Enticing Her Unexpected Bridegroom

by Catherine Hemmerling

  When they were once again at the carriage, David offered to give the flowers to the maid so they could be put in water. Sarah was reminded how charming and polite David could be. Certainly, he had garnered himself a rakish reputation the first few years out of university, but with his sister and one of his best friends marrying recently, not to mention the nasty scrape he had found himself in earlier in the year, David had matured greatly. He was still young, however, and Sarah worried about tying him down so soon. Would he resent her over the years? It was another indicator that their relationship may be doomed before it could even begin.

  When David returned, she was more than ready to turn her attention to their mission. The excitement she had felt about tackling this task alone was replaced by the desire to further examine her new life with her husband and, even more importantly, to help William Potter and his family. They had years and years to figure out what their marriage would or wouldn’t be, but Mrs. Cole’s brother-in-law was fighting for his life and livelihood now.

  Chapter Five

  Passion makes the world go round, but love makes it a safer place.

  —The Duke of Lancaster

  The trip to Chelmsford took nearly nine hours, and it was late when Sarah and David arrived at the Queen’s Head Inn on High Street. While David handled the horses and carriage, Sarah went in to speak with the inn’s proprietor about a room.

  David was still astonished at all that had happened that day. It seemed the kiss and the flowers had really broken the ice, and the carriage ride to Chelmsford was rife with revealing conversation. David learned more about Sarah’s childhood and how close she was with the Coles. She also opened up about how much Hannah and her other friends meant to her. David could well believe it. Her self-esteem had clearly been affected by her upbringing and, considering the number of jokes she made about it, David was convinced Sarah believed herself unlovable still, despite the Coles, Hannah, and her other friends.

  David had a hard time fathoming such a past. He and Hannah were always quite close. Despite the mutual teasing and Hannah’s irritating habit of knowing what he was about to do before he had really even considered doing it—that sister of his was uncanny—there was still love. He would lay down his life for her, and she had just lately proved she would give up her life for him as well. David had had a grand time growing up knowing he really could do no wrong. Even pulling pranks in school elicited some scolding but always with a smile and a wink. He was the golden child, and it had very much gone to his head. By university, he was even by his own estimation out of control. He was gambling and chasing light-skirts. He even had relations with a merry widow. With his best friends Alexander Bredon and Simon Trumbull, he was always in good company and up for a row. But looking back on those times, David wondered if he had really enjoyed it as much as he boasted he did. There was always a lingering hollowness. And alcohol, women, and gaming never quite seemed to fill it.

  Walking back to the inn’s entrance, David shook his head. The Garden Society had done much to change his way of life. It was hard to imagine. His sister was part of a spy-ring? When had that happened? Hannah had sworn him to secrecy, of course. His brother-in-law William knew. He had been integral in saving David and Alexander (William’s younger brother) from the smuggling debacle. And now David supposed Simon knew. He was married to Rose, after all, and Hannah had said Rose was part of the group.

  Hannah hadn’t outwardly admitted it, but David suspected that his cousin Hope and her friend Emily were part of this Garden Society, too. The four girls were thick as thieves. Where you found one, the others were usually not far behind.

  That could be said of Sarah, too, he supposed. But not even the magnanimous Lady Lancaster would recruit Sarah, he figured. Sarah, he was beginning to realize, had a number of engaging qualities, but Sarah Jardin, a spy? The girl could barely walk in a straight line, for God’s sake. And diplomacy and secrecy were not her strong suits, as anyone within earshot of her mouth could attest.

  But David did wonder if she knew about the other girls.

  David spotted Sarah immediately upon walking into the inn. She was still speaking with the proprietor. David wondered what the two had to be so chatty about.

  “—but we really need two rooms, sir,” Sarah was saying, when David was close enough to hear.

  “It is you and your husband, correct?”

  “Yes, that’s correct…”

  “Then I do not understand the problem. We are very busy, as you can tell,” the proprietor said, motioning to the very crowded public room of the inn. “I simply cannot accommodate you two rooms.”

  Sarah looked almost pained when she said—surely louder than she intended—“but my husband and I have not consummated our—”

  David saw this as a most opportune time to intervene.

  “My good man,” he said loudly, to drown out the rest of Sarah’s sentence. “One room will be quite sufficient.”

  “But, David,” Sarah gasped, red as a strawberry, “we haven’t—”

  Leaning in close to Sarah, David whispered, “Let us use this trip to further acquaint ourselves with the roles and rites of marriage. First step…sleeping in the same room. I assure you, your honor will remain intact. Until you no longer wish it to…”

  He pulled back with a grin, pleased to see the shocked look on Sarah’s face as his implication sank in.

  Sarah could hardly believe what David had just said. Was he implying he may be ready to make their marriage a real one? Was she ready for such a thing? She hardly knew how to answer that. Where had the dry boring meals gone? Why did she suddenly have the urge to discuss the weather? This was what she had always wanted, always dreamed of…so why was she suddenly so terrified?

  “Fine, one room,” she managed to choke out, “but you, sir, are sleeping on the floor!”

  With that she flounced off after the boy who was waiting to lead them to their room. Behind her, she could hear the public room burst out in laughter and David was no doubt enduring some immense ribbing from the gentlemen in the room, but all Sarah wanted to do was get back in their carriage and return home. Only her loyalty to the Coles kept her moving in the opposite direction of the inn’s front door.

  Once she was in their room, she dropped her valise and sank to the floor on the opposite side of the bed. Holding her knees to her chest, she wondered just what she had gotten herself into.

  Seconds later, the door opened and shut forcefully.

  “Was that truly necessary, Sarah?” David asked testily.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Sarah mumbled into her knees.

  “That may have been the most embarrassing moment of my life. And trust me, that is saying something!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

  “What else would you have me say?” Sarah asked, lifting her head to stare blankly at the wall in front of her. “You have known me a long time. I do not handle stressful situations well. And invariably I say or do something that embarrasses me or the people I am with, whom I care about. It is who I am”—she turned to look at David—“it is who you had to marry.”

  The scowl on David’s face softened as he walked over to Sarah. Kneeling beside her, David pulled her in for a hug. It was the last thing Sarah expected, but it was exactly what she needed. Burrowing even further into his warmth, Sarah let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

  “Sarah,” David said softly, his breath ruffling through her hair, “this has been a long and, dare I say, confusing day for both of us. But first and foremost, we are friends. And we are in this together. This marriage may not have been planned, but it is what God has given us. And I, for one, have learned not to question his wisdom.”

  Sarah relaxed even further into David’s embrace at his kind and sweet words. At this point she really couldn’t ask for more than friends. She could wish it, dream it, and pray for it, but it wouldn’t change the facts.
And considering the fear planted in her by Hannah, she wasn’t sure she could handle more, anyway.

  David shifted to a sitting position and tightened his hold on Sarah. She reveled in the closeness. The carriage ride had been very cathartic for her. She had been able to tell David everything about her upbringing. She had told him things she had never told anyone, not even Hannah. Something about him was so easy to talk to, to confide in. And now, here in his arms, Sarah actually felt safe.

  Yawning, she snuggled against David’s chest and sighed deeply. David chuckled, and Sarah could feel it resonate through his body and into hers.

  “I guess now that the fun is over, someone is getting sleepy, hmmm?”

  Sarah just nodded, eyes closed and her hands curled up in David’s shirt. As far as she was concerned, she could go to sleep just as they were.

  Apparently David had other ideas, because she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

  “David, wha—?” she said sleepily, her arms automatically circling his neck.

  “Hush,” David shushed quietly. “Neither one of us will benefit from actually sleeping on the floor.”

  Sarah was then gently laid on the bed, and she thought she had never been in such a comfortable one before. She barely noticed the other side of the mattress dip before drifting off to sleep.

  The next morning, Sarah woke up with a start. Looking around slowly, it took her a few minutes to remember where she was. The inn. The room. David!

  It was then she noticed a peculiar heaviness around her waist. She put her hand at her middle to investigate and felt a warm and somewhat hairy appendage encircling her. Turning over slowly, she was able to follow the arm up to its owner.

  David.

  In the morning light streaming through the windows, his hair looked even more golden than usual. In his slumber, he looked no older than a teen. His ridiculously long eyelashes lay upon his cheeks like the softest of feathers. His lips were well defined and full. Sarah longed to reach up and touch them, but she dared not. Instead she traced every line of them with her eyes. He had a shadow of stubble on his jaw, and it made him look slightly dangerous. Sarah could almost imagine the glint of seduction in his cerulean blue eyes.

  She felt butterflies of excitement in her stomach. This man was her husband, more now than ever. They had shared a bed. Not the intimacy one would normally associate with the marriage bed, but it was something. Something beyond what they had before, something that could bode well for their future. Or doom for her heart.

  Suddenly there was a loud bang outside, as if someone had dropped a suitcase or bumped into the wall on the way down the hall. David jerked awake at the sound and looked directly into Sarah’s eyes.

  She could feel herself blushing. She had been caught in her perusal of him. Surely, he could read the direction of her thoughts just by looking at her.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” Sarah echoed quietly.

  For a brief instant, David’s arm tightened on her waist, and Sarah thought he might be drawing her in for a kiss.

  Instantly she rolled over, flailing her arms wildly in an effort to get out of the bed quickly. She barely felt her fist make contact with something warm and soft as she moved to stand at attention next to the bed.

  David was curled up, holding his midsection.

  “What the hell, Sarah?” he gasped.

  “Oh David!” Sarah cried. “Did I hit you?”

  She crawled back into the bed and tried to pull his hands away. She wanted to examine the injury properly.

  “No, no,” David groaned. “I am fine. Just go about your business and give me a moment.”

  “But David—” Sarah began, because despite his words, David was looking decidedly purple in the face.

  David looked up and grimaced, though Sarah thought he might have been trying to smile. “Really, it’s all right. You just hit a particularly sensitive area.”

  “Oh,” Sarah said, realization dawning. “I am so sorry, David.”

  Then to her horror, she began giggling. Clapping her hands over her mouth, she attempted to control herself.

  Drawing himself almost upright, David ground out, “Is something funny?”

  Seeing David trying to look stern but failing miserably just made Sarah want to laugh even more.

  “No, no,” she replied, between gasps for breath, “I have no idea why I am laughing, you just looked—”

  And then she lost control and fell on the bed, rolling with mirth.

  David just stood there with his hands on his hips, looking at the woman nearly dying with laughter at his pain.

  He had woken up looking into those glistening pools of gray staring back at him, and he had been surprised. For someone he had known for most of his life, David wondered if he had ever really seen her before. He knew, better than most, that Sarah was not the ugly duckling she thought herself. She had beautiful, thick brown hair that, even when pulled up into a simple bun—as it had been most of her early years—shone with health and bounty. Her eyes were large, almond shaped, and that unusual gray. Her skin was clear and pale, which even David knew was sought after among all the ladies of the ton. But when had those features begun to have an effect on him? And was it her looks or just her proximity? In truth it had been some time since he had lain with a woman. He supposed almost any female form was bound to stimulate his lusts.

  “Sarah,” he said sharply, garnering her attention. “Would you care to explain your behavior?”

  Sarah sat up, still hiccuping weakly from her bout of hilarity.

  “I’m sorry, what?” she asked with a blank smile.

  “Why is my pain so funny to you?” David prompted with a sarcastic flourish of his hand.

  “Oh, no!” Sarah exclaimed, jumping up and moving to his side. “I was not laughing at your discomfort…well, not exactly.”

  David just stood there waiting.

  With a sigh, Sarah said, “It was the ridiculousness of the whole event, I suppose. I foolishly thought you were going to kiss me when we were, well, you know…” She gestured blatantly to the bed. “And I panicked, I guess. And then the look on your face, the color you turned, the fact that I had hit you…there…of all places, all because I thought for one brief moment you wanted to kiss me good morning. As if we were a real couple or something like…” Sarah trailed off. “I suppose it struck me as funny.”

  Sarah looked up at David with apology written all over her face, and David felt his anger fade. All this because she thought he might treat her like what she was. His wife. By the Gods, he had botched his marriage up, but good.

  “Sarah, come here,” David said firmly. It was time he started taking action in his life and not just stand back and let life rule him.

  Sarah looked at David apprehensively, but surprisingly did as he asked. She would be a good wife, he decided. And he would be a fool not to enjoy all that she brought with her.

  Taking Sarah by the shoulders, David pulled her close, and when his lips were just an inch from hers, and he didn’t think her eyes could get any wider, he said, “I was going to kiss you good morning and, despite what may happen to me for doing so, I am going to try again now.”

  David heard Sarah pull in a quick intake of breath before he settled his lips on hers. Again he was transported to a place outside himself. A place outside the realities of the world. A place where only he and Sarah existed. And it was glorious.

  Unlike the kiss at her father’s home, there was no butler watching in the background. Here David could finally explore the honeyed depths of Sarah’s warm and welcoming mouth. And welcoming she was. After the initial surprise of the kiss, David could feel Sarah simply melt into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. When her lower abdomen came in contact with his hardening member, David groaned and couldn’t help but rub more firmly against her.

  Sarah stiffened in his arms, and David loosened his hold slightly. He ran his hands up and down her spine and released her lips
just long enough to assure her everything was all right. Sarah relaxed again as he moved his mouth to nibble softly along her jawline and down the silky white skin of her neck.

  When she moaned, David was lost. Gathering her tightly in his arms once again, David made to move her to the bed. It was akin to any novice dance move, and any debutante worth her weight should have been able to follow flawlessly. However, Sarah’s feet became tangled in David’s and, instead of landing gracefully on the bed in a heady embrace, David had to do everything in his power to keep from crushing Sarah as they fell to the floor in an inelegant heap.

  Much to David’s dismay, Sarah’s elbow once again found that most tender of spots, made even more so by their recent passion. Fighting back tears, David wished God would stop sending him such mixed messages.

  Chapter Six

  A life without humor renders true life impossible.

  —The Duke of Lancaster

  “Oh David,” Sarah cried. “I’m so sorry…again!”

  “Think… nothing… of it,” David ground out as he attempted to lever himself onto the bed.

  “But it’s swollen,” Sarah said in dismay. “Shall I get some ice?”

  David looked down at himself and almost chuckled. Swollen, indeed.

  “No, no, Sarah,” he replied, adjusting himself slightly. “I’m all right.”

  “I really am a clumsy oaf, but I had no idea you were going to try and move that way. You really should finish one thing before attempting to do another, don’t you think?” Sarah suggested.

  Now David did laugh. That was very good advice, especially when considering those moves with Sarah.

  “You’re absolutely right, my dear. I will remember that for next time.”

  “Next time?” Sarah repeated with a blush. “So there will be a next time?”