Pierce could not wipe the silly grin off his face the entire way back to Mayfair. The American sat in the seat across from him in his carriage, while Hope sat right next to him. He felt her leg pressing against his and he could not stop his body from reacting to her presence.
The drive was relatively short and all three passengers were completely lost in their own thoughts. Hope sat nervously chewing on her bottom lip, trying to ignore the press of Pierce's muscular thigh against her own. Every bounce of the carriage threw their bodies into further contact with one another and it was enough to distract her from almost anything else. She was nervous and unprepared for the scene that was sure to take place at the Parrish residence. Noelle'ssecret was going to come out for her entire family to know, and she doubted the earl would be the slightest bit pleased to hear of the charade and to learn that his only daughter was wed to an untitled American. She cringed at the thought of facing the earl and what his reaction would be.
Soren watched out the window in deep thought, his excitement at seeing his beloved Noelle almost more than he could contain, though if he was being honest with himself, he was more than apprehensive about meeting and explaining himself to her father, the earl.
Pierce was by far the most jovial of all, though each of them kept their thoughts and feelings to themselves. It was as if all of his prayers had been answered when the man named Soren had shown up at the inn tonight. Relief was too tame a word to describe the feelings he felt at learning he would no longer be honor-bound to marry Noelle. His heart soared with that knowledge; he was now free to do as he wished. He knew that it was not socially acceptable or fitting of his position as the Duke of Kerrington to take a common serving girl fora wife, but seeing Hope tonight and feeling his heart swell with love and longing at the sight of her, made him not give a fig about any of those expectations placed upon him.
He could not wait to be alone with her, to kiss her warm mouth and to proclaim his love for her. Then he would arrange their own trip to Gretna Green so he could make her his wife as quickly as possible, consequences be damned. He knew the ramifications his actions would have in society would be immense, but neither he nor Hope were concerned with the ton and what they thought, and he was sure as long as they had each other, they could weather any storm.
As soon as they pulled up in front of the Earl of Brattondale'stownhouse, Soren stepped out of the carriage and Pierce promptly turned to Hope, taking her face into his hands, "Ah minx, there's so much that we need to talk about. Let's just get through this and then we need to find somewhere to be alone, somewhere we can have a discussion." Pierce leaned forward and brushed her lips briefly with his own, withdrawing quickly before he could let the fire that sparked between them ignite and consume him. He helped her from the carriage and the three of them went to the door and knocked, waiting for the butler to answer.
As soon as the butler opened the door he brusquely insisted it was too late for company and tried to rudely shoo them away. Pierce held firm and said, "We realize it is late but we are here on urgent business. I recommend you inform Lady Noelle that we are here at once, and you might think to inform the earl as well."
"But Your Grace, they have all retired for the night."
"Trust me when I say that I am well aware of the late hour and that I do not care. See that they are woken at once or I will do it myself." When the butler realized the seriousness of his threat, he quickly, if not agitatedly, complied.
Pierce, Soren, and Hope were shown to the drawing-room to wait, while the servants went to rouse the house's occupants. Barely ten minutes went by before the earl came storming through the door bellowing,"What is the meaning of all this?"
The three of them rose from their positions, as Noelle came up behind her father, rubbing her eyes sleepily before focusing them on the guests in front of her. The minute her eyes settled on Soren's she began to swoon. Soren ran forward just in time to catch her as she gave out completely.
LordBrattondale watched in shock then turned to Pierce, "Who is this man and what are you doing paying a call at my house in the bloody middle of the night?" Then turning to Hope he said, "And you! How dare you show your face in this house after you just up and ran off with a stable boy? If you are here to attempt to collect any money, you have another think coming."
Pierce stepped forward and said with amusement, "Lord Brattondale, allow me to introduce you to your son-in-law, Soren Johannsen."
The earl's mouth repeatedly opened and shut, apparently at a loss for words. Just then Noelle began to come to and he leaned down and took her out of Soren's arms and placed her on the settee. "Tell me what is going on here, is this some kind of joke?"
Ignoring everyone around her, Noelle had eyes only for Soren. She turned to him, her face as white as a sheet and said, "I thought you were dead."
He sat by her and gingerly took her hand in his, "Oh my love, I cannot even begin to tell you how good it is to see you."
"Likewise, but I do not understand."
"Themen who beat me down at the docks had left me for dead. Apparently I was so horrific they were convinced I was done for and fled, leaving me behind. I eventually came to and believe me when I say that I wished I had been dead. Luckily one of the other ship's captains found me and was kind enough to take me on-board where his surgeon ministered to me. They were gracious enough to keep me for a few days before they had to leave port. By then I was able to get around some and the captain helped move me to an inn where I was able to recover more fully. As soon as I was physically able, I came looking for you. I knew I had to see you and let you know I was alive."
Noellereached one hand up to touch his face, as if to convince herself that he really was alive and not just some figment of her imagination. Her hand trembled, and she began to weep as Soren pulled her close and held her to his chest.
LordBrattondale looked as if he was ready to explode. With barely-concealed anger he turned to his daughter and said, "Explain yourself now, child, before I lose my temper."
Noellereluctantly let go of Soren, though her hand never left his, and she then turned to her father, fearful to look into his angry face."Father, please don't be angry with me, and I will tell you."
"Itis a little too late for that Noelle, I am far beyond angry, and if you do not get to the point soon, you will all regret it."
Taking a steadying breath she continued, "This man is Soren Johannsen, my husband."
"What? How can that be? You are engaged to Kerrington!" His eyes were bugging and a vein was bulging on his forehead.
"No, father," she replied timidly, "when you were told that my lady's maid, Hope, ran away, it was really me that had done so. I contrived to have her stay behind and disguise as me so that I could sail to America with Soren and become his wife."
LordBrattondale abruptly turned and began stalking towards Hope, his face darkening with unmasked anger. "You! How dare you allow my daughter to do something so foolish? How could you stand by and allow her to ruin her life?" He took a quick breath and forged ahead, not allowing Hope to get a word in edgewise, "You only thought of yourself, didn't you? How perfect that a titled lady would run off and leave everything to you. You selfish child, you unforgivable wench, you will pay for this!"
The next event occurred so quickly that at first, nobody was sure exactly what had happened until they saw the earl pinned up against the wall by Pierce, one arm wedged between the earl's fleshy chin and nonexistent neck. Pierce leaned forward and spat angrily, while the rest of them watched on in complete and utter shock. "You watch your tongue. You do not even begin to understand what you are talking about. Your daughter is the selfish child, not Hope. Your daughter was the one who practically forced her into this impossible situation, knowing she would do it to save your family from disgrace. If you are to be angry at anyone, let it be your precious daughter, for she is the true instigator of this offense. And furthermore, you should consider yourself lucky that she is wed to that man because, if not, I would not hesitate to cry off from marrying her, and believe me, I would make sure to leave her reputation in worse repair than her marriage to an American will."
LordBrattondale's eyes were wide with shock as he gasped, "You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I have never been more serious in all of my life."
WhenPierce finally let go of the hold he had on the earl, LordBrattondale sank into the nearest chair and allowed his head to fall forward into his fleshy hands. He shook his head back and forth as he muttered, "What am I going to do? How could this have happened?"
Just then, Hope gingerly walked over to where he was sitting. She tentatively reached one hand forward and laid it on the earl's shoulder in an attempt to soothe him. "I apologize for my actions, Milord. I was truly doing what I thought best, given the circumstance. Noelle was bound and determined to go through with her plans, whether I agreed to participate in the deception or not. I had hoped to save your family the heartache and scandal that her actions would have caused. I know I can't justify my actions, but I hope that you can understand my intent."
The earl slowly raised his head to look at her and just as he began to speak he gasped, "Where did you get that necklace?"
Hope let her hand drop from his shoulder, as she quickly reached up to enclose the ruby pendant that hung around her neck, "It was given to me by my mother."
Witha swiftness that defied his girth, Lord Brattondale rose and took both of her shoulders into his hands. "That's impossible! I had that necklace commissioned for my wife for our first anniversary. It was most likely the simplest piece of jewelry she owned, but it was true to her form, for she much preferred the simplicity of this pendant to the gaudiness of the other family jewels."
Hope'sface had gone ashen, "No, that's impossible. Perhaps it's just similar."
He reached forth and without permission clasped the pendant and turned it over and pointed out the initials F.P. engraved into the delicate gold. "F.P. Fiona Parrish—I am positive this was her necklace. How did you acquire it? Did you steal it?"
"Of course not, Milord, I swear to you that my mother gave it to me. I honestly cannot tell you how or where she acquired it, but I can tell you that I am positive she did not steal it, she has never even been to your home."
"Whatis your mother's name and where is she?"
Pierce stepped forward then, coming to stand right next to Hope. "Her mother was Matilde Hillburn, she just recently passed on." He reached over and squeezed Hope's hand ignoring the questioning look she gave him.
LordBrattondale looked thoughtful for a few minutes before recognition sank in, and he whirled on Hope once more, "I remember that name! Your mother was the midwife that came to help with the delivery of our children. I paid her handsomely, but apparently she felt the need to compensate her wages by pilfering from my wife's jewels."
"You must be mistaken, my mother was never a midwife. Maybe you are confusing her with somebody else."
"Maybe you are the one who is confused, child. Now hand over the necklace and I will agree not to press charges, seeing as how she is dead and all."
Hope reluctantly did as he bade, unsure of what else she could do. Pierce watched her knowing that her heart was breaking at having to give up the only thing she had left of her mother. When Lord Brattondale had slid the necklace into his pocket, patting it with one plump hand, he turned to them once more. Pierce put one hand up in objection,"Please, not another word. We have no further business here, so if you don't mind, we will depart and leave you to get acquainted with your new son-in-law."
Turning, he bowed his head slightly towards Noelle and Soren. Grabbing Hope'shand, Pierce led her out into the dark, starless night and into the safety of his carriage, where he instantly pulled her into his arms. He felt her body go limp and shake with sobs he was sure she had been trying hard to conceal. He said nothing as he held her and soothed her, knowing she just needed time.
He had instructed his driver to take them back to his townhouse and the ride was a short one. When the carriage came to a halt he turned her in his arms so that he could look into her face. Though it was cast in shadows, he could still make out the sadness and confusion that marred her beautiful features. "My darling, I am so sorry for all you have had to endure. I will get you a new necklace, an exact replica if you like."
She shook her head, "No, it wouldn't be the same."
"You are right, it wouldn't, but I am not sure what else to do."
She smiled faintly then. "You do not have to do a thing. It isn't your problem to fix."
"Of course it is. Anything involving you is my concern." Just then the carriage door was swung open. Hope wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and then allowed Pierce to assist her down from the carriage.
Hope felt exhaustion overcome her, as they entered his house. He led her to the parlor, where he knelt to prod the embers in the fire, then turning to her he said, "Have a seat, I will ring for tea."
"Do not bother. It is the middle of the night and I'm sure your servants won't appreciate the imposition."
"Nonsense, they are employed by me to do my bidding day or night, and right now I am more concerned with your well being than with interrupting their sleep."
"ReallyPierce, I don't mind. Right now I'd just like some sleep. I feel so exhausted."
He turned to his butler. "Please make sure the yellow room is readied for her and that a fire is going." Simon nodded and left.
As soon as they were alone, Hope turned to him. "I can't stay here and you know it. It wouldn't be proper."
"You're right, it would not. I guess you will just have to marry me to save your reputation."
"You cannot be serious. You know you cannot marry me."
Pierce was beside her in two quick steps, "There is no law against it, and besides, I am a grown man who can and will make his own decisions."
"But the scandal it would cause—" He cut her off by placing one finger over her parted lips.
"I told you, I do not care. The scandal will be nothing in comparison to loving forever without you. I won't do it. I love you, Hope."And then to prove it, he bent down and replaced his finger with his lips on hers, kissing her with all of the emotion he felt inside for her.
As always, she willingly participated, seeking out his shoulders with her hands, as she reached up and wrapped them around his neck. He wrapped his own hands around her waist and pulled her flush with his body, marveling at the differences between them. He was much taller and larger than her, but she still fit perfectly in his arms. Her body was supple and soft and filled with delicate curves while his was hard and muscular. He had never kissed someone with so much longing before, and he knew, if he wasn't careful he would give into his intense desires for this woman, whom he dearly loved. When he pulled away from her satin lips, she groaned, which nearly undid him, but he took a step back to distance his body from her intoxicating charms.
"We are going to Scotland tomorrow and I won't take no for an answer."
Hope laughed. "We will talk—tomorrow." She went forward and brushed his strong jaw with her hand. "I love you, Pierce."
"And I love you, my minx." Then he reluctantly showed her to the yellow bedchamber, where she could lock the door against his ardent desires, hoping that would be enough to keep her safe from him.