Enticing Her Unexpected Bridegroom

by Catherine Hemmerling

  The houses of the square were grand mansions, each individually built and unique in its own way. Many squares tried to unify the design of the houses comprising it, but not so in Grosvenor. To Sarah it did not seem so much a competition in who had the nicer manse, but rather a desire to have the central garden of the square surrounded by the most beautiful buildings one could imagine.

  Whatever anyone else thought, she could not say, but Sarah nearly always caught her breath upon entering the square, knowing she was welcomed there by probably the most well-known and generally feared person of the square’s personages.

  Today, however, Sarah barely even noticed her surroundings as she hurried up the front steps of the Lancaster home. She had only just rung the bell when Jacobs opened the door.

  “Lady Sarah,” the butler greeted her gravely, “was the duchess expecting you?”

  “Oh no, Jacobs, but it is of utmost importance that I speak with her,” Sarah replied, only slightly startled by her new title of “Lady.” “Is she available?”

  “I will see. Please wait here.”

  Sarah watched anxiously as the older man walked sedately across the grand entryway toward the east wing of the building. Didn’t he realize this was an urgent manner? It was on the tip of Sarah’s tongue to remind him of that fact, when he disappeared from sight. Sarah could only imagine what the household would think of her if she bellowed, “Please hurry,” from the front door.

  Congratulating herself on realizing that before she opened her mouth, Sarah was surprised to see Jacobs returning already. Surely he could not have made it to the Rose Room and back so quickly at the pace she last saw him walking.

  “Lady Lancaster will see you now,” Jacobs informed her, appearing as unflappable as ever.

  Curious, Sarah could not help but delve into his actions a little further. “You found her in the Rose Room, I assume?”

  “Rose Room in the morning, the Blue Salon in the afternoon,” Jacobs said, repeating the oft-heard sentiments of the dowager duchess.

  “And it was there that you told her of my arrival?” Sarah persisted.

  “Yes, miss.”

  “But how—” Sarah began, before stopping. It was not her place to interrogate the man, but really, he would have had to run down the corridor both ways to have delivered her message and be back to retrieve her so quickly. And the man had not appeared out of breath in the least when he had returned.

  Did all butlers have magical powers? Opening doors before you can even ring, appearing out of nowhere just when you decide it’s time to leave, and now…the ability to bend time to allow them to be practically in two places at the same time?

  Sarah was still trying to work it out when she heard herself being announced to Lady Lancaster. Shaking her head, Sarah decided the mysteries of a butler were beyond her powers of deduction, so instead she returned her focus to the matter at hand.

  “Lady Lancaster,” Sarah said in greeting as she took a seat next to her benefactress, “I trust you are well?”

  “I am better than it appears you are. Whatever is the matter, child?”

  “Oh, my lady, the most terrible news…” Sarah sighed before she launched into the tale told to her by Mrs. Cole.

  The duchess listened attentively but silently, and when Sarah finished telling her what was happening to the housekeeper’s family, Lady Lancaster simply shook her head.

  “It is no less than is happening to all lower classes across England,” the duchess lamented. “I knew those Black Acts were a bad idea. Too many men thinking too highly of themselves and their belongings. What does it matter if a poor farmer chops down a tree for wood or kills a wild boar for food? What they take is negligible compared to all an earl or even a baron must have.”

  Lady Lancaster stood then and began pacing in her frustration. “You know that the laws were originally intended to stop bandits, who hunted in groups with their faces hidden by cloth, from stealing or poaching more than what just a poor blacksmith or midwife would need. But, of course, greedy men decided to extend the law to include any interlopers trying to get what they need to feed their family, however small the impact to the overall lands. It makes me ill…”

  “Is there anything we can do to help this family?”

  Returning to her seat, Lady Lancaster sat down and said, “I do not know, but I think it is worth trying to find out. Give me the day, Sarah. I must contact some people. I will give you my answer tomorrow at the Society meeting. We may want the input of the other ladies, in any case.”

  “Oh, thank you, my lady,” Sarah replied. “I just knew you could help.”

  With a look of warning, Lady Lancaster cautioned, “Now do not get ahead of yourself, Sarah. I said I would look into it. I cannot guarantee a promising outcome.”

  “No, no. Of course not,” Sarah rushed to agree, despite the hope she felt. “I will be on my way, then, so that you might begin right away.”

  “Yes, you go, dear. We will speak tomorrow.”

  Sarah jumped up from her seat and rushed out of the room. The sooner she left, the sooner the duchess could begin her magic. Magic again, Sarah thought. That was truly what they needed.

  Perhaps they should enlist the help of butlers everywhere. Sarah could just imagine Jacobs snapping his fingers and suddenly the chopped tree would be back up and alive and producing apples in excess and in a matter of only seconds.

  Yes, magic was what they needed, and if they couldn’t actually get it from the butler, where else but from the dowager could it come?

  Chapter Three

  No one is perfect, but it is better to try to be the best you can be and fail, than not even make the attempt.

  —The Duke of Lancaster

  The next morning, David came down to breakfast with much trepidation. Yesterday had been a bit of an eye-opener. He had thought things were going swimmingly between him and Sarah, but she had certainly indicated otherwise. What did she expect from him? Their marriage was one of necessity, and they were more like siblings than anything. Sometimes he thought the marriage would be simpler if they had been strangers forced to marry. How was he supposed to behave as a husband ought with Sarah, of all people?

  Nevertheless, this was the lot they had been dealt. The sooner they could come to some understanding on what to expect from their life together, the better.

  With new resolve, David entered the dining room.

  “Good morning, Sarah.”

  Sarah looked up from her plate and smiled. There was hope in her eyes, and David wondered if her inner dialog hadn’t gone along the same lines as his.

  “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

  David filled up his plate before answering. How did the rest of the world get started without a good English breakfast?

  “All right, I suppose. You?”

  David saw Sarah shrug. He sat down and looked at her expectantly.

  “It took me a while to fall asleep, but after that I slept well enough.”

  David wasn’t sure what to say next. He was afraid to mention the weather, and nothing else came to mind. On the other hand, silence wasn’t a good thing, either. How were they to build a relationship of sorts if they could find nothing to say to each other?

  “Did you go and see Simon’s new horse yesterday?” Sarah asked.

  Relieved, David rushed to answer. “Oh yes. She was a lovely mare. Simon is a good judge of horses. Always has been.”

  “Was Rose there?”

  “I saw her briefly. She said to tell you ‘hello’ and that she would see you today.”

  “Yes, the Garden Society meets today.”

  “I should have invited you to go with me. I know how close you are with your friends.”

  Sarah looked surprised and pleased by his admission.

  “Thank you. Perhaps next time?”

  “I would like that very much,” David said easily.

  He had learned this lesson the hard way, but he now knew women continued to want lives outside
home even after becoming wives. His previous life as rake and miscreant had not prepared him for married life. Honestly, he rarely recalled his mother ever leaving the house. She must have had friends she visited or who visited her, but if it didn’t directly affect him, he wouldn’t have noticed. It galled him to admit it, but until recently even he could acknowledge he was selfish and immature.

  He and Simon had had a long talk about the changes that had taken place in their lives in the last year. That smuggling incident had woken them both up to the dangers of their devil-may-care attitudes. The hangman’s noose has a sobering effect on most sane men. But that was just the beginning. This year alone, Hannah had almost been forced to marry the evil Collicot, David’s brother-in-law William had almost been poisoned, and Hope had been kidnapped. With so much strife in the lives of their close-knit circle of friends, David and Simon had no choice but to grow up quickly.

  There were definitely times when David missed the days of old when all he had to worry about was winning his hand at a game of cards or what woman he wanted to chat up next. On the other hand, earning the respect of his peers and his parents was something not to be discounted. He liked to be counted on and asked for his opinion. He also was no longer dreading becoming an earl. It had seemed more responsibility than it was worth, and he now recognized that his childish behavior was his way of rebelling against what he considered his father’s life.

  He and Simon had talked about that, too. They were both destined to be earls someday, but neither wanted to be stuffed shirts or pompous blowhards. Their fathers were good and fair men, and Simon and David intended to carry on the tradition but with even less entitlement, even more respect. This last year had proven to him the benefits of loyal friends, loyal family, and especially loyal servants.

  But first, he wanted a loyal wife. He would show her the respect she deserved, thereby earning her respect in return. Simon had referred to his relationship with Rose as one of a partnership, steeped in love and honor. It sounded ideal to David.

  But could it be achieved with Sarah? Simon and Rose were in love, deeply and clearly. David didn’t and couldn’t think of Sarah that way. So he would start with respect and see what they could build from there.

  He and Sarah finished up their meal amiably enough. Primarily they discussed Simon’s new horse and the possibility of purchasing one of its first offspring. Sarah, it seemed, had not had much equestrian experience, and David found himself keen to teach her the finer points of horsemanship.

  It was a good start, David thought as he walked Sarah to the door. It was time for her to leave for Lady Lancaster’s, and David had an appointment with the bank.

  After helping his wife with her light pelisse, he bent to retrieve his hat from the sideboard. Upon straightening, David was surprised to see Sarah looking at him with determination. Rising on her tiptoes, she leaned in as if to kiss him.

  David couldn’t have been more shocked. At first, he thought she was going to kiss him sweetly on the cheek, but as her lips came closer to his, he realized his error.

  Suddenly, Sarah’s mouth was on his. It was just two lips together pressed chastely against his, but the intimacy was more than he could handle. He quickly broke away and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “Ah, y-yes,” he stammered. “Have a nice time with your friends.”

  He dropped a hasty kiss to Sarah’s forehead and fled the house.

  He kicked himself all the way to the bank. Surely any progress made was now lost.

  Why, oh, why could he not bring himself to see Sarah as a woman first and his sister’s friend second? Until he could do so, he feared his marriage was doomed.

  Sarah sat in the Blue Room eagerly awaiting the dowager duchess’s presence. The rest of the ladies were there as well, but Sarah couldn’t seem to find the interest to join their happy conversations. Luckily, no one had asked her how it felt to be a married woman…yet. She knew it was only a matter of time and, honestly, she didn’t know if she could answer with another sunny platitude.

  As it happened, Lady Lancaster entered the room just as Sarah saw Hannah about to ask her a question. Odds are the question would have involved David, Sarah was sure, so she was even gladder for the interruption.

  “Good morning, ladies,” the duchess said pleasantly. “I hope we are all enjoying the lovely weather as of late.”

  It was all Sarah could do but groan. She had been so pleased to have escaped the morning without any talk of weather. Today she and David had actually had a conversation over breakfast. It had even resulted in David offering to teach her how to ride. It had been a lovely change of pace. On impulse, she’d attempted to kiss David good-bye before leaving for the meeting, but he had recoiled as if bitten by a snake. It took the entire walk over to Grosvenor Square and twice around the grounds before she could get her tears under control enough to ring the bell.

  The entire marriage seemed doomed. Only the duchess had the power to bring a smile to Sarah’s face now. She only hoped the grand lady would have some good news for her.

  Lady Lancaster took her seat near the fireplace and looked at Sarah. She then turned to the group as a whole and announced, “A new case has come to my attention.”

  All the ladies looked at one another with excitement. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. The dowager wouldn’t have named it a case if she hadn’t found something helpful.

  “What is the case about?” Hannah asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.

  “It is something Sarah brought to my attention,” Lady Lancaster replied. “It seems some friends of hers are in trouble. An overbearing earl is causing trouble. And no little trouble. He has accused a hardworking family of violating the Black Acts.”

  “The Black Acts!” Rose exclaimed. “But being convicted of such a transgression can result in hanging.”

  “Precisely.”

  “What, if anything, can we be expected to do against this earl?” Hope asked.

  “Yes, my lady,” Sarah added, “have you discovered anything helpful?”

  “I am still gathering information, but I think it would behoove us to send someone of standing to this earl to determine the extent of his claim and if he truly intends to carry out the letter of the law.”

  “Someone of standing…” Sarah echoed. “Does that mean you are going to see this earl?”

  “Oh no, dear. You are.”

  “Me? How on earth could I be considered of any standing?”

  “You are a lady now. A future countess,” Lady Lancaster replied. “Plus, you are personally involved in this intrigue. You are, by far, the best of us to send.”

  “Yes, Sarah,” Rose added, with an excited pat on her friend’s knee. “It is time you accepted your new role, your newfound confidence, and your very first case to solve. We will all be here to help if you need us. You know that.”

  Sarah watched as her friends all nodded enthusiastically, but she was still unsure.

  “And you expect me to do this alone?” she asked.

  “No, child,” Lady Lancaster replied, “I thought perhaps you could ask your new husband to accompany you. Having a man present may carry more weight with the earl.”

  Sarah blanched at the suggestion. “Oh no, my lady. I don’t think asking David along would be a good idea at all.”

  “Whyever not?” Rose asked, shock written all over her face. “I think David would be a great help.”

  Sarah suddenly could no longer keep in her grief.

  “Because he hates me, that’s why,” she wailed, before burying her face in her hands and giving in to wracking sobs.

  Lady Lancaster watched as Rose and Hope moved over to Sarah and put their arms around her. Hannah and Emily moved to kneel in front of the crying girl. It was a lovely, if poignant, tableau of friendship. But it was getting them nowhere.

  The dowager still had high hopes for Sarah and David. She was convinced David was the perfect mate for Sarah, only he couldn’t see it. Why else would he always come to
her rescue, stand up for her in front of others to his own detriment, and always dance with her when no other man would? He cared for the girl. And caring was the first step.

  The duchess knew that Sarah didn’t see herself as a catch, but Lady Lancaster thought a discerning eye would find Miss Jardin a gem in her own right.

  Because in truth, what Sarah didn’t see—and sadly, most people didn’t see—was the fact that she was really quite beautiful in her own way.

  Her “plain” hair was actually a rich mahogany brown—full, shiny, and possessed of a soft natural wave. And her eyes, while certainly gray, were a cool luminous gray, with tiny flecks of green around the very center. Her complexion was perfect—pale and creamy with the most adorable smattering of freckles across her nose…and her cheeks were naturally rosy, as were her generous lips.

  Frankly, if one were judging strictly on her head alone, Sarah would have been considered quite the catch of London, but unfortunately her head was attached—rather precariously, Lady Lancaster often thought—to her body; for if her head were on as firmly as it should be, one would think she would have better control of her limbs!

  But they had been working on that, and already a great improvement could be seen. And would be seen by the young Rochester, if the duchess had anything to say about it.

  “Why do you think David hates you, Sarah?” Hope asked. “He has always treated you so kindly.”

  Sarah looked up through teary eyes and replied, “Kindness is overrated in a marriage, Hope. We don’t even talk. Not really. Just polite conversation about the weather or the food. He shows me no affection. He hasn’t even tried to kiss me,” Sarah finished with an embarrassed whisper.

  “Perhaps you should try and kiss him,” Rose offered with a blush. “I know that I made great strides with Simon after I, ah, impulsively kissed him.”

  Rose and Simon had married recently after a lengthy betrothal, since they were children, actually, and it was usually such a joy to see her friend so happy and in love. But hearing about Rose’s good luck was nothing to be happy about in the face of her own dismal failure.