The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1) Read online

  “Help her with what?” Anthony asked.

  The young lady turned to face him, and Anthony caught sight of the most amazing eyes he’d ever seen. They were as green as a new leaf on the tree in spring with a hint of the blue sky around the pupils. Then there was the rest of her. She had smooth white skin that would make his sister stew with envy, and her perfectly formed pink lips practically invited a gentleman to kiss her.

  “Sir?” the lady asked.

  He blinked, unaware she’d been talking to him.

  “You should address him as ‘my lord’,” the carriage driver told her. “He’s a viscount.”

  “My apologies,” she replied then turned those hypnotic eyes Anthony’s way. “My lord, might I have a moment of your time?”

  “Certainly,” he opened the door further and gestured for her to get in.

  The footman came around the door and poked his head into the carriage. “Begging my pardon, my lord, but is it wise to pick up a strange lady in the middle of nowhere?”

  “She’s not in the middle of nowhere,” Anthony replied. “We’re practically in the next town.”

  “We’re a mile away from the next town.”

  “Yes, as I said, we’re practically there.” Anthony turned his gaze to her. “Are you heading for that town?”

  “I’m heading where you are, my lord,” she said.

  Anthony couldn’t help but find her response amusing even though the footman shook his head as if to say he didn’t trust her.

  Well, trust her or not, Anthony was intrigued. It wasn’t every day a beautiful young lady asked for a moment of his time. If she meant him harm, then it would get him out of the bind he was currently in with Loretta. So either way, he had something to gain from the encounter.

  “Oh, let her in,” Anthony told the footman. “If I need your assistance, I’ll tap on the ceiling.” To demonstrate, he knocked on it.

  After a moment, the footman sighed. “Very well, my lord.” He helped her in but shot her a wary look before he shut the door.

  She sat across from Anthony and set the valise next to her. Then she lowered the hood from her cloak, and he swore the entire world stopped spinning. She was even lovelier when her hood was down. Her blonde locks fell in gentle waves around her face. Up to now, he hadn’t found blonde ladies all that attractive, but after seeing her, he just might never give another brunette a second look for as long as he lived.

  “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me,” she said as she folded her hands neatly in her lap. “You’d be surprised by how hard it is to find a gentleman who’s willing to take pity on a poor helpless lady in the middle of nowhere.”

  The carriage moved forward, and he said, “I hope you had planned to stay at the inn for the night because that’s where I’m going.”

  “That is fine. I certainly don’t mind sharing a room with you.”

  Her comment was so unexpected that he coughed a couple of times before he was able to speak. “Sharing a room with me?”

  “I can sleep on the floor if you wish. You are the one paying for the room, and we don’t even know each other. At least not yet. So it makes sense I should be the one to take the floor. But I can pay for the room, if you wish.”

  For a long moment, he could only stare at her. She spoke of this so matter-of-factly that he supposed he should toss her right on out of the carriage and go on his merry way. But he was human, and being human, he wasn’t a stranger to urges of a more sensual nature. Just the thought of her in bed with him made him think of the interesting things they could do together.

  He shook the thought away. No, he couldn’t. Well, he could. She had the kind of beauty that was meant to be thoroughly enjoyed. But he wouldn’t. He wasn’t married to her, after all. And more than that… Well, he just wasn’t married to her, and he had a duty to get married and have children. But he didn’t have that duty tonight.

  No! He wouldn’t. It wasn’t right. There were some things in his life he vowed to do, and a meaningless night in bed with a lady—no matter how beautiful—just wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t a rake, for goodness’ sakes. He had a good reputation, and he was going to keep it intact.

  She gave him a smile that weakened his resolve. Maybe he could be that kind of gentleman. If only he could stop looking at her, he was sure he could start thinking with his mind again. But he couldn’t. Because at the moment, he was imagining what she’d look like without her clothes on, and that did very little to strengthen his resolve.

  “You surprise me, my lord,” she went on. “You aren’t the kind of gentleman who takes a lady he hardly knows to his bed.”

  Finally, when he found his voice, he asked, “Do you make it a habit of asking gentlemen to share a room with you at an inn?”

  “Well, I wasn’t asking. Not really. I need a place to stay tonight, and I can’t risk being found.”

  Found? “Who’s looking for you?”

  Instead of answering him, she picked up the valise and set it on her lap. “I have a bargain for you, my lord, and before giving me your answer, I hope you’ll take time to carefully think about it. Take all night if you need to. But I will need the answer by tomorrow morning.”

  He was ready to ask her what the urgency was, but she opened the valise and showed him the contents. His jaw dropped. Money. And lots of it.

  “I’ll give you everything in this valise if you marry me,” she said.

  ***

  Miss Damara Onslow held her breath as the handsome viscount sitting across from her considered her proposal. At least, she thought he was considering it. He kept glancing from the money to her face with an expression that indicated he was tempted by the offer.

  Please say yes. Please say yes.

  He was the fifth gentleman she’d propositioned that day. One had refused because he was already married. The other refused because she couldn’t explain how she’d gotten a hold of so much money. The third suspected she was an enemy’s sister sent to lead him into a trap. The fourth wasn’t interested in marriage. This left her with him, and she doubted there’d be any more gentlemen coming through here this evening.

  The viscount glanced up at her again. His chocolate brown eyes, which matched his hair, made butterflies flutter around in her stomach. She’d read of gentlemen who could render ladies weak simply by looking at them, but until she came across this one, she had believed such musings to be merely a myth. Now, she knew it was true. Because there was something about him that excited her in a way none of the others had.

  “Are you serious?” the viscount finally asked.

  “Yes,” she assured him. “The money is rightfully mine to do whatever I want, and I need a husband as soon as possible. If you wish, you may think about it, but I’ll need the answer by tomorrow morning.”

  He didn’t reply. That was probably due to shock. She couldn’t blame him. She wouldn’t believe it, either, if she was in his position.

  She glanced out the carriage window and saw they’d be in town soon. “My lord, you have yet to answer me about the room. May I stay with you tonight? It’s getting late. If you decide not to marry me, just take me a mile outside of town tomorrow, and I won’t bother you anymore. I promise.”

  When she started out this morning with this plan, she had no idea it’d be so difficult to secure a husband. But gentlemen were surprisingly hard to marry, even when a valise full of money was in front of them.

  She shut the valise and set it back to her side. “Are you already married?” There. She had to ask it. Just so she’d know. Then there would be no chance he’d marry her.

  “No, I’m not married.”

  “Then might I take a moment to assure you that I’ll make a good wife? I’m not difficult to please. I can be quiet and leave you to your business. I won’t intrude on your life if you don’t want me to.”

  She held her tongue and waited for him to respond. He kept scanning her up and down, an indication he wasn’t paying that much attention to what she was saying.
She’d seen the look before and knew it meant he found her attractive. Unlike the last gentleman who’d looked at her that way, she didn’t mind it when this one did.

  “What is your name?” she asked.

  Blinking, he directed his gaze toward hers. “Name?”

  “If you’re not comfortable giving me your Christian name, you can just tell me your title.” Then, hoping to draw something out of him since he was a surprisingly quiet gentleman, she added, “I’m Damara.”

  “Oh, well…” He shifted in the seat again then crossed his legs, probably in an attempt to hide the erection she’d been pretending she didn’t notice. “I’m Lord Worsley. My family and close friends refer to me as Anthony.”

  “Anthony. That’s a wonderful name.”

  “I can’t take credit for it. My parents were the ones who came up with it.”

  For the first time, she caught a twinkle in his eye and smiled. Good. He had a sense of humor. That was nice. She was so tired of people who took everything much too seriously.

  On impulse, she left the valise and went to sit beside him. Though he stiffened, she caught the spark of desire in his eyes. Under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn’t have been so forward, but these weren’t ordinary circumstances.

  He was the first gentleman she’d come across today that she had any chance of marrying, and she was not going to waste this opportunity. He was attracted to her. He wasn’t married. And she liked him already. Granted, these things weren’t much, but it wasn’t like she had time to let him court her. She needed to seal this arrangement as soon as possible.

  “So, tell me, Anthony,” she began, leaning toward him, “what do you enjoy doing?”

  “Well…” He shifted away from her, but she opted to scoot closer to him, and as a result, her breast brushed his arm. His face grew red. “Sorry.” He made an attempt to move his arm away from her, but there was nowhere for him to move it. The carriage was too small, and she’d left no space between them. “Um, I think my arm-”

  Before he could ask her to move back, she said, “You like money, don’t you? All gentlemen should like money.”

  He seemed taken off guard by her statement. “Uh, yes. I like money. I think you’re right. All gentlemen do.”

  “What else do you like?”

  “Um, let me think.” He cleared his throat. “Um…”

  She was sure he was doing his best to concentrate on having a conversation, but the telltale sign of his erection notified her why he was having so much trouble. The money hadn’t been enough to secure a marriage. Yes, it’d interested him, but it hadn’t sealed the deal.

  She didn’t need a love match. She just needed someone better than the gentleman her parents would have her with. And Anthony was definitely better. Much better. Attractive. Kind enough to give her a ride without trying anything with her. And, in some ways, sweet. It was sweet he tried to hide his desire for her.

  “You have a sense of humor,” she said. “One of your interests is laughing, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” He shifted again, though it did no good. “I like to laugh. But then, doesn’t everyone?”

  “No. Not everyone. But I think it’s wonderful you do.” She paused then added with a teasing grin, “I suppose you also like to wear clothes.”

  This time when he laughed, he relaxed a bit. “I better or else I’d get in trouble with the Ton. I have no desire to be the main topic in the Tittletattle.”

  “Well, you do spend some time naked. It’d be hard to take a bath with clothes on.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I find it freeing to sleep without them on. Do you?”

  “I’ve never slept without clothes on.”

  “You should try it sometime,” she said. “The sheets are cooler that way.”

  “But in the winter, wouldn’t that make you cold?”

  She shrugged. “I had a fireplace next to my bed, so not really. Do you have one next to yours?”

  He opened his mouth as if he wanted to answer but then shut it. After a moment, he said, “I’m not sure we should be discussing things this personal.”

  “If you marry me,” she began in a soft voice, “then it wouldn’t be too personal to discuss. And,” she added, leaning so close to him that their lips were almost touching, “you could sleep naked with me.” Then, hoping to prompt things along, she kissed him.

  She wasn’t sure if he was going to push her away. She was much too bold in her actions. This was definitely a gamble she was making, and she didn’t know him well enough to know whether the gamble would pay off or not. But then, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss.

  Relieved, she parted her lips and let him explore her with his tongue. She’d had the displeasure of kissing before, but this was nothing like it’d been up to now. His kiss was pleasant. It was so pleasant, in fact, tingles of delight traveled from her head and straight down to her toes. She had no idea a kiss could be this wonderful. If this was what her future could be like with this particular gentleman, then she most definitely wanted to marry him.

  When the kiss ended, he took a moment to look into her eyes. He had gentle eyes, the kind that let her know he would treat her with great tenderness and affection. She’d only seen that look once, and it was when she was a child. It’d been the kind of look her cousin had given his bride on their wedding day. She’d felt guilty for spying on the private moment, so she’d quickly left the veranda before they saw her. Never in a million years did she think anyone would look at her that way.

  “Please marry me,” she whispered. “I can tell you’re a kind gentleman, and I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  He caressed her cheek before his hand cupped the side of her face. “You have to be the most exciting lady I’ve ever met.”

  Unable to stop the smile curling her lips up, she asked, “Is that a yes?”

  “Well, life is short. You can never tell what will happen. Maybe it’s important to seize the moment when it comes.” He kissed her. “Yes, I will marry you.” Then he brought his head back to hers and kissed her again.

  Chapter Three

  This had to be the most irresponsible thing Anthony had ever done. Up to now, he’d lived in a world of carefully crafted decisions. He hadn’t done anything spontaneous. He’d measured each choice against a list of pros and cons. Well, all choices minus those his sister made for him. But this was something he was doing on his own accord. And he’d never felt more alive.

  Damara was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. He didn’t feel the dreaded sense of obligation he’d felt with Loretta. Nor was there the restlessness he’d experienced with all the other ladies he’d met in London.

  No. With Damara, he felt as if he’d finally found a reason to enjoy life. Which was ridiculous. He didn’t know her. Yes, he found her extremely attractive. Her personality and beauty tempted him in ways he’d never been tempted before. The money was only a side benefit to what she was offering. Really, though, she fascinated him, and he didn’t think he’d ever forgive himself if he let this opportunity go.

  So it was with great enthusiasm he obtained a special license, paying extra to have everything rushed so he didn’t have to delay marrying her. He didn’t think he could resist the temptation to take her to bed this very evening. And he wanted to be fair to a lady who was going to be his wife.

  As he and Damara waited for the vicar, he turned to Damara. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to turn back.”

  “I want to marry you,” she replied, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

  He thought she might ask him if he was sure he wanted to marry her, but she didn’t. Perhaps she was afraid he’d say no. But how could he? She was much better than Loretta. She was like a breath of fresh air in his otherwise dull existence. For once, he was going to act on impulse and follow where his heart was leading. For once, he was going to do something for himself.

  She kissed him, and he su
spected she did that in order to quiet any second guesses he might be having. But he didn’t have them. For the first time in his life, he was absolutely certain that he was doing the right thing.

  Someone cleared his throat behind them, and they pulled away from each other. The vicar shot them a knowing grin as he led the two witnesses into the building.

  “I think we’ll get right to the ceremony, so you two can be alone,” the vicar teased.

  Face warm, Anthony directed his attention to the others. Since this was to be an informal ceremony, he supposed it was all right that Damara insisted on holding his hand.

  He’d only heard of couples eloping, and he’d often wondered what the appeal was. Now he knew. Sometimes the thrill of doing something unexpected propelled people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do. And there was no doubt that marrying such an exciting lady this way was the most thrilling thing he’d ever do.

  Was this something he would one day tell their children about? Was it wise to give them the idea to follow his example? Wondering so far off into the future was silly, of course. Having children all grown up who were ready to marry was a long way off. But still, he couldn’t help but think of them while he was exchanging vows with the enchanting stranger next to him.

  When they were officially declared husband and wife, he decided to act on impulse and kissed her. The others chuckled, and one even teased he should hurry on to the inn before he went further. If he’d been in London, he would never have been so bold. He most certainly wouldn’t have done any of this if his sister had been there to witness it. But he wasn’t in London and she wasn’t here. He was free to do whatever he wanted.

  He paid the group, picked up the valise, and left the building.

  She glanced around the small town on their way to the inn as if she was looking for something—or someone.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “Oh yes,” she quickly replied, turning her attention back to him. “Everything’s wonderful. Perfect, even.” Before he could scan the people around them, she urged him into the inn. “We don’t want to spend all night out here, do we?”