Richard.
Standing next to his brother, Anthony, Richard wore a dark blue frock coat and grey trousers, and a light gold waistcoat intricately embroidered with silver thread. Tall and solid, he anchored her petrified gaze. His fair hair curled seductively around his chiseled features and gleamed in the light of the dozen candles at the altar. Her heart lurched in her chest. He looked breathtaking and for once his eyes were riveted on her. Something lurking beneath his polite veneer rose to the surface when he looked at her. She’d never seen him gaze at her with such a heated stare—it could only be called a predatory look.
Then it struck her like a lightning bolt. Their friendship was dead. This wedding had changed everything. What a naive fool she’d been. As if they could stay as they had always been—platonic friends. She would give this man her body. And bear his children. Suddenly, she was scared out of her wits. She was heading into new territory, that of being his lover. And she had no experience of that. She would never be able to hold such a masculine, highly sexed man’s interest when no other woman had. Not the little country bumpkin who found society daunting and unforgiving. She knew that as soon as they went to town, all eyes would be upon them—on her—waiting for her to fail.
Her steps began to falter. As a friend Richard could disappoint her, but as her husband he could destroy her.
Her hammering heart signaled her fear. Madeline couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. In a bewildered daze, she watched, as if from a distance, Rufus give her hand to Richard. His fingers closed around hers and a jolt of intense warmth ran up her arm. She was being married to a vibrant, sexually alluring man. Up until a month ago, she had lived quietly in the country. She had had no experience of life outside of this estate, except for what Richard’s letters had brought to her.
Richard smiled reassuringly, leaning into her as they turned to the vicar. “You look beautiful.”
She
looked beautiful but he was so dazzling she thought she might be dead and that this was heaven. He was an angel.
The rest of the service passed in a haze. The happiness of the day diminished as reality set in. She was shivering; it was cold in the chapel, the only warmth coming from his hand, which was wrapped possessively around hers. The glint of the gold ring he placed on her finger only intensified her fear. She felt branded, a possession now in his keeping.
“
I now pronounce you man and wife…”
He gently turned her to face him and cupped her face in his hands. With the brush of his lips against hers, and his soft sigh on her mouth, she understood her life was now his.
She prayed she’d be enough for him. Because God help her, she’d die inside if Richard ever strayed. Now she fully understood why wives pretended they had no idea their husbands had taken mistresses. It was better not to know-or pretend not to know.
When he raised his head, Madeline tried to smile confidently. Richard appeared to be genuinely happy. There was not a flicker of regret in his eyes. Perhaps there was no point starting a marriage worrying about the future, not when the here and now was so terribly frightening.
He took her hand in his, put it in the crook of his arm and covered it possessively with his own, and led her down the aisle as music swirled around them.
The deed had been done.
She was now Richard’s wife. And as the saying went—was it for better or for worse?
The Honorable Miss Strathmore
I received a letter from your mother, requesting that I get her approval for all gifts I send you in the future. I did laugh at the image your words conjured up in my mind about the Vicar’s wife’s scone hitting your Mother’s face.
I managed to have dinner with Rufus a few nights ago and he looks well. He sends his love. I didn’t mention Westin’s antics to him; your mother’s wrath was enough.
On another note, I’m going abroad and may not be able to write each month as promised for some time. I’m off to India on one of our ships. I shall bring you back plenty of presents to make up for my late or less regular letters.
Be good, Princess.
Your friend,
Mr. Richard Craven
It was as if Maddy were moving among a group of strangers, a guest, as it were, at her own wedding breakfast. Yet, these were the people she knew better than anyone else—they were her family. Everything was surreal.
The gold band on her finger felt foreign, and as she would still be addressed as Lady Madeline, since her brother was an earl, it was difficult to think of herself as Richard’s wife. Worse still, Richard seemed—well, different, his mere presence, for once, was overpowering.
He never left her side. He took every opportunity to touch her, and his touch felt like a form of branding, as if she were his possession—making her gulp back a small cry. In truth, she
was
his possession.
His fingers freely sought her hand, her elbow, and the small of her back. He’d never touched her so freely before. Certainly, it had never been with such a sensual undercurrent.
As he guided her toward the table, his hand riding her waist, her pulse quickened. Why was he being so demonstrative? Was it all a show for their guests or was he, if not happy, at least content with her?
He accepted congratulations proudly, as if he had really wanted to marry her. Ever the gentleman, he seemed protective of her even when this situation was not what he would have wished for himself.
She felt a brush of his lips at her temple and her breath faltered.
“It will soon be time to leave, sweetheart. Do you need to gather your things?”
Rufus had given them the cottage at the far end of the estate as a hideaway for a few days of privacy away from the astonished and gossiping
ton
. It had been Rheda’s suggestion. It would be somewhere familiar for her, but also a place where they could both move into this new relationship with no interruptions.
He spoke softly with a hint of impatience. “I think it will be easier on Rufus if we slip away quietly. He’s struggling with the fact that you are now in my care.” He pulled her into an embrace. “
My
responsibility.
”
Her stomach fluttered wildly.
She couldn’t form a coherent word. She simply nodded and slipped out of his arms and through the door. With her mind racing about what was to come—her wedding night—she made her way quietly to her room. Her room-but it was no longer her room. She didn’t belong here at Hascombe anymore, yet this was the only home she’d known all her life.
More than anything, she wanted to make this marriage work, for Richard’s sake as well as her own. Her room now seemed bereft of any sign of the lonely girl who’d grown up here, the girl who had spoken her secrets into the walls for safekeeping.
She had a husband to share her secrets with now. That might be difficult given most of her secrets revolved around him.
Just then the door opened and Melissa, her new sister-in-law, slipped into the room. “How are you holding up?”
“On the outside, perfectly well. On the inside, I’m terrified.”
Melissa closed the door behind her. “I can remember my wedding day. I too was petrified.” She gave a wicked smile. “And excited, I’d wager.”
Maddy blushed. Her stomach churned, that was true. It was also true that the woman in her was looking forward to sharing Richard’s bed.
“Come, sit. I wanted a private word with you before you left.” She took Maddy’s hand and led her to the bed. “Move over.”
Melissa sat next to her. “I know today is a bit overwhelming so I thought I’d share my experience of your situation. I’m sure you’re aware that I too was forced into my marriage with Anthony.”
Maddy nodded. “But you’re happy now. You love Anthony and he loves you,” she added dreamily.
“We didn’t start our married life that way. At first, Anthony hated being in the same room with me.” She hesitated. “I hope you don’t think it too presumptuous of me, but I wanted to offer you some advice and give you a present.”
Maddy gave her a weak smile. “I know what you’re going to say, just what Rheda and Mother have already told me. That love can grow and that we are friends and that is a good beginning.” She halted and swallowed her fear. “But unlike you, Melissa, Anthony wasn’t in love with someone else when you married him.”
“True. But I think I faced a worse adversary. Fear. Anthony was petrified of love. At least Richard seems to embrace love.” She mumbled something Maddy couldn’t quite hear; it was something about embracing it all too frequently. “Men are fragile creatures at heart. On the outside, they are big and strong, but on the inside, not so much. Women, on the other hand, look fragile on the outside but usually have a core of steel.”
Maddy wished she had a core of steel. Right now, it felt more like molten iron under the armorer’s hammer.
“You’re entering a new phase in your relationship with Richard. You’re friends, and that can be both a help and a hindrance.”
Madeline frowned. “A hindrance?”
Melissa took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to have to do something to make Richard look at you differently.”
Maddy licked her lips before stammering, “I’m his wife. Tonight I’ll be more than his friend.”
She smiled at Maddy. “Exactly. Here, I want you to take this.” As she spoke, Melissa pressed a small book into her hands.
“I don’t think we’ll be reading tonight.”
Melissa giggled delightedly. “I’m pretty sure you won’t be either. There is not a man on this earth who wouldn’t want to find his pleasure in your bed, and Richard is no exception. You’re beautiful.”
Maddy blushed. “Thank you, but I have no worries on that count. Richard has already informed me that he’s looking forward to teaching me about passion.”
“I’m sure he is. But I suspect you want more than simply passion from Richard. You’ll want his heart. So it doesn’t hurt to have an arsenal of your own.”
“I’m not following you.”
“There is one tried and tested method women can deploy to make a man see them in a different light.”
Maddy raised an eyebrow, and said in consternation, “Only one? Gosh, that narrows the odds!”
“Well, perhaps not one, but one that will work quickly. You don’t want him to love you in ten years’ time. You want him to love you now!”
She nodded enthusiastically and glanced at the book Melissa had shoved into her hand, and opened it to a page where an intricately sketched image made her eyes open wide. “Oh, my.” She quickly closed the book and looked at the title.
“The Secrets of a French Courtesan, by Madam du Barry.”
Melissa reached across and re-opened the cover to the first page. “I’ve marked a passage. Read it.”
Madeline began to read aloud…
Too late, women learn desire must never dim or love flies the coop to a more welcoming perch.
Men never get confused. For them there is no love without desire.
What most women do not understand is that desire is our most formidable weapon. Brandied effectively, desire brings many rewards, both monetary and in the form of delicious pleasure. More importantly, deployed with skill, it binds a man to you more firmly than any marriage vow.
I write this book in the hope that women will open their eyes to the joys only a few of us know. I hope they can embrace the knowledge that there is no greater skill than that of learning how to pleasure a man; to set the fire of desire burning deep in his soul, until it all but consumes him, and he wants you with an ardor that stirs your senses and makes you believe in love…More importantly, it will make him worship and adore you. It will make him want to lay down his life for you, give you everything your heart desires and, finally, fervently believe he cannot live without you.
After all, is that not the true definition of love?”
Excitement, and for the first time hope, stirred her senses. She looked at Melissa for confirmation. “You have already used this book?”
Melissa showed no embarrassment. She simply nodded. “Richard is a renowned rake, a man of great passions. Desire such as this could win his heart. You do want to win his heart, don’t you?”
“It would mean everything to me,” she said reverently. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you for sharing this with me. I’m touched.”
“No need for thanks. We women have so little say in many things. We should at least rule in the bedroom, don’t you think?”
“It’s hard to rule the bedroom when you’re only used to sleeping in it.”
“I have faith that you’re a quick learner.”
“Does your husband know about this book?”
“Yes. And he encouraged me to give it to you. Anthony wants his brother to be as happy as we are. I have every faith that you will be. This is just some added insurance.”
Melissa stood and placed a kiss on Maddy’s cheek. “We are now sisters. If you ever need anything, you only have to call on me—or Anthony. We’re, all of us, family now.”
Maddy felt her eyes well with tears. She’d never had a sister before, and now she had two, Rheda and Melissa.
“I’ll leave you to say your last goodbyes to your childhood. I know how scared I was on my wedding night. But you at least know Richard. You do know he’d never hurt you.”
“Of course. Well,” she looked at Melissa with a sad smile, “not intentionally. But there are many ways to be hurt—other than physically.”
Melissa crossed the floor and opened the door. Before she slipped through it, she turned and said, “If you’re worried about him hurting you emotionally, study the book. A satisfied man is a happy man. Why look elsewhere…when the fires burn more ferociously at home?”