Durham, England
1831.
COLE FLETCHER calmly took Emily's right hand in his own and halfheartedly listened to the vicar. Through cold frigid eyes, he assessed her, standing there before him in a fine white muslin gown and over it was a soft silk shawl, draped over her shoulders, and a small-cap to match, trimmed with lace.
At that moment she looked so innocent he had thought mayhap she hadn't schemed to trap him. But then she lifted her face and Cole stared into those knowledgeable emerald green eyes and concluded Emily Bertram wasn't sad, which could only mean one thing. She was in agreement with the marriage. For if she was not, she could have at least fought back, showed some resistance, but now she calmly stood there before him in her white muslin gown and her blond tresses beautifully piled on top of her head.
Swallowing bitterly, he stared at her through narrowed eyes, his li
Few minutes later the carriage door opened, and his wife stepped in from the other side. It was customary to have a meal after a ceremony like this, but Cole would have none of it. He wanted to leave, and he wanted to leave now!As soon as she had bundled herself unto the carriage seats, he roughly knocked on the roof, signalling the driver to get going, breaking off her small talk with her brothers.“Bloody hell Tonfield!” Lucas yelled as the carriage tipped forward, bringing Emily who was unaware of the sudden movement crashing back to the carriage seat.She gasped and threw a horrified look at him, but Cole ignored her and looked out the window. As they gradually left the remnants of the manor behind, he could still hear the insistent voices of the Bertram brothers profusely cursing him. He smiled a sardonic smile and twitched the curtains closed. Then turned in his seats and faced his conniving wife.“Pray tell
It was another thirty minutes before the carriage rolled to a stop. By then, Cole had successfully kept his emotions at bay and was now staring down at Emily with cold, emotionless eyes.He considered waking her but was saved from doing so when she pried her eyes open and looked at him through sleepy eyes. Emily noticed her hair had fallen from its coiffure and gasped, then she hurriedly started to wand it back upon her head, securing it with her a great many pins.It was a beautiful sight. Cole watched her and frowned. He wanted to reach out and snatch her hand out and let the hair fall once again. Instead, he opened his mouth and spoke dispassionately, “'Tis good to know you have finally woken up.”“Oh,” she said. Tilting her head slightly but continued with what she was doing. “Have you been waiting long? You could have woken me,” she supplied.Ignoring her, he
IT WASN'T THE EARLY morning sun streaming into the room through the gap in the cream coloured curtain that awoke Cole Fletcher. Rather, it was the warm sizzling feeling down his loins that did.Cole opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was the scantily clad bottom of his wife, pressed to his thigh. Cole groaned at the sight of that. No wonder he had been feeling that bolt of warmth in his sleep, thinking he was in the arms of his mistress and his face buried in her breast only for him to wake up and discover the feeling of lust had been elicited by his conniving wife, and she wasn't even aware!A dark ferocious look crept up his face as he felt her stir restlessly in her sleep, trying to find a better position, jutting her derrière to his laps. Cole's groin reacted to that.Emily was a terrible sleeper. Concluded he.He wanted to entangle himself from her but realized there was no wa
“What — do you think you are doing." The words were slow but there was no mistaking the angry tone underlying it.Emily's heart thudded, and she feared for herself. “Unhand me at once.” She croaked out from suddenly dry lips.Her words only made his grip tighten more on her wrist, and he pulled her closer. “I don't think you understand me?” he said and asked one more time. “What do you think you are doing?”For several seconds the words hung in the air. Emily opened her mouth and then closed it. Her face was hot with embarrassment. What do you tell a man who is supposed to be your husband but despises you? What do you tell such a man when he catches you trying to touch him? Merciful Lord, she was in trouble.Staring at the trembling woman before him, Cole scowled. He had been trying his most damn to pretend he was sleeping, all the while controlling his raging arousal, while she had been busy trying to touch him
It was a hard fit for Cole to keep his face indifferent as he soundlessly slipped out the bed. Padding the floors of the room in bare feet. His hands clenched by his side. He must have been stupid to think he could arouse Emily without being affected, Cole thought with a bitter smile. Gritting his teeth, he cursed silently. Hoping Emily wouldn't have any need to look at him and notice the force of his arousal, pushing through the seams of his breeches as he made his way to where he had deposited all his clothes last night.Reaching under the chair, Cole roughly snatched his boots from there and wore it. The way he did it, one might think the poor thing had offended him. He did the same with his shirt, snatching it from the back of the chair. It's a wonder it did not snap into two.There was one word for what Cole was feeling at that time and that was frustration. Even though he dare not name it for what it was. Hurriedly Cole stepped out of th
Emily let out an exasperated breath as she felt the sudden urge to haul something at him. Anything. So long as it can land squarely on his head. Her hand itched to do just that. The nerve of the man to drop her in an unfamiliar ground and threaten to leave. He even acted like it was nothing out of character! And here she was thinking they could settle into an amicable marriage once he had had time to vent his anger.Only if she had known it would result into something like this, she would have strongly protested. Rolled on the floor, if need be, cried until someone at least believed her. Wasn't this the same as being a lonely old maid? The only difference was that she was married, but she will still be living the life of an old maid!Exasperated, Emily folded her hands under her breast and best a steady staccato with her fancy slippers. “I demand to go wherever it is you are going, so step aside, so I can step inside the carriage and do tell the foo
London, England.August, 1832IT HAS BEEN exactly one year since the Earl of Tonfield left his wife at the foot of Blakewood Manor. One might think the time spent apart might have softened his stance on the whole event, but no. There was still some lingering resentment. During that time, the earl had focused on his estate, stables, and all other things, deliberately putting his wife aside. Out of sight, out of mind, and he had been successful until now.Cole Fletcher grabbed his quizzing glass from his drawer and held it over the paper before him. The lights from the candles emitting a low brilliant glow on the ink-stained paper. Against his better judgement, he felt himself smile, as his eyes came to rest on the outrageous price scribbled neatly on the top to bottom of the bill. Cole traced the sum with his finger and laughed out loud. A smile stealing the curve of his lips to one side.
Leicestershire, England.1832.THE EAST WING drawing room at Tonfield hall was filled with fifteen house guests with more expected to arrive as the day goes by, delayed by either one thing or the other. Emily looked around the clusters of people, the one's standing by the door, the one's seated near the window, on a couch with a gilded scroll end, and the one's trying their hand at a game and smiled.There was a reason she had picked every single one of these guests and sent out an invitation to them. Alexander St. Clair, Earl of Romley was a lover of horses, and if his insistent questions do not bother Cole, then she doesn't know what will. Robert Parsons, Marquess of Bewford was chosen because he had twin sisters. If there was ever any form of mischievousness, she expects it would be those two to start it.Duncan Blackmore, The Marquess of Penslow because he had been pesteri