so sorry,” Jane said, feeling a trifle better. “But—but I thought you had no interest in me for more than a tickle.”
Her mother gasped. “Jane! H—have you…have you and Jonathan…”
Her father held up a hand, effectively cutting off her mother. “Jonathan came by after your disappearance. He was overwrought with guilt and said that when you came home he would marry you. We knew you had a fondness for him, so we accepted.”
She should be overjoyed with glee. Oh, God. This was not happening! Two days ago, wedding Jonathan was all she had wanted. What she expected from her life. But now…she had experienced true affection, true desire, and this was not what she wanted.
Her mother brought two cloths from the kitchen and handed them to Jonathan. Jane’s fingers pinched the bridge of her nose. Ugh. The stench of him! She shot to her feet and scurried to stand on the opposite side of the room. Her stomach clenched again as he stepped toward her. She’d always found the smell of hops so masculine, so Jonathan, but not now.
“Nuttin’ to worry yourself over, lovely. I have been cast up on before.”
Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God. What a mess she had gotten herself in. She spun around. “I—I can’t marry—”
Rap, rap, rap.
She jumped, and everyone turned toward the door.
Her father strode to the back entrance and yanked the handle.
Martin barged past her father into the little parlor, dwarfing everything inside.
His wild eyes assessed her in a glance.
“Sir.” He nodded at her father.
A wave of relief swept through her so strong she wanted to weep and throw herself into his arms. The smell of cinnamon wafted to her nose from across the room, and her stomach instantly stopped its revolt. His eyes twinkled. All will be well, Jane, filtered through her mind.
“Excuse me, sir. Who are you to barge into my home?” Her father’s gaze slid down his massive form, studying the tailoring of his clothes.
He looked so finely dressed in expertly fitted blue coat and breeches. Something only a man of means could afford, and her father would never turn down business.
“I am your daughter’s husband.”
A loud thud sounded from the kitchen door. None of them turned to investigate.
“Pardon, sir?” Her father turned his gaze on her. “Jane?”
Oh, this…this…What a preposterous idea! They were married…how was that supposed to work?
“Haven’t you told them, Jane?” Martin’s firm, deep voice made her insides quiver. Play along, Jane. I will not leave this house without you.
Her fists clenched. She wanted to go with him. She had a real proposal of marriage and one that was fictitious. Her soul wanted the lie. What was wrong with her! No sane woman in her situation would turn down a real proposal.
Jane.
She stared at Martin, and her throat tightened. She couldn’t refuse him.
“No. I—I couldn’t think of a proper way to break the good news.”
Relief shone in Martin’s eyes.
“How about ‘I ran off and got married’? My goodness, child.” Her father studied Martin’s shiny mud-splattered boots. “And, sir—it is ‘sir’? Correct?” Her father tilted his head.
“Martin Ursus of the Duke of Tremarctos,” he drawled.
Was that true? His father was a duke?
A thud and then a groan came from her mother as she fell to the floor again. Jane couldn’t take her eyes off Martin, and no one else moved to help her mother either. They might miss something.
“Jane, child, why did you not tell us you were acquainted with a nobleman?”
Martin left her no room to answer.
“I met Jane on the road while in my carriage two days hence, and I was so captivated by her beauty my heart wouldn’t allow me to live without her.” He smiled and winked at Jane.
Lies…and more lies. Would she ever tell a truth again? She tried to smile.
“She refused to get into my carriage. My heart fancied it love, and I refused to leave her. After much persuasion, I finally convinced her to accept my plight and agree to wed me with haste. We left for Scotland straightaway.”
Would he have done such if she had met him on the road? She closed her eyes…. By God! She wished that situation had been true. What a mooncalf!
She sat back and stared at him standing rigid in their parlor; his head was only mere inches from the ceiling. What did her father think? Jonathan had obviously told him of their folly.
She glanced at Jonathan; angry hurt shone in his eyes. Noticing her gaze, he strode toward her, his motions cutting off Martin midsentence as Martin watched Jonathan approach her. In one swift motion, Martin stepped between Jonathan and her. His eyes narrowed, and he stared down at Jonathan, daring him to step around him.
“But…but I…she…” Jonathan pointed back and forth between himself and her. “We.”
“No!” Martin said in a firm voice that all but growled. “There is no ‘we’ where she and you are concerned.”
Jonathan’s eyes went wide, and he turned to search Jane’s face. “Jane.” He bowed his head. “I’m glad you are well.”
Martin stepped aside to let him pass, and Jonathan hastily pulled open the door and went out into the night.
Jane swallowed hard. She’d just passed up her one chance at respectability. But Martin had come for her. Martin! Her entire body lit like a fire at his nearness.
“My dear girl.” Her father grasped her hand and winked. “My lord. You will stay with us this night so we can get to know our new family member.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I have estate business to be handled in the morning. We will head back to Tremarctos this night.”
“Very well, very well.”
“If you so choose, I will send a coach for you in one month’s time, and you and Mrs. Milton can journey to Tremarctos for an extended visit.”
Oh! That would be horrid! What would her family think of the strangeness that occurred in that house?
“So be it! That will do nicely, don’t you think, Mary?” Her father turned toward the kitchen. “Oh, Mary!”
All three of them rushed to her mother, who groaned in her faint as her legs twitched on the floor.
Jane’s father knelt down to help her mother to her feet, and Martin’s warm fingers wrapped about Jane’s arm, pulling her back firmly against his length. His hand traveled down her arm, eliciting small tremors in his touch’s wake; then he laced his fingers in hers. His erection pressed into her bum.
Jane, Jane. I need you, Jane. I need you more than any of that romantic clad trap I spouted to your family. He spoke to her mind.
She closed her eyes as aroused awareness skittered about her skin. Did he mean it?
I should have warned you about the smell of other threatening men…. His chest rumbled in a suppressed chuckle against her back.
What? She turned and peered at him, and his lip quirked. “You mean to tell me I cast up my crumpets because Jonathan got too close to me?” she whispered.
“Something like that.” He pressed his lips to her ear, and his frame shook.
Had he just barely suppressed changing when he saw Jonathan?
“Are