His expression darkened. “What’s wrong, Chlo? Has someone harmed you? By the devil, I’ll— “
“No!” She pressed her palms to his chest. The instant comfort that came from feeling the strength beneath his clothing rolled through her and she let her forehead fall against him. He rubbed a hand up and down her back and she counted his even breaths as her own body rose and fell with them. She peered up at him, absorbing the sight of his strong jaw slightly darkened by stubble and his concerned expression.
Chloe straightened. Lord, she loved this man. How could he possibly be pretending such care? “My father…I…” She drew in a long breath. “Oh, Brook, it is terrible.”
“Come with me.” Keeping a grip on her arm, he led her away from the house to a secluded part of the garden, where they were surrounded by neatly trimmed box trees. A stone bench, tucked away amongst the trees, offered seclusion. Pink roses framed the nook and teased her senses with their sweet fragrance.
He motioned for her to sit. The stone bench felt cool against her heated skin. Only now did she realize how fatigued she was. Pushing a hand through his dark hair, Brook sat next to her. A peaceful hush fell over them and Chloe appreciated the few moments to gather herself, even though she could see Brook was desperate to understand what was wrong. His tightly laced hands and fidgeting feet gave him away. Nearby, a bee dipped into a flower and she watched it enter and retreat before twisting on the bench to face Brook.
He turned to her and brought a hand to her face, lifting her chin. A tiny thrill rushed its way through her, making her limbs feel soft and weak. Sweet Lord, she hoped he still felt things for her, she hoped she was not too late. She hoped she was not entirely wrong about him.
“What has happened?”
She gulped down a long breath. “My father…he wants me to marry.” Her voice broke on the last word.
“I see.” His tone was hollow.
“He…he found out about me spending time with you.” Her chin wobbled. “He wishes me to marry Mr. James Lawrence.” Chloe made a face. “He knows we would not be happy, he knows I have no desire to marry the man. But he is insisting.” She shook her head. “I do not know what happened to him.”
“I think I do. He would rather you be married off to some octogenarian than me.”
“I do not think Mr. Lawrence is an octogenarian.”
“You really want to argue with me now?”
She gave a soft chuckle and shook her head. “I really do not.”
“Chloe,” he looked at her intensely, “is it merely Mr. Lawrence’s age that means you do not wish to marry him?”
“No,” she admitted softly. “It is not just his age nor the fact I do not know the man, nor the fact that it would be an arranged marriage.” She glanced at her hands. “It is because you were right.”
Silence echoed between them. Above, a bird tweeted in one of the trees. The wind lightly ruffled the leaves of a grand old oak tree in front of them. Chloe risked a glance up at him to find his lips tilted in that awful, arrogant smile that made her want to swipe it from his face.
“Well, there is no need to look at me like that.”
“I cannot help it. I think it is the first time you have ever admitted that I was right.”
“And is that all you have to say about it?” Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. Was he going to simply use this confession to tease her?
“No. No, it is not all I have to say about that.” He shifted closer to her and cupped her face in both his hands. She closed her eyes briefly to savor the warm touch. When she opened them again, he was looking at her with more desire and love than she ever thought possible.
“Run away with me.”
Chloe stared into his olive eyes. “Pardon?”
“It is a perfect solution. We elope and your father can do nothing. Our families will have no choice but to try to reconcile.”
“I think you underestimate their hatred for one another,” Chloe murmured. “Besides, I thought you were talking of courting me not eloping!”
“Do you want to marry that Lawrence fellow or do you want to marry me?”
She swallowed. She had not thought this far ahead. All she had considered was that she needed to tell Brook how she felt and escape her family, even for a little while. But eloping? It would bring scandal indeed and she could not be certain her father would ever talk to her again.
She could not be married to a stranger, either. She could not. Even if she did not love Brook, she could never do such a thing. If her father was angry, it would be of his own doing.
“I want to marry you,” she said firmly.
A grin broke across his face. “Excellent. We shall make arrangements. If you meet me tomorrow, we can be married in Scotland within a week.”
“Goodness.” She felt a little breathless. “What will your family say? What if they try to disown you? What if—”
He gave her a swift peck on the lips. “All will work out, I promise. My father is not likely to disown his only son, no matter what.”
She nodded slowly, trying to process the enormity of the decision they had just made. It would be a difficult deed even if their parents liked one another. To go against them like this had to be about the wildest thing she had ever done.
“I will look after you, Chloe. No matter what. I promise. You will never have to do anything you do not wish to do.”
His words were like a thick blanket, wrapping around her. Suddenly she felt safe and secure. So long as she had Brook at her side, they could face almost anything.
She smiled gratefully and touched his jawline, feeling the stubble coming up from a long day. The freedom to touch him so made her smile widen. “Are you certain about this?” she asked, praying that he did not change his mind. However, she was no fool. She never went into anything without analyzing it first and the rational part of her mind could not help but want to ask these questions.
“More certain than I have ever been of anything else before.”
Releasing a breath, she stroked her thumb across his jaw. “You do realize, if you marry me, you would be stuck with me forever.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“And you do realize, that we are quite different people. I am no good at balls and the like.”
“We are different people. I realize that.” He took her hand. “I know all about you, Chloe. You are clever, and kind, and determined, and absolutely perfect for me. I will admit to being no perfect gentleman in my previous life—though I will state that most of the rumors about me were utterly exaggerated—but when I’m with you, all I want to do is steal away to those libraries with you. I could not give a fig about balls and dancing and socializing when I’m with you, Chlo.”
“In truth?”
He plucked a rose from the nearby bush and gave her a look. “Have I ever lied to you?”
She shook her head. He might be roguish and he certainly had the past of a rake but he had never lied to her.
“I love you.” He squeezed her hands. “I will do whatever I need to prove that to you.”
“You do not need to do anything.” Her lungs felt tight with excitement. “I love you too,” she confessed quickly before her courage vanished.
Brook offered her the rose. She took it, holding it loosely in her palms. He leaned into her, pressing warm lips against her forehead. “I love you,” he repeated on a whisper.
A tremor ran through Chloe. His presence set her pulse to racing.
If her father caught him here, she didn’t doubt he’d shoot him on sight.
Shaken by the thought, Chloe rested her head on his shoulder. “We’ll really elope?” she asked.
“We’ll go to Scotland,” he said, taking her hand in his. His thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand. “Old Mr. Lawrence will not reach us there.”
“But my father could,” Chloe said.
“Only if he knew where we went,” Brook reminded her. “Which he won’t.”
Chloe lifted her
head and turned her gaze to his. He gave her a crooked smile, his eyes darting to her lips. “You remember the cupboard?” he asked softly.
She nodded. She could never forget the searing ache he’d left her with that kiss he’d bestowed on her. Even now, simply remembering the kiss made her stomach twist and buckle with anticipation. She had found herself remembering his touches, picturing his face, letting him occupy her every waking hour in her mind. But was she really going to do this? Marry Brook and risk disappointing her family?
He brushed back a free strand of her red hair and tucked it behind her ear. “You are the most gorgeous creature I have ever laid eyes on,” he murmured. He placed a tender kiss on her right cheek. “And the most intelligent.” He kissed her left cheek. “And kind.” Her forehead. “And determined.” He laughed, his breath tickling her face.
Chloe smirked. “What makes you say that?”
Brook pulled back, but only slightly. Their noses were almost touching. “You know what you want, and you go after it.”
She feared to breathe, lest she blow him away and make him change his mind. “What do I want?” she whispered.
“Love,” he answered immediately. “Even if it’s forbidden.”
He moved in, his lips parting as they found hers. A burst of pleasure soared through her being. She kissed him back, hoping her lips were as soft as his.
His kiss engulfed her. Any concerns fled. This was right…it was just so right. How could anything that felt like this be wrong? Somehow, by some miracle, they belonged together. She felt she was part of him, two souls yearning for the other. She couldn’t stand the chaste kisses any longer.
Chloe slid her hand up his neck, twining her fingers in his downy curls and pressing her chest against his, arching her back.
Brook’s breathing hitched. He wrapped both arms around her, one tight across her shoulders, the other pressing at her lower back, coaxing her closer.
The kissing sped up. His lips expertly moved across hers, eliciting passion and excitement in Chloe. Abruptly, Brook pulled away, keeping her held tightly against him. His gaze flitted across her face, his eyebrows pulling together in desperation.
“You do not make it easy on a man,” he breathed. “Chlo, you are driving me to the edge of madness. I cannot wait to make you mine.”
Chloe’s heart hammered against her breastbone. “Then it shall be,” she said, breathless from the kiss. “From this moment on, we are never to be parted.”
“We’ll leave for Scotland tomorrow.”
“Truly?” she asked, a mix of terror and excitement bursting through her chest. She would not have to marry Mr. Lawrence and she would be with the man she loved. This handsome, charming, funny, wonderful man. She could hardly believe it.
“Truly.” A smile broke across his features, and the next moment his lips had crushed against hers again. This time, he lifted her into his lap, sidesaddle. She pressed herself against him, feeling dominant now that she was slightly higher up than he. Her hands wandered everywhere they could reach—the back of his neck, his shoulders, his lower back. She scraped a trail along his spine, eliciting a low sound from his throat.
All fears of her father’s hatred for his family left her. The image of standing next to old Mr. Lawrence at the church altar dissipated from her mind. In this moment, it was only her and Brook, fixed together the way they were meant to be.
A gasp escaped her throat when his hand wandered to her thigh, grasping firmly at her flesh. Chloe responded by moving her hands to his chest, trailing them down to his stomach and reveling in the solid feel of him.
Brook shuddered and quickly pulled away. “Do not tempt me, Chloe,” he said with a breathless laugh. “I’m afraid you’ve caught me with my defenses down.” He gently slid her from his lap. She pulsed with burning desire but began to cool as he scooted away from her, chuckling.
“I don’t think you realize quite what a temptress you are,” he said, meeting her gaze. She still saw the flames flickering in the green depths.
She opened her mouth to tell him he shouldn’t have stopped, that she would have welcomed whatever it was he had wanted to do, but her blood ran cold when she heard the garden gate open and close.
Brook leapt to his feet. He took her hand in his and gave her a quick kiss. “Scotland tomorrow. Meet me at the fountain at midday.”
Before she could respond, he had disappeared through the rose garden.
Chapter Eighteen
“Where are you off to?”
Brook paused by the open door of the dining room. Hunched over a newspaper with a monocle pressed to one eye, his father sat in the room alone. Though he was regaining his strength, it seemed to take him a long time to finish meals at present. Like a knife to the chest, the guilt struck. He shoved it aside. He would be back in a few weeks and would send a letter while he was on the road to Scotland so his parents knew not to worry. How his father would react to the news that he and Chloe were married, he did not know but he was willing to wager it would not be favorably.
But what were his options? Watch the woman he loved married off to a man twice her age? He’d vowed he would protect Chloe and if that meant eloping, that’s what he would do. He only hoped his father survived the shock.
And, once they had grown used to the idea, perhaps both fathers could make amends. Maybe Brook was being too optimistic but he hoped in time, their marriage would bring the families together.
“Well?” his father demanded.
“Just into town, Father.” Brook moved away from the door but his father called to him.
Entering the dining room fully, Brook remained standing. If he waited too long, Chloe would be there without him and might think he wasn’t going to turn up.
“I met that Judith woman the other day.” His father placed the monocle on the table. “Nice girl. Quite attractive.”
“Indeed,” he murmured vaguely.
“Your mother is terribly keen on her.”
“Really? I had not noticed.”
His father folded both hands across his stomach. “Far be it for me to interfere in your life but your mother has been pressing me to ask for your thoughts on her. Apparently she would make a fine wife.”
Brook grimaced. Not only would he be disappointing his father but it seemed his mother too. “She’s not for me, Father.”
“Oh?” He leaned back in his chair and eyed him. “She comes from good family, does she not?”
“Yes.”
“What’s not the like then? Easy on the eye and quite charming.” He wagged a finger at him. “It is about time you married. Then you’d spend less time dancing with women like that Larkin girl.”
“I have no intention of marrying Mrs. Somerset,” Brook said firmly.
“I won’t be around forever. Once you inherit, you’ll need a good woman by your side.”
Brook lifted a brow. “Were you not telling me you weren’t going anywhere anytime soon the other day?”
“Well, yes,” his father blustered, “but you could still do with a wife.” He sighed. “I only speak of this because I want the best for you. And, well, your mother seems to think Judith is the best for you.”
“She really is not, Father. I promise you that much. If I were to marry, there are many, many women far better than her.”
He nodded slowly. “I trust your judgement though whether your mother will accept it, I do not know. But I did my job and asked. Hopefully she will cease nagging me now.”
“Hopefully,” Brook murmured, knowing that any nagging would be pointless once he returned. If his mother wanted him to find a wife, she’d be in for quite a surprise soon enough.
“She cannot say I did not try.” His father retrieved the monocle and picked up his paper once more.
Brook resisted the urge to say anything more. He wanted to remind his father he loved him and wanted to make him proud but he’d likely suspect something was wrong. He only hoped his father forgave him eventually and that his marriage to Chlo
e really could mend bridges between the families.
The carriage awaited him outside the house. He’d packed a bag surreptitiously into the compartment, rather than have it tied to the outside to save suspicion. As yet the driver did not know he was to travel all the way to Scotland as he daren’t risk word getting out but he’d reward the man handsomely for his troubles.
A lone carriage waited by the fountain once he arrived. He didn’t recognize it so it could not be Chloe but he imagined she would walk anyway. He grimaced. If only he could drive boldly up to her house and collect her rather than making her come on foot.
“Wait here,” he ordered the driver once he climbed out. He glanced around the fountain area but there was no sign of her yet. A lad selling newspapers shouted out the news while a young woman sold hot crumpets at the other end of the fountain area. The gentle splashing sound of the water should have been soothing but instead he found it irritating, every plop of water setting his teeth on edge.
A few people passed through but what felt like an eternity passed with no sign of Chloe. Lord, perhaps she had changed her mind. Surely she would not choose that Lawrence chap over him. After all her words of love too?
No, the woman loved him, he was certain of that. He’d known it even before she had. There would be a reasonable explanation for the delay.
Hands clasped behind his back, he paced around the fountain several times before pausing and pulling out his pocket watch. Blast, it had only been ten minutes. Waiting for Chloe was beginning to feel like an eternity.
He did another loop then paused, his heart near dropping into his boots. What the devil was she doing here? Had she sent out sniffer dogs or something to find him? This was getting beyond ridiculous.
Judith bounded over to him, her smile wide. He noted there was no sign of a limp.
“What luck,” she said with a smile. “It must be fate that we should meet here.”
“I see your ankle is healed,” he murmured dryly.
“My ankle? Oh, yes, quite.” She offered a hasty smile. “I heal quickly. I’m from strong stock you see.”
He looked around again for any sign of Chloe. If Judith saw them leaving together she would surely make a scene or run off to his mother. Of course, his parents would have to find out eventually but he rather wanted to give them a head start.
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