to ask.

  “And what do you do when life knocks you down? What then?” Never had Christina experienced it herself. Yes, that night, years ago, when her aunt had come to Whickerton Grove, her life had been…shaken. Yet it had not knocked her down, not in the sense it threatened to do now.

  Thorne held her gaze, then leaned forward and rested his elbows upon his knees. “I get back onto my feet. What else is there to do? Of course, I suppose one could lie down and wait for death.” A slow smile curled up the corners of his lips. “However, I’ve always found that to be a rather ineffective way to handle life.”

  Still smiling, Christina regarded him thoughtfully, wondering about the man she had married. “And what now? What are your plans? When will you—?” She swallowed. “When will we return to Manchester?”

  Her husband opened his mouth to reply; however, in that moment the carriage pulled to a halt. “We have arrived, Sir,” the coachman called from up on the box.

  Christina exhaled a deep breath, then followed her new husband outside, accepting his arm as she lifted her gaze to her new, somewhat temporary home.

  It looked like a house, a house like so many others. Would she ever look at it and feel differently?

  “Should we go inside?” Thorne asked, his eyes once more upon her in that slightly unnerving way of his.

  Christina nodded and allowed him to guide her inside. He quickly introduced her to his household staff before escorting her upstairs. Christina was somewhat surprised for she had expected to be shown up to her chambers by a maid perhaps or even the housekeeper. To her even greater surprise, her husband stepped into her chambers after her and then closed the door. “What are you doing?” she asked, unable to prevent herself from taking a step back. “Husbands are supposed to—” She broke off when she felt heat rush to her cheeks.

  Thorne smiled at her knowingly. “Husbands are supposed to do what?” he asked teasingly as he slowly moved toward her.

  Christina squared her shoulders, trying her best to ignore the pulsing heat that slowly sneaked up her neck. “Husbands are supposed to give their wives time to…prepare.” Oh dear, had her voice truly trembled upon the last word?

  The blasted man’s smile grew wider. “Prepare for what?”

  “As though you do not know?” Christina huffed out, her hands rising to settle upon her hips. “Do not tease me! It is rude and un-gentlemanly and—”

  He stopped barely an arm’s length in front of her. “I thought we had already established that I am not a gentleman.” His brows rose in challenge as he looked down at her. “There is no need for you to be afraid. Yes, I am teasing you, but that is all.” The humor left his face and was replaced by something most sincere, something that immediately chased away the nervous flutter in Christina’s stomach.

  “Then why did you step inside?” she asked, regarding him carefully. She wanted to trust him. She wanted a marriage like her parents, like her sisters. Yet she had observed here and there, that although some women anticipated their marriage, their outlook changed after the wedding had taken place. It had sometimes made Christina wonder about how truthful people truly were during courtship and how many spouses woke up married to a stranger unlike the person they had thought to marry.

  “You seem distraught,” Thorne replied simply. “I have been waiting for a moment to speak to you, to ask you. What is on your mind? Is there something that worries you?” His eyes traveled over h
er face before finding hers once more.

  Christina knew that she could not tell him the truth because if she did, then he would know. He would know that foolishly she had come to care for him while for him their marriage was nothing more than a business transaction. He might like her. He might find her amusing and appealing, but did he care for her? The way she was beginning to care for him?

  Christina doubted it. “I have been wondering how soon I will need to say farewell to my family.” She swallowed. “How soon do you intend to return to Manchester?”

  A slow smile came to his face, filled with anticipation. “I have no intention of returning to Manchester.”

  For a moment, Christina thought she had misunderstood him. Yet that smile remained upon his face, his eyes expectant as they looked into hers. “You do not?”

  He shook his head, and his hands reached for hers. His skin felt warm against her own, and she could feel herself draw in a slow breath as that odd shiver once more snaked down her spine.

  “I know how close you are with your family,” Thorne explained, her hands still resting within his own. “I have no wish to separate you from them. During the Season, I suppose we can remain in London. I have someone to oversee the cotton mill in Manchester.”

  “And when the Season ends?” Christina asked, feeling her pulse quicken for that time was only a few short weeks away.

  His hands tightened upon hers, and the smile upon his face seemed to deepen. “I have bought an estate not a day’s ride from Whickerton Grove. I hope it will please you.” His eyes were wide and fixed upon hers, full of anticipation as before, waiting, hoping.

  Christina looked up at him, her own words momentarily lost as those he had spoken were absorbed into her mind and heart. “You did—? For me?” She felt tears begin to prick the backs of her eyes so touched and overcome was she by his thoughtfulness. “Why?” The word flew from her lips without thought. It was an old habit to doubt the good that came into her life.