His Perfect Bride(43)

Richard relaxed in the chair as relief washed over him. Since Brianna  had already agreed to become his wife, he knew there would be no  problems in that area. "I do have one more request."

"Which is?" Ransley's amused smile made Richard wonder what was going through the man's mind.

"I would like to call the banns this Sunday and have the wedding soon after that."

"May I ask what your reason is for the rush?"

"I'm anxious to return to Stonemede. My steward was not properly  trained, and I fear he is causing more problems rather than solving  them."

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. A good steward is worth his weight in gold.  Well, considering the circumstances, I don't see a problem moving  things along faster than tradition dictates."

"I appreciate it. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to speak with Lady Brianna."

"Not at all." Ransley waved his hand to the door, then quietly muttered, "Good luck."



After exiting the room, Richard heard the man's laughter following him.  Working hard to ignore the earl, he went off to search for someone to  direct him to Brianna. Luckily the butler was near the front door and  led him to the garden were Brianna strolled.

Unsure of which section to locate her, he wandered through the exquisite  flowers, unconcerned about the light mist dusting his clothing.  Although not his favorite weather, something about the smell of the rain  mixed with the scent of the flowers was incredibly pleasant. Much to  his surprise, he found he enjoyed walking through the garden in the  rain.

After following several paths to their ends, he caught sight of a pale  blue color, too large to be a flower. Rounding the corner, he saw  Brianna sitting upon a bench with her eyes closed. Since she was leaning  backward on her hands, her breasts pushed forward in a pleasing manner.  His mouth dried. Tearing his eyes from the display, he noticed her  slightly raised head allowed the cool droplets to drift onto her face.  He envied those droplets.

"Good afternoon, Brianna," he whispered, not wanting to spoil the perfection of the moment.

Her eyes widened as she sat up, putting her body into a more proper position. "Lord Stonemede, I didn't expect to see you here."         

     



 

"It's not necessary for you to use such formal address with your betrothed."

"Thank you for the lesson. I shall remember that in the future, when I achieve such a status."

"Have you forgotten so quickly?" Richard put his hand across his chest  in mock outrage. "Two nights ago, you accepted my suit, and I have  already received your father's blessings. How could you not remember we  are betrothed?"

"You spoke to my father?" Brianna shot to her feet. "How dare you speak  with him without consulting me first?" Her glorious anger ignited his,  but he took a deep breath and worked to reclaim his calm demeanor.



"That isn't the natural progression of things, and, regardless, you  already agreed to marry me," Richard reminded her. "I don't see a point  in arguing about this, particularly since neither one of us have a  choice in the matter."

"You are wrong, I do have choices," she argued, tears welling up in her eyes. "And I had chosen you."

She was right, she did have options, but marrying him was the only one  that made any sense. Without his name and support, she would not have an  easy life. Richard took in every inch of her, from the stubborn set of  her jaw to her balled up fists. She was a fighter, and he had no  illusions she would survive with or without him. He also knew she would  not choose him if she was completely averse to the idea.

"You already know where I stand," he responded, willing her to see his sincerity.

"Has that not changed?" she asked, her eyes brimming with hope.

"That would be impossible. I still wish to marry you, and I wish to do it soon."

"Why then were you angry when we last spoke? If you would have stayed,  we could have discussed it then, and I could have had my father  prepared, or at least I could have been prepared."

"It no longer matters if you still wish to marry me. So, I'll ask again.  Lady Brianna Denton, will you please honor me by becoming my wife?"

Her slow smile intoxicated, as did the knowledge he had finally won.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

Feeling triumphant, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her  against him. As his lips captured hers, he again thought about his  vision of her at Stonemede. Anticipation welled up inside him as he  realized he would be spending the rest of his nights with her in his  arms. During the day he would restrain her wild ways, but at night she  would be free to release her stored up urges on him. Life would be  perfect.



The days following the calling of the banns were a whirlwind for  Brianna. Both the excitement and jealousy among her peers ran rampant,  and she feared she would never again spend a quiet night at home with  her family. Since her status rose due to her betrothal to the Marquis of  Stonemede, the invitations increased. Her mother was so beside herself,  she nearly fainted daily upon seeing the rising numbers. Much to  Brianna's dismay, her mother tried to accept them all.

Elizabeth and Lord Winsler's relationship also progressed quickly, and  Brianna wondered how her mother would handle two weddings so close  together. At least Elizabeth would have more time to prepare as she had  no reason to rush the wedding along. Since Madam Hershal had confirmed  she only had around seven months left to carry the babe, the betrothal  was much shorter than expected. Now there was less than a fortnight  before she would become Lady Brianna Carrack, Marchioness of Stonemede.

The thought of her future no longer depressed her, as she hoped Richard  would know her well enough to allow her as much freedom as she desired.  The mere thought of him sent a shiver down her spine. Something inside  of her changed, and she had no desire to be anywhere he was not.

"Lady Brianna, you must stop moving or your hair will be crooked," Martha scolded for the third time.

"I'm sorry. I suppose I'm simply excited about the ball this evening."

"I know, but would you not like to look your best?"

"I'll try to keep better restraint on myself."

Jillian's mother was hosting a ball in honor of Brianna and Richard's  upcoming wedding, and Brianna looked forward to seeing her betrothed  tonight. She had not spent as much time with him as she would prefer,  but tonight would make the wait worthwhile.



Hours later at the ball, Brianna found herself content. She was overcome  with the feeling her life had almost reached perfection. In between the  dances, Richard remained by her side. It gave her a glimpse of how they  would be once they were married. She was not unhappy with the  arrangement.

At the moment he had been called away from her side, but he promised not  to be long. Scanning the crowd, she could not locate him, and she  expected him to have returned by now. When the notes of the next waltz  sounded, her next dance partner approached her, so she grudgingly ceased  her search for Richard.         

     



 

"So, you are the one who caught Stonemede's eye. I must say I don't  blame him," Lord Kirkwood said with a lecherous grin as he spun her  around the dance floor.

"Thank you, my lord." Brianna attempted to smile at his compliment, despite her discomfort.

"He must be anxious to have you considering the haste of the wedding preparations."

"Lord Stonemede exceeded the amount of time he wished to spend in  London. He is simply looking forward to returning to his estate,"  Brianna explained, jumping to his defense.

"Yes, I'm sure that is his reason," Lord Kirkwood said, then snorted.

Luckily he didn't wish to hold any further conversation, so the  remainder of the dance passed in silence. She smiled when the song  ended, and he escorted her from the dance floor. However, her relief  vanished when she realized he took her in the opposite direction of her  mother. His destination appeared to be the garden, where she had no  intention of going with him.

"Lord Kirkwood, I'm sorry, but I believe we have passed my mother."



"I think it would be nice for us to enjoy a stroll before returning you to your mother."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm too fatigued at the moment. Please  escort me to my mother," Brianna demanded, foreboding settling into her  stomach.

"The weather is nice and will surely alleviate some of your exhaustion."

"Perhaps, but I don't wish to go out." Brianna tried to pull her arm  free of his grasp, but he held her tighter. Her heart raced as panic  took over.

"If you make a scene, I'll tell everyone we are in the middle of a  lovers' quarrel. How do you think your betrothed would feel about that?"

Brianna took in his malicious expression and shuddered. Although  desperate to be rid of him, the scandal he could incite made her pause.  Unsure of what to do, she stood there watching as his mouth twisted up  in a victorious smile. He began to drag her forward again, and she had  no option but to follow.