Chapter Twelve
Julia felt more nervous waiting for the Ballantines to arrive than she had when a criminal had winked and jeered at her.
She touched her curls—they were beautifully arranged around her face.
It was a great improvement on Julia’s usual chignon.
Nor was she wearing a plain gown in a sombre colour: her celestial-blue dress was three years out of fashion but still beautiful.
The neckline was cut low across her bosom and the sleeves were short and puffed.
The skirt was ornamented with three flounces.
But what Julia loved best were the long gloves that had been tinted blue to match her gown. She felt transformed like Cinderella.
The sound of horses and a carriage caused her to jump.
Mildred placed her hand on top of Julia’s and lightly squeezed it.
Her stepmother probably thought that she was embarrassed to see Joshua.
But Julia could hardly tell her that she’d been compromised by her former betrothed’s younger brother and, incidentally, had become besotted with him.
The butler opened the door to the parlour and announced Baron and Baroness Ballantine (Joshua and Devin’s mother), Mr Ballantine, and Mr Ashby. Julia’s family all stood and then bowed to their guests.
To Julia’s surprise, Mildred walked up to Mr Ashby and shook his hand warmly. ‘I am so glad that you suggested we make amends between the families, Mr Ashby.’
Mr Ashby, who was dark-haired like Joshua, bowed his head. ‘I for one am pleased that you offered the olive branch and invited us to dinner this evening.’
The sour expression on Baroness Ballantine’s face was less pleased. But Julia didn’t care what she thought. Her eyes sought Devin’s and she saw a smile grow slowly on his face until it reached his mismatched eyes that intrigued her so much.
‘No one is as pleased as myself,’ Devin said in a loud voice, ‘for I have apologies to make to you all. You might have already heard the damaging rumours that have been spread throughout the village. Sir Eustace and Lady Sullivan, I am sorry that I claimed to be your daughter’s husband on our journey here, but I can assure you that I did so for her safety from two known criminals and I did not compromise her in any way.
I am a man of honour and Julia is a virtuous woman.
I know that it is untoward, but I was wondering if I might have a private word with your daughter?
I also owe her an apology for my behaviour this morning.
I told her something rather than asked her, and I should like a second chance. ’
Her father scowled and Mildred’s gaze went from Devin’s smiling face to Joshua’s benign expression and back to Devin’s in wonderment.
Devin was not the suitor her stepmother had been expecting.
Mildred rubbed her gloved hand over her opposite arm and answered for both of them, ‘I suppose so, but not for long, Mr Ballantine. Unless you would like to speak to my husband first to ask for his permission to pay your addresses to his daughter?’
Devin shook his head. ‘A woman can decide her own future.’
‘Indeed? How the times have changed, Lady Ballantine,’ Mildred said, glancing at the other matron for support.
But the other lady did not speak. And her husband merely scowled.
Mildred made a funny little sound, half cough, half giggle.
‘Well, if there are no objections. I mean, unless Julia is not inclined to meet privately with Mr Ballantine.’
‘I should like to speak with him, stepmother,’ Julia said, moving across the room to Devin. Her pulse was racing like a rabbit jumping. When she reached him, he held out his arm for her and Julia curved her fingers around his elbow. ‘I will take him to the Yellow Parlour.’
Mildred clapped her gloved hands together. ‘Excellent choice, for that room is next door to this one. And allow me to remind you, Mr Ballantine, that the abbey walls are very thin. No more than ten minutes alone. For I must think of my stepdaughter’s reputation.’
Which was hopelessly in tatters.
Broadwick Abbey’s walls were made from thick stone, but Julia couldn’t help but appreciate her stepmother’s attempts at guarding what was left of her virtue and good name.
The butler opened the door to the grand hall and they walked to the adjacent room and closed the door behind them.
She released her hold on his arm. Julia’s heart was thudding in her chest and her throat felt dry.
She let out a long sigh of both nervousness and relief.
‘Surely you are too young for such sighs, Miss Sullivan.’
Devin had repeated Mrs Mack’s words from when they first met on the mail coach. Despite her trembling body, Julia giggled. Devin grinned at her in the sort of way that made her knees feel weak. ‘I believe you know to the day how old I am, Mr Ballantine.’
‘I know that today did not go how I would have hoped, and according to my brother, the blame is entirely my own,’ Devin said, his gorgeous blue and green eyes burning into her own.
‘I thought to make a proper speech, but Joshua warned me that was also a mistake. That I had talked too much and listened too little. So I mean to do better.’ Devin lowered himself to one knee.
‘Julia, what would you like me to do to make this right?’
She felt heat creep up her neck and into her face.
Devin was humbling himself before her. He was asking Julia what she wanted.
No man had ever done what she’d asked him to.
None but Devin. She wrung her hands. She did not know what she wanted.
Or, rather, she wanted more time. Julia had nearly been married to a stranger once before and she did not wish to do so for a second time.
She had only known Devin for a few days.
In that time they’d been strangers, enemies and then flirtatious friends.
Warm feelings were already planted in her heart, but they needed time and nourishment to grow.
And she wanted Devin to propose marriage to her not because he had compromised her good name but because he loved her and needed to be by her side. Yet how to put her thoughts into words?
Julia glanced down again at Devin on bended knee.
She had once believed that she wanted power over the other people in her life rather than them having power over her.
But it was not true. She did not want Devin to bow to her.
She wanted to be his equal in all ways. So Julia carefully knelt and asked, ‘Devin, what would you like me to do to make this right?’
‘I should like to marry you, Julia, for you have stolen my heart and my wits.’
‘You didn’t have much of either.’
Devin chuckled and grinned lovingly at her, taking both of her hands into his larger ones.
‘I would argue with you, termagant, but in my proposal this morning I lacked both… I suppose it was easier for me to pretend that I only wanted to marry you to save your reputation rather than to admit that I had fallen hopelessly in love with you.’ He gulped and she could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down.
‘I spoke to Joshua and it appears that the blame of the engagement is entirely my mother’s.
He never asked you to marry him. Nor did he sign the marriage contracts—they were forged by my mother.
And Joshua saw no way out of the wedding without disgracing you and our mother.
But you were unbelievably brave. You saved my brother from a marriage he did not want and kept a secret that could have exonerated you and badly damaged his reputation.
You paid for your bravery with three years of servitude and then I wrongfully accused you and threatened legal action.
Then I treated you shabbily. I do not know how to atone. ’
Squeezing his hands, Julia smiled back at him. ‘And I treated you so nicely too, hedge-bird.’
His laugh echoed off the stone walls and perhaps even her diligent stepmother heard it. ‘You’re ruining my beautiful, heartfelt apology.’
‘And you’re ruining my courtship,’ Julia countered. ‘You haven’t kissed me even once. That is, if you wish to court me and kiss me… I am not yet ready to accept your marriage offer, but I believe I will be, given time to get to know you better.’
Devin definitely wished to court her and to kiss her.
He knew only one way to answer her query.
He released her hands and gently cupped Julia’s cheek, caressing her delicate skin with his fingers.
Leaning his forehead against hers, Devin used his free arm to pull Julia closer to him, her body flush with his own.
He brushed a gentle kiss against her forehead and he could feel her trembling in his arms. He rubbed a circle on her back. ‘Whisht, darling. It’s only a kiss.’
She stiffened in his arms. ‘I’ve never been kissed before. What do I do?’
Devin made a row of kisses from her temple to her chin, before caressing her lower lip with his thumb. ‘Take a breath or you’ll faint and miss the entire thing.’
Julia moaned and made one of those sweet noises she had while sleeping that had inflamed him so. ‘Rudesby.’
He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Peagoose.’
‘Ramshackle,’ Julia said but surprised Devin by putting her arms around his neck.
He nuzzled beneath her ear. ‘Goose-cap.’
‘Blunderhead.’
Unable to think up a suitable retort to deliver with his mouth, Devin gently brushed his lips against Julia’s.
It was even more marvellous than his fantasies.
Her lips were sweet and soft, like the petals of a rose.
He moved his mouth back and forth over hers several times.
This was Julia’s first kiss and Devin needed it to be perfect.
She trusted him with all of her firsts and he wanted to make them wonderful for her.
Lifting her head slightly, he kissed the tip of her saucy chin.
‘I take all of my insults back,’ Julia said in a husky voice, her eyes fluttering open to look at him. ‘That was marvellous.’
‘We are only beginning.’
‘Truly?’
Devin decided that action was better than words.
He licked the seam of her lips and Julia opened her mouth for him.
He tasted her with slow, drugging kisses, before slipping his tongue into her mouth.
He felt her lush body stiffen against his for a moment, but then her arms tightened around his neck and Devin felt her tongue brush his.
Julia was tentative at first, but not for long.
Her demanding personality could not allow him to be in charge the entire time, even for a kiss.
Her tongue tangled with his and her hands moved from his neck to his hair.
Devin couldn’t resist doing the same. Julia’s honey-gold hair had seduced him from the start.
He deftly removed the hairpins until her curls fell long and heavy down her back.
Devin’s fingers ran through her hair and he deepened the kiss—exploring every delicious corner of her mouth.
Then he made a trail of burning kisses from her mouth to her throat. The noises she made were positively indecent and Devin relished every single sound. He made a slow burn of kisses from her throat to her ear and sucked on the tip of it.
She moaned and then said his name. Her hands stilled in his hair.
Devin couldn’t stop himself. He continued to lick and tease her ear with his tongue. ‘What’s on your mind, sweetheart?’
‘Before you court me, you should know that I am not trustworthy, Devin. I peeked at you while you were changing—more than once.’
‘So did I—I could see your reflection in the window.’
Leaning back from him, Julia’s mouth fell open in mock surprise and she cuffed his shoulder with one hand. ‘I thought you were a gentleman. You odious hornswoggler!’
‘And I thought you were a gentlewoman, my infamous lady.’
Julia’s face was flushed and her lips swollen and red from his kisses. She’d never looked more beautiful. ‘Did—did you see much?’
Devin winked at her. ‘Yes.’
Her eyes grew and her mouth widened into a perfect O. ‘Scapegrace.’
‘Did you like what you saw, my little baggage?’
She pursed her lips and shook her head. ‘No.’
‘What a fibster,’ Devin said, tracing her collarbone with gentle fingers.
Julia sucked in a breath and then whimpered when he moved his hand away from her skin. She grabbed his hand and put it back on her collarbone. ‘I might have prevaricated a little.’
‘It was a complete bouncer.’
She made a noise of assent, for he was caressing the square collar of her gown—which seemed to make her body boneless against his. Devin couldn’t resist covering her mouth with his and kissing her one last time. Thoroughly.
The walls of Broadwick Abbey might not have been thick, but if Devin wasn’t careful he would well and truly compromise Julia before they had time for the courtship she needed. He forced himself to get to his feet and pulled her up next to him, making his blood boil with need for her.
Attempting to repair her fallen curls, the tips of Julia’s ears turned pink. ‘Did you like what you saw? I mean, me?’
‘I can hardly wait to court you. Does that answer your question?’
‘Yes.’
‘Would you mind coming to London after the holiday so that we can continue our courtship? I must return to Lincoln’s Inn and my clients.’
‘Yes, but we must travel to Town together,’ Julia said, surprising Devin by giving him a hot, wet kiss. ‘The London road is quite dangerous. There are thieves on the loose and I don’t know if you’re up on all the rigs.’
‘Thanks to you, my love, there are two less thieves on the loose. I placed information with the constable and he arrested them both. The bridle culls are currently locked up tight in the roundhouse and will travel back to London on the next mail coach for their trial.’
‘You still might need me.’
Despite wanting nothing more than to kiss her, Devin’s lips curled up into a smile. Courting Julia would never be dull. ‘I will not go anywhere without you again.’
‘Good, because we need to go to Christmas dinner,’ she said, rising up on tiptoes and kissing the tip of his nose. ‘I believe that our ten minutes have passed and our families are waiting for us. And I should put my horrible father and my poor stepmother out of their misery.’
Devin put his hand in hers. ‘Lead the way, Julia.’
Keep reading for an excerpt from A MARQUESS TO REMEMBER by Jenni Fletcher.