“Carolyn.” Annalise rushed in and embraced her. “We received your missive. You didn’t have to run off like that.”
Nodding, Carolyn managed to keep her tears back. “I know.”
“So,” Gordon began. “Where is this husband of yours? I’d like to have a word with him about his negligence. As your guardian, I should have had the right to accept or deny his claim on you.”
Both pairs of eyes watched her, and she couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Sobs raked her body as her tears flowed down her face. Never before had she suffered such a breakdown, but she couldn’t seem to help herself at the moment.
Then, she was in someone’s arms, but she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. Her brothers?
“What have you done to her?” Edmund demanded, anger dripping off his every word.
Realizing it was her husband who held her, she clung to him, trying to take comfort in his warmth. He had come to her. The knowledge only managed to make her tears come harder.
“Unhand my sister.”
Carolyn tried to pull from Edmund, but he didn’t release her. Her tears ebbed as his body tensed. She glanced back at her brother. He stood poised to fight and fear danced through her. This wasn’t going well.
“I shall do as I please with my wife.” Edmund’s voice held a challenge.
“Let me go,” she demanded, struggling against his embrace. “I can explain everything.”
He released her, then ran a hand along her cheek, wiping at the moisture. “This was a bad idea. We’re leaving.”
As he took her arm to lead her out, Gordon stepped between them and the door, his fists clenched at his side.
She dug in her heels, and pulled her arm from Edmund’s grasp. Anger had darkened the side of his face not covered by his mask.
“Please, allow me to make introductions before matters go any further.”
“Very well,” Edmund grumbled, but he didn’t move from his position in front of her.
“Allow me to introduce my brother, Gordon Ashford, Baron Dailey, and his wife, Annalise Ashford.” She moved away from Edmund to face her brother. “This is Edmund Marsham, Duke of Demoon. My husband.”
The silence was deafening as the color drained from Gordon’s face.
“Your husband?” Annalise sounded appalled. “What about Mr. Avery?”
Edmund stepped back in front of Carolyn and faced her family. “He acted at my request. I sent him to fetch Her Grace for me.”
“Why?” Fury rolled off her brother. “You never leave the castle, and you just decide to take my sister as your wife? Without receiving my permission, this is unacceptable, and I don’t care that you are a duke.”
Not liking how they acted as though she weren’t in the room, she moved around her husband yet again. “There is no reason to question the duke’s motivations. We are married, and that is why we came today.”
“Carolyn, you came here crying. Actually crying. You can’t convince me this is a good thing. It’s not over. We can get an annulment. We—”
“No,” Edmund bellowed. “She’s mine.”
“Just listen, I—” Carolyn began.
“Your Grace, would you be so kind as to join me in my study?” Her brother spoke in clipped tones as he addressed Edmund.
Edmund inclined his head, then turned to her. “Gather your belongings. I refuse to leave here without you.”
As she watched her husband vacate the room, her emotions were confused. On one hand, his protectiveness made her feel special, but she wasn’t sure she liked him being at odds with Gordon.
She took a deep breath and faced Annalise. She needed to move quickly. Judging by Edmund’s tone, he wouldn’t hesitate to take her, with or without her trunks.
~ ~ ~
“Brandy?”
Edmund grudgingly agreed as he took a seat in his new brother-in-law’s study. He’d only agreed to this interview to save the women from the scene about to unfold. From the tight set of the man’s jaw, he was prepared for a fight, but he would lose. Carolyn belonged to Edmund now, and he refused to allow anyone to take her away.
“First,” Edmund began. “I’d like to thank you and your friends for risking your lives to save me over a decade ago. I may not have been around to show it, but you have had my everlasting gratitude.”
“There is no reason for that. We were simply happy to have been able to offer assistance.” The baron handed him his glass, and Edmund winced to see a slight hint of the burns scarring the man’s palm. “I hope that has nothing to do with your claim on my sister. We have no need for—”
“It doesn’t.” Edmund used the tone that brooked no argument. “What lies between the duchess and I has nothing to do with the past.”
“Then, please, tell me why you chose her. Thomas Avery is a friend of mine, and the man seemed to be genuinely interested in Carolyn. I find it rather odd that you should return as her husband once she’d finally accepted his suit.”
Clenching his teeth, Edmund set the glass down. From his difficult years of growing up, he had begun to detest anyone questioning his decisions. Consequently, not many people dared nowadays.
“That is between my cousin and myself.”
Dailey narrowed his eyes. “Very well, but I can’t condone this marriage. Carolyn isn’t like most women. How can you expect to have a life with someone you’ve only just met?”
“Again, that is no longer your concern.” Edmund raised his hand when Dailey began to protest. “However, to help assuage your concern, I’ll have you know that the two of us met some time ago.”
Shock widened the man’s eyes. “When? You never leave the castle.”
“Yes, and you brought her to my house.” Doing his best to release his anger, Edmund let out a sigh. “I don’t wish to be at odds with you. But, I’ll have you know, I’m fully prepared for a fight. She is mine. If you wish to keep any sort of relationship with her, you must accept this.”
“First, I think I’d like to share a word with my sister. Judging by her reaction when she arrived, something is not quite right.”
The image of Carolyn crying in the midst of her family brought his anger back to the surface. “I should like to speak with her about that as well. After all, she was quite well when she left me.”
The baron called the housekeeper to collect Carolyn. Silence reigned as the two men waited for her. Edmund had no quarrels with the man, unless it meant harm to his wife. She was his to protect now, and he refused to become negligent in his duty.
When Carolyn finally walked in, she looked as though she expected to be scolded by her brother. Edmund gritted his teeth. That would not happen. Anxious to protect her, he took her arm and led her to sit beside him on the sofa. The baron glared.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked in a small voice.
Dailey ran his hand through his hair. “Carolyn, I have to say, I don’t like any of this. Especially with your reaction when you first got here.”
She stiffened. “I’m sorry for that. I–I didn’t know how to explain the situation. And, with the duke not by my side, I became emotional.”
“I’ve never known you to get emotional before. Something is going on that you’re not telling me, and I don’t like it.”
Done with this interview, Edmund stood, pulling Carolyn up with him. “I can appreciate your concern, but the only thing I can do is give you my word that your sister will be content in my care. Now, it’s time for me to take my wife home. Please excuse us.”
Once Carolyn exchanged goodbyes with her family, Edmund gratefully handed her up into his carriage. The thought of showing her his home and having her there for him every day gave him a level of excitement he didn’t expect to feel.
Carolyn, however, didn’t appear to share even a hint of t
he feelings coursing through him. Instead she sat, twisting her wedding ring on her finger. Wanting her to experience at least a portion of what he was at the moment, he grabbed her hand, and ran his thumb across the jewels.
“This belonged to my grandmother. Like you, she had an affinity for flowers. I was bringing it to Thomas for him to give it to his bride. Actually, I think it is fitting for you to have it. And, I believe she would have been pleased for you to wear it.”
Glancing up at Carolyn, he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. In all the months he had known her, she’d never given in to the emotion and now, married only a few days, and she’d succumbed twice. He clenched his jaw. The fact he already seemed to be failing as a husband didn’t sit well with him.
“Are all these tears due to me?” He leaned back and crossed his arms.
She turned to look out the window. Although he was new to dealing with a wife, this was Carolyn. They’d talked about countless subjects, whether they angered him or not. He wouldn’t allow that to stop simply because he had put his ring on her finger and his name behind hers.
Reaching out, he cupped her cheek and turned her to look at him. Those blasted tears spilled down her face, but he wiped them away with his thumb. He had no experience with a crying woman.
“Talk to me, Carolyn.”
When her eyes met his, confusion and pain greeted him. “It’s not just one thing.”
He tapped his cane on the roof, and the carriage stopped. “We have all the time in the world.”
She let out a long breath. “I’m feeling a little guilty. I got what I’ve been secretly hoping for, and it’s the wrong thing for everyone else.”
“What have you been secretly hoping for?” He held his breath, desperately needing her response to not be something as generic as a husband. Or worse, a child.
Her tongue ran across her bottom lip, and he followed its trail with his eyes. “I want you to know I didn’t get pregnant on purpose.”
All his hopes plummeted as he straightened back in his seat. She had wanted the child. The one thing he hadn’t. And, he’d given it to her.
“Well, I can’t say that I am exactly pleased to have been the one to provide you with that, but seeing as that is what you wanted—”
“The child isn’t what I wanted.” She looked away from him. “But, I suppose it was the reason why I got my secret desire.”
“Which is?” he prompted.
She bit her lip. “You and I deal well together, and I’ve always looked forward to our time together in the garden.”
Her evasion was driving him mad. He wanted to hear her say it. “Tell me.”
“Very well. I wanted to marry you,” she replied angrily. “I forced you to take on a wife and a child you didn’t want. And, then there is my family. I don’t know what they are thinking of me right now, but it’s not—”
“Me? You wanted me?” Shock speared through him, then disappeared, leaving joy in its place. “I couldn’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks. We are married and have a right to be happy about it.”
“But, you didn’t want to marry.” Suspicion laced her tone.
“I may have had my hand forced, but I regret nothing.”
She met his eyes, and lifted her chin in the air. “Then, why wouldn’t you come with me to make the announcement? Why did you leave me to do it alone?”
Gritting his teeth, Edmund realized another challenge with having a wife was his lack of social aspirations. He would never feel comfortable making the rounds or accepting visitors. Had his visit to Dailey not been so filled with anger, he would have had time to dwell on the fact that he had presented himself to the whole household. It wasn’t a thought he wanted to consider.
“As I recall, you were only left alone for a few minutes.”
“True, so I will amend my question. Why did you come back? The carriage had pulled away.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t bear the thought of you facing them alone.”
She stared at him for a second, blinking. Then, a slow smile spread across her lips. “I’m ready to go to Moonlight Castle now.”
“Are you?” He couldn’t hold back his own smile. The woman was more confusing than anything he imagined, but he had plenty of time to figure her out later. He tapped on the roof of the carriage, once again anxious to get home.
~ ~ ~
Carolyn grasped her husband’s hand, allowing him to assist her out of the carriage. Nerves twisted her stomach as she gazed out at the beautiful stone structure before her. Moonlight Castle, her new home. She’d only been there once, so she hadn’t had much time to study the forbidding building.
“Welcome home.” Edmund’s breathy voice wafted across her neck, and she had to force herself to keep from shivering.
An uncomfortable thought struck her, only intensifying her nerves. “You did write to them to let them know about me?”
He took her hand and intertwined her arm with his, keeping her close against him. “No. I’m not in the habit of divulging my plans until it suits me. They shall find out soon enough.”
Disquieted, she pulled him to a stop a few feet from the door. “What about Mr. Avery? Please tell me he knows, at least.”
“He was informed that there was a change in plans, and he should meet me here for the details.”
Her heart raced at the thought that he didn’t know. “You should have told him. What if he goes to Dailey first? That would ruin the story you told my brother. And, how am I to face him after this?”
Edmund sighed, then turned to her. “I suppose it’s that child inside of you causing you to act so unlike yourself, so I will humor you. First of all, I did what was necessary for my cousin and his current situation. And, second, your brother and his thoughts have no bearing on you any longer. You are now Carolyn Marsham, Duchess of Demoon.”
Nodding, she tried to push her discomfort away. Honestly, he was right in all respects. Even she, herself, lamented over her lack of control over her emotions lately. Likely, her brother’s response wouldn’t have bothered her had she been thinking in her usual manner.
She straightened her back. “Of course, you’re right, Your Grace.”
“Don’t do that. I’ll not have formality stand between us. Unless we are in the presence of others, I’m Edmund, and you are Carolyn.”
A small smile teased her lips as she nodded and allowed him to lead her inside the castle. Although at times he acted very much the duke, this was her Edmund. She needed to remember that.
“Your Grace.” The butler bowed low, then his eyes shifted to her, and confusion broke through his emotionless façade. “Forgive me, but I—”
“Everything shall be made clear later. For now, have my uncle and mother sent to the drawing room. We shall join them shortly. After that, I expect to have the entire staff gathered.”
Wide-eyed, the butler bowed again. “Right away, Your Grace.”
Once he hurried away, Edmund led her down the hallway.
“Where are we going?”
“My study,” he replied, not looking at her. “There is a certain piece of furniture I’d like you to see.”
After they were inside the room, Edmund slid the bolt into place before tossing his mask away. She looked around, struck with memories from the last time they’d been in there, alone. She shook her head at all her unnecessary worry over the duke.
“I recall you mentioning how the duke would never be able to look at the sofa the same, had he been aware of our presence. So, is it true?”
He clasped her around the waist and backed her up toward the piece. “I can hardly stand this room sometimes. The memories are too strong. But, what I need now is a new memory.”
His lips closed over hers as he guided h
er down toward the sofa. As his body covered hers and his tongue delved into her mouth, she clutched onto him. Desire fueled by memories and her knowledge of what was to come overwhelmed her.
Sensation swamped her as he slid his hand up her bare thigh. She whimpered, wanting more, but knowing she couldn’t have it. At least, not yet. Her husband, however, didn’t seem to feel the same way as his hand reached the apex of her thighs.
A knock sounded at the door even before she had a chance to protest. She pushed at his chest when he didn’t release her. Embarrassment stung her cheeks. What if the butler knew what they were doing?
“What’s wrong?” He brushed his lips over hers.
“The door,” she responded incredulously. Had he not heard it? “Everyone is waiting for us.”
He pulled back to look at her, and the desire on his face took her breath away. “They haven’t been waiting nearly as long as I have. You have no idea how many times I’ve envisioned you right here, exactly like this.”
The fact he wanted her so badly nearly made her give in to him. However, the last thing she wanted to do was provide the wrong impression with her new family. After speaking with Edmund in the carriage, she understood a little more about his uncle and mother. The dowager duchess wouldn’t appreciate being kept waiting.
“And, you shall have plenty of opportunities for this. However, right now, I would very much like to present myself as the new duchess.”
He shook his head, but a smile remained on his lips. “I see the title has already gotten to you. Would you prefer I address you as such?”
Enjoying the teasing quality of his voice, she tucked his hair behind his ears before cupping each side of his face. “It wouldn’t hurt.”
Enchanting the Duke of Demoon (Touched by Fire Book 4) Page 13