Chapter Fifteen
Middlesex, England
Mid-October
T he day Marcus had scarcely believed he would ever see, his wedding day to Joanna, dawned crisp and bright. He was up with the sun, gazing across the manicured front lawn of his newly acquired estate, rechristened Heart’s Haven from its more prosaic name of Morris House. He’d been fortunate to have found a suitable property for sale only a mile and a half from Joanna’s home. Not that he believed she wished particularly to live so close to her brother, but Marcus wished to show Lord Longford that he would take excellent care of his sister, and what better way than by starting out their life together as neighbors.
With a sigh of satisfaction, Marcus turned from the window just as Spencer entered to begin the ordeal of dressing him. The ceremony wouldn’t take place until ten o’clock, but that gave him time, as Spencer fussed over every stitch of clothing, to savor the day. He wanted to remember every moment of it until he was eighty years old and in his dotage.
The past four weeks had been a whirlwind of activity during which he’d not seen Joanna nearly as often as he’d wished. Because Lord Longford insisted he remain in the house until he was well enough to walk, Marcus had spent three heady days with almost unfettered access to Joanna. Granted he was confined to the bed for that entire time, still she came several times each day, tending to his wound, fussing over him in a way that was both embarrassing and delightful. If he hadn’t needed to put the scheme to buy an estate near Joanna’s family in motion, he might have malingered for a week, just so he could continue to see and talk with her every day.
Once Marcus had reluctantly returned to his suite at The Dandy, he’d only been able to meet Joanna once a day, after the dinner to which he’d been invited very cordially by Lord Longford. Despite the man’s professed gratitude for saving his life, Longford still looked at him sometimes as though he’d like to show him the door rather than drink port with him after dinner. Hopefully their continued acquaintance would eventually remove any doubts Longford had about him.
Unfortunately, after a week, the family had removed to Longford Manor in Middlesex, and even these short meetings had ceased, giving Marcus an added impetus to find a suitable home in the vicinity. Last week, he had settled on this property and taken possession only two days ago. And even though the wait to be with Joanna had seemed interminable, now the appointed day had arrived at last. He looked forward to the ceremony with growing anticipation, knowing afterward, he and Joanna would never need to be parted from one another again.
Spencer finished tying his white linen cravat, sticking a pin boasting an enormous pearl into the fabric, then stepped back to view his handiwork. His black morning coat and buff pantaloons set off the snowy white shirt and cravat to perfection, although his colorful waistcoat certainly drew the eye directly to itself. Marcus had been rather skeptical when the tailor had presented it as an elegant option for his wedding suit, but in the end, he’d agreed to the showy white cloth embroidered with bright green vines and leaves intertwined with pink flowers and rosebuds. Marcus only hoped it did not outshine his bride’s gown. “Excellent, Spencer. You are to be commended.”
A glance at his pocket watch told him he was hours away from leaving for the church. Sighing heavily, Marcus quit his chamber and headed downstairs to the breakfast room. It should be quiet at this hour, however that would surely change presently. His family had arrived from Essex yesterday to attend the festivities and after ten years away from them, Marcus had forgotten just how much commotion his four brothers and two sisters could make. They’d grown up during that time, to be sure, but the din at dinner last night had been quite a shock to his system. He’d enjoyed their company, and that of his mother especially, but his years of solitary dining had not prepared him for the boisterous meal punctuated by good-natured arguments, loud chatter, and the sudden tears of his youngest sister, Aurora, when she upset her water glass halfway through the meal.
This morning, however, the room was blessedly empty and Marcus ordered coffee and hoped for half an hour of peace in which to calm his burgeoning nerves. A trembling in his stomach whenever thoughts of seeing Joanna surfaced warned him that breakfast was out of the question. Coffee would settle him down though. However, when the beverage arrived steaming hot and pungent, his insides roiled in protest and Marcus cursed under his breath. This longed-for day would not be without its own bumps it seemed.
The door to the breakfast room opened and his next oldest brother, Anthony, entered looking excited and perhaps a bit anxious. “Good morning, Marcus. Getting close to the finish line, aren’t we?” His brother had agreed to stand up with him in the village church where Mr. Paxton, the vicar, would solemnize the marriage. “Not flustered this morning are you, brother?”
Marcus glared at Anthony, who had always been able to read his moods like a book. “Why would I be flustered when I’m about to get my heart’s desire?”
“Because you think she’s changed her mind—or her brother has.”
A sharp pain shot through Marcus’s midsection, just where the knife had sliced into him. In the back of his mind, he did fear that Longford would have last-minute doubts about agreeing to the marriage. Then he imagined the look of absolute outrage that would appear on Joanna’s face in the event her brother reneged on his promise and his apprehensions eased. Hell would be the only place to hide if Longford betrayed his sister that way.
“Not in the least. I just want the day to go smoothly—for my bride’s sake.” Which was true enough, although Marcus suspected Joanna would be the most calm of all the wedding party. “Do you know if the others are up?” It was eight o’clock and the children were known to dawdle in the mornings. “We must all leave for the church by quarter past nine.”
“Mother and her maid are making certain everyone will be ready on time.” Anthony signaled to a footman who brought him coffee into which he dumped five or six lumps of sugar and a lot of cream.
“How can you stand to drink that sweet mess?” Marcus’s stomach gave another turn at the mere thought and he pushed his cup of black coffee away. He’d wait and see if he could manage something at the wedding breakfast.
“It suits me just fine.” His brother sipped the pale brew with relish then peered at Marcus. “Are you all right?”
“No, I don’t believe I am.” Marcus stood, the waiting suddenly more than he could bear. “We need to leave now for the church.”
“Now?” Anthony looked at him like he was a madman. “But I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“If you live until the wedding breakfast, you can fill your face at Lord Longford’s table. Come with me.” If Marcus didn’t do something, he was going to go mad. He headed out the door, ignoring Anthony’s loud protests. His brother would follow him despite his grousing, of that he was certain. Marcus had paid for all of Anthony’s schooling, including his stint at university, from which he’d just graduated with the expectation of a Grand Tour to begin in the spring. If he wanted to remain in his elder brother’s good graces, he’d follow at Marcus’s heels and not complain about it.
Sure enough, by the time the carriage had been brought around, Anthony appeared beside Marcus, a biscuit in hand and one in his mouth. “If we leave now, how will Mother and the children get to the church?”
“All seven of us were never going to fit in the carriage to begin with.” Marcus peered at his brother, wondering if he’d learned anything at all at Cambridge. “You and I will go ahead and send the carriage back for the others. The wedding carriage will take me and my wife to Longford Manor after the ceremony, so you will have to squeeze in with them to follow us or walk. I understand it’s less than a mile.”
Anthony made a face but followed Marcus into the carriage where they rode in silence the short two miles to the church at Longford.
When they arrived, they found they were not the first. Two carriages stood outside the gray-stone church and several people were milling around the courtyard. Marcus jumped down and hurried to the door, concerned that he’d misjudged the time. But the people in the church were relatives of Joanna’s who’d come from the north for the ceremony. He’d met them the night before at dinner. His pounding heart slowed and he walked slowly toward the altar and sat down on the right-hand pew. Anthony joined him, sitting beside him with hands clasped, gazing around as the church continued to fill.
As the sounds of the swelling crowd increased, Marcus could think of nothing save seeing Joanna coming down the aisle toward him. He really was going to marry her, spend the rest of his life with the only woman he had ever wanted. Despite all of his misguided efforts, Fate had for once aligned with him and given him his heart’s desire.
A sudden feeling of foreboding washed over Marcus, stopping his breath in his chest. Everything was going too well. Something was about to go terribly wrong. Marcus Dandridge may have made a fortune on the turn of a card in each of his gaming establishments, but his luck with anything else had always been sorely lacking. What if Longford was this moment spiriting Joanna off to God knew where, a last-minute change of heart that would devastate both him and his love?
Hands shaking, Marcus wiped his brow. Wasn’t it time for the ceremony to begin? He glanced back over his shoulder to find the church half full of people. His mother and all his brothers and sisters were there. Joanna’s relatives sat across the aisle from them, their curious gazes fastened on their soon to be in-laws. But where was Joanna?
Mr. Paxton emerged from the rectory and motioned for Marcus to stand. With an effort, he did so, Anthony at his side. The door of the church was thrown open and Marcus jerked toward the sound to find Joanna, a vision of loveliness in a pink-silk gown embroidered with pink and white flowers, begin to make her way toward him on the arm of her brother. To his surprise, Lord Longford had a slight smile on his lips. That might simply mean Joanna had given him his marching orders to put a good face on this ceremony. Or the man might have truly had a change of heart toward him.
None of that mattered to Marcus. Lady Joanna Longford was striding down the aisle toward him, smiling as though she was about to burst, ready to marry him. Absolutely nothing else mattered in the wide world.
They arrived and he nodded to her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Her eyes were merry, filled with excitement and joy.
His single purpose in life from this moment forward was to make certain that excitement never palled and that her joy was everlasting.
“Dearly beloved friends, we are gathered together here, in the sight of God and this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”
The ride to the wedding breakfast was strangely quiet. Marcus kept glancing at Joanna, seated to his right, wondering what she was thinking, though the smile had not left her lips since he’d first seen her coming down the aisle. He wasn’t sure what kept her silent, but for him it was the very familiar way their hips pressed against one another, inciting his nether parts to riot.
There was plenty of space on the carriage seat on either side of them, but Joanna had chosen to sit directly beside him, not only making his cock stir alarmingly in his breeches but taking Marcus’s thoughts far beyond the breakfast and into their bedroom tonight. He’d scarcely allowed himself to think about their wedding—not wishing to jinx anything after Joanna had accepted him—much less the wedding night. But now that Lady Joanna Longford had actually become Lady Joanna Dandridge, and her body was pressed so firmly against his, all he could do was see her in his mind’s eye standing in their bedroom at Heart’s Haven, surrounded by a myriad of candles, her naked body glowing as he took her in his arms, reveling as her soft flesh met his bare skin. Their lips would meet, his tongue sliding naturally into her mouth, plundering here and there. Then, his cock almost bursting, he’d hoist her up, press her against the wall, and impale her—
“Marcus?’
He gasped, the spell of his erotic daydream broken, and turned to her. “Yes, my dear?”
“Are you quite all right?” Her brow was furrowed in that charming way that made him want to kiss it and smooth away all her troubles. “You were moaning quite loudly just now. Is your wound troubling you?”
Marcus puffed out a breath and laughed sheepishly. “No, my love. I promise you I am well.” He peered into her face, searching for even a hint of doubt. “And you are well too?”
Joanna laughed, the sound so joyous he gasped. “I am beyond well, Marcus, for I am married to you.” She took his arm, squeezed it, and laid her head on his shoulder. “If there is a happier woman in Christendom I would like to meet her, because I don’t believe she exists.” Sighing, she snuggled down against him and Marcus believed he would die of happiness. “We are going to have the most wonderful, most perfect life, don’t you think?”
For the first time that day, Marcus allowed himself to relax and believe in a future filled with the greatest contentment he’d never quite allowed himself to imagine. “I do, my love. I truly do.”