The Earl's Inconvenient Wife Read online

  “This isn’t what it looks like,” the gentleman told the crowd. “I was trying to escort her back inside when she tripped and fell onto the grass.”

  Her sister walked up to their father, a knowing smile on her face. “A likely story.”

  “It’s true,” Claire spoke up despite the heat rising up in her cheeks. Truly, she couldn’t recall a time when she’d been more humiliated in her life. “I was dizzy.”

  “Dizzy from lust, no doubt,” Lord Edon mumbled, triggering a few giggles from the crowd.

  An older lady gave him a sharp look. “I won’t tolerate that kind of talk here, Lord Edon.”

  “My apologies, Lady Cadwalader,” Lord Edon replied, sounding appropriately contrite.

  Claire’s father turned his attention back to Claire and the gentleman standing next to her. “I trust your little tryst will lead to a wedding?”

  Claire’s eyes grew wide. A wedding? She glanced at the gentleman. It gave her slight comfort to know he was as stunned as she was. Clearing her throat, she ventured, “It was an accident. We weren’t…” She struggled to find the right words, but they evaded her.

  Lady Cadwalader shook her head. “Don’t let Lord Roderick get away with it, Miss.”

  Get away with it? But there was nothing to get away with!

  Lord Roderick sighed, his shoulders slouched.

  Lady Cadwalader motioned to everyone to go back inside. “I didn’t plan this evening’s ball to spend all of my time outside. Lord Roderick, I assume you’ll bring her in for a dance?”

  Her father nodded to Lady Cadwalader. “I’ll make sure he does right by my daughter.”

  Lord Roderick stiffened for a moment but then offered Claire his arm.

  She couldn’t believe this was happening. She watched in dread as the onlookers shuffled back inside, either shaking their heads in disapproval or snickering. She mentally cursed herself for taking that last dance with Lord Edon instead of asking her mother to go outside with her so the world would stop closing in around her.

  Reluctant, she accepted Lord Roderick’s extended arm and walked with him to the veranda. Her father intercepted them and broadly smiled. “Lord Roderick, I’d be negligent if I didn’t introduce myself.”

  “There’s no need, Mister Lowell. I know who you are,” Lord Roderick muttered as her mother and sister joined them.

  “Did my daughter tell you who I was?” her father asked him.

  Claire felt the tension in Lord Roderick’s arm. “Not exactly,” Lord Roderick replied, neither smiling nor frowning. “Someone mentioned you by name.”

  “Oh. Good. At a convenient time, I’d like to discuss your marriage to my daughter.”

  “Indeed.” He shot her a sharp look. “I suppose you’ll want an elaborate wedding.”

  Her jaw dropped. An elaborate wedding? Up to five minutes ago, she wasn’t even engaged!

  Before she could respond, a cunning smile crossed Lord Roderick’s face. “As luck would have it, I need to return to Weston soon. I’m afraid there will be no time for such a wedding. We’ll have to make do with a private affair.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and removed her hand from his arm. “I don’t care. I don’t even want to marry you.”

  “Claire, let’s not be rash,” her father argued.

  “Yes, such a thing would foul up your plans, would it not?” Lord Roderick added.

  “I have no idea what you mean by that,” she told him, not liking whatever it was he was implying.

  “A private affair will be fine, my lord,” her father said, shooting her a pleading look to be amiable.

  She glanced at her mother and sister who were as happy as her father.

  “When do you want the wedding to take place?” her father asked.

  Lord Roderick’s cold gaze returned to her. “I see no reason to wait. The whole purpose of this marriage is to avoid scandal, is it not?”

  She gritted her teeth as her stomach tensed up into a terrible knot. “Is there really no other choice but marriage?”

  “Judging by the way you and Lord Roderick were rolling around on the grass together, you must go through with it,” her sister said, shooting Claire a congratulatory wink.

  Claire gasped. “We weren’t rolling around on the grass together. I was dizzy and fell.”

  Her sister shrugged and offered an innocent smile. “From what I saw, you two were intimately entwined.”

  “That’s enough, Lilly,” her father admonished. “We don’t need to go into details. The important thing is that we’ll get the matter resolved and there’s no harm done.”

  “Yes, that seems to be of most importance,” Lord Roderick added. “I suppose I should get a special license so we can get the wedding underway. I see no reason to delay the event.”

  Her father laughed, probably not noticing Lord Roderick’s slight grimace. “We’ll do everything we can to accommodate you, my lord.”

  Lord Roderick glanced at her with a clenched jaw. “Splendid.”

  Claire blinked and then studied her family. Didn’t they see how opposed he was to this marriage?

  “There’s no need to stay out here when we can discuss the details for the wedding inside,” Lord Roderick told her father.

  Her father nodded and hurried to lead the group back inside, and Claire swore he was half-skipping in his enthusiasm to see her married so well. Without another look in her direction, Lord Roderick followed her father inside with her mother trailing close behind him.

  Her steps considerably slower than theirs, Claire trudged after them. Beside her, Lilly whispered, “I never realized you were so clever.”

  “Clever how?” Claire whispered, clenching her hands together in nervous dread. Good heavens but she was about to be married to a gentleman who detested her because her father made it look like there was a scandal going on when there wasn’t!

  Lilly giggled but kept her voice low so no one would overhear. “Clever how? The way you plotted to get a gentleman with a title alone with you was genius. I wish I’d thought to go outside by myself so I could snag someone suitable.”

  She groaned and resisted the urge to rub her forehead as they passed by a group of ladies who giggled from behind their fans. She didn’t know what was worse: being stupid enough to go outside without a chaperone or not bolting to go inside as soon as Lord Roderick found her.

  “I wonder if something similar might work for me,” Lilly whispered.

  “Don’t be absurd!” Claire quietly hissed. “Do you think he’s happy to marry me?” She stopped and motioned to Lord Roderick whose face remained stoic while her father and mother adamantly talked to him.

  Lilly shrugged and inspected her gloves. “What does that matter? You’ll be wealthy for the rest of your life.”

  She shouldn’t be surprised. Her sister’s goal was to marry someone with a title. To her, this was the best thing that could happen to a lady.

  “Stop being so glum,” Lilly playfully admonished. “Think of all the nice clothes and jewelry you can have. Think of all the servants who’ll do your bidding. Think of all the places you can go for entertainment.”

  She shook her head. Lilly had no idea what she’d just gotten herself into. “He’s going to resent me.”

  Lilly slipped her arm around Claire’s and helped her move forward. “Give him an heir and all will be forgiven,” she whispered.

  She rolled her eyes and ignored her sister’s last statement. It was going to take more than an heir to make him understand that she didn’t trick him into marriage. What that something was, she didn’t know, and truth be told, she didn’t even know how to find out.

  Chapter Three

  Claire gripped the brush in her hands. The previous night had been a disaster. In a week, she was going to be Roderick’s wife, and God help her but she couldn’t think of a worse fate.

  Marion, her maid, entered her small bedroom and offered her a smile. “Would you like me to brush your hair this morning?”

&nbs
p; Claire shook her head and absentmindedly ran the brush through it. What did it matter how her hair looked? She’d already found a husband, even if it was due to the manipulations of her family. She never should have left the ballroom without her mother. This was her fault. What she didn’t understand was the enthusiasm her father and Lilly had for making it seem as if she’d been in a scandalous situation. Didn’t they worry about the family’s reputation?

  “I think I should brush your hair,” Marion told her in a soft voice.

  Claire blinked in surprise, not realizing she’d stopped brushing her hair. With a sigh, she handed the brush to Marion and stared off into the distance, not seeing anything in particular. Marion brushed her hair in gentle strokes, something that had a calming effect on her swirling emotions. Claire didn’t know how Marion knew what she needed to feel better, but somehow, she did.

  Someone gave a tap on her open door. Turning her gaze in the direction of the sound, Claire wasn’t sure if she was happy or not to see her sister. For the moment, she greeted her, and Lilly returned the greeting before sitting on her bed to wait in silence while Marion finished fixing her hair. After Marion left the room, Claire faced her sister.

  Lilly grinned. “I can’t believe your fortune. Imagine snatching an earl so soon!”

  Claire groaned. “It won’t be a happy marriage.”

  “Sure, it will. You shouldn’t be so glum. I didn’t come in to rehash our talk last night. Father wishes to speak to you in the drawing room.”

  “I’m not sure I want to talk to him right now.”

  “Oh, do it. Father’s not upset.”

  “He’s not upset?” Claire snapped but bit her tongue before she said anything else. She stood up and put on her slippers. “Very well. I’ll see him.”

  To her surprise, Lilly followed her out of the room and whispered, “Just think of how big your new house will be. This townhouse is cramped. You’d think Father would rent something better.”

  “I don’t think he could afford to with your new wardrobe.”

  Lilly shot her a hurt look. “Your wardrobe was expensive, too. Besides, he has money.”

  “And he’s lavished a lot of it on us. To rent a more expensive place would be his undoing.” Claire didn’t know why she was defending him when he was willing to make her seem like a loose woman to the Ton.

  “You’re right, of course. You’ve always been the sensible one of the two of us.” She stopped before they reached the stairs and grabbed Claire’s arm so Claire paused. She hugged Claire. “I’m happy for you because you’re marrying an earl, but I’m going to miss you.”

  Claire returned her hug. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

  Pulling away from her, Lilly brushed a tear from her eye. “Please write.”

  “You know I will, though I suspect you’ll soon be married as well.”

  “I hope so.”

  “To Mister Morris,” Claire clarified.

  Though Lilly shook her head, she didn’t vocalize her opposition.

  Not surprised, Claire went down the staircase and to the drawing room. The door was open, and her father was staring out the window. She was about to ask him what he was watching with such interest, but he turned in her direction and offered her a tentative smile.

  “You’re not upset with me, are you?” he asked.

  “I wish you hadn’t done it.” There was no sense in pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about.

  He sighed and motioned for her to sit. When she did, he sat across from her in a chair. “Claire, your mother and I want to see you well off. I’ve been talking to others to find out which titled gentlemen have good reputations, and Lord Roderick’s is ideal. He keeps his financial affairs in order and doesn’t engage in frivolous pursuits. When I saw you outside with him, I knew it was the perfect way to secure your future.”

  “But I wasn’t with him the way…the way you made it seem.”

  “I know. I feel bad about that part. I saw you fall and knew he was trying to help you up.” He shrugged. “Your sister went through an entire Season and didn’t get married. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to you, especially when I could arrange for you to marry someone like Lord Roderick.”

  “He’s not happy about the marriage.”

  “No. I didn’t expect him to be, but he’ll have a week to calm down. By the time the wedding takes place, his mood will improve and he’ll see you for the wonderful girl you are. Mark my word, he’ll be glad he married you.”

  She didn’t agree, but even if she succeeded in convincing her father he was wrong, the Ton was talking about the previous night and would hold it against her. Her only reasonable recourse was to follow through and marry Roderick.

  “It will be all right, my dear,” her father said in a tender voice. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t believe that.”

  She nodded. Even if she didn’t agree with what he did, she couldn’t fault his motives. He patted her hand and stood up. As he left the room, she closed her eyes and prayed he was right and that in time, Roderick would be glad he had to marry her.

  ***

  Nate knew the exact moment his life came to an end. It was a week later in a small church where he muttered his vows in front of a vicar and the manipulative family who were more than happy about this monstrosity they called a wedding. It was disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. How could he have so easily fallen into their trap?

  The wedding was brief, and as he exchanged the vows that sealed his doom, he couldn’t help but recall the peaceful life he had envisioned with Lord Rumsey’s daughter. So much for that. In one idiotic decision to try to help a naïve lady avoid scandal, he’d plopped himself right in the middle of it and was now paying the price, something that most assuredly pleased Mister Lowell and his daughter to no end.

  The wedding was done and over within a matter of minutes, and he waited as patiently as he could for the family to be done hugging each other. At one point, he overheard his deceitful new wife, Blair or something—he didn’t pay that much attention when they told him her name—tell her parents that she didn’t want to go home with him. He rolled his eyes. If nothing else, he had to admire her ability to play the victim. If he wasn’t aware of her father’s desire to see his daughters married to titled gentlemen, he would have believed she was innocent.

  “You must go home with him,” her father softly told her from where they stood several feet from him. “He’s your husband now.”

  She looked over at him, and though he knew he should probably do the decent thing and turn his attention elsewhere, he crossed his arms and stared straight at her, refusing to blink. Did she honestly think it’d please him to be duped?

  She turned back to her father and vehemently shook her head and muttered something he couldn’t make out, nor did he really care to. If she experienced half the pain he did at being trapped into this horrible marriage, then all the better. If he was going to be miserable, the least she could do was be miserable with him.

  After what seemed like eternity, her father and mother managed to push her over to him. “You’ll have to forgive our daughter, my lord,” her father began. “She’s terribly shy.”

  “Oh?” He glanced at her. “She wasn’t terribly shy at the ball when we were outside.”

  She gasped at his implication, and while something in the back of his mind warned him it was wrong to say that, at the moment, he didn’t particularly care to listen to his conscience.

  “Come on,” he told her, deciding he’d had enough of this stupid game. “Let’s go home.”

  She slapped his hand, but he tightened his grip. She clenched her teeth and stomped her foot on the floor. “No! I demand an annulment.”

  He laughed. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. You just stood there and promised yourself to me for better or worse.” He pointed to the spot where they’d been standing by the vicar whose eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry, my lady, but there’s no undoing what God has joined to
gether.”

  “But-”

  “Don’t make a scene,” her mother warned her daughter in a gentle tone. “You’re married now. It’s time to act the part.”

  “Exactly,” Nate agreed. “Now come along. I’ve grown tired of this whole thing.”

  When she continued to dig her heels into the rug as he attempted to escort her out the door, he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the church. By the time they were in his carriage, she was crying.

  “Your family is no longer around, so you can stop pretending,” he muttered under his breath, irritated she continued on in this charade.

  “I’m not pretending,” she sobbed. “I really don’t want to be married to you.”

  He groaned and handed her his handkerchief. “Do you think you can be done crying by the time we reach my townhouse? I’d rather not have people think the worst, even if I was tricked into this marriage.” And how the Ton was already talking about that one! He didn’t need them adding, “And Lady Roderick cried all the way home from the wedding,” to the gossip. It was bad enough that they agreed to skip the wedding breakfast.

  She nodded and wiped her eyes with the clean cloth. “I’ll try.”

  He sighed but kept his thoughts to himself. Anything he’d say would probably make things worse, and as it was, things were bad enough. When she stopped crying, she held the handkerchief out to him, but he grimaced. “Keep it. I have plenty more at home.”

  Since she didn’t say anything, he turned his attention to the horses and carriages as the coachman led them back into the heart of London. Truth be told, he hadn’t been opposed to a formal wedding. Indeed, he’d envisioned it when he thought he’d be marrying Rumsey’s daughter. But no. Instead, he ended up with a special license, a rushed wedding and a quick departure for home as if he was doing something wrong.

  Too bad his friend Perry was back at his estate handling things with his ward. Otherwise, Nate would invite him along and have a couple of drinks to curse money-hungry families.