Charmed By Knight (The Fielding Brothers Saga) (20 page)

“Because I couldn’t sleep last night. In fact, I still have a headache.”

“Well, I have informed Bertha to hurry with your toiletry and make you presentable. Mr. Knight wants to leave as soon as possible.”

“I will be down momentarily.” She rose from her bed and walked over to her closet. “Tell him I will be there within the hour.”

“Oh, piffle. You can get ready quicker than that.”

“Not with a pounding headache.”

Her mother left the room in a fit of giggles. Megan sighed, relieved to have her gone. Soon Bertha was by her side with a drink in her hand.

“I had
Lettie
fix up this tonic. My mother swears by it.”

“What is it for?” Megan sniffed the bitter-smelling liquid. She crinkled her nose.

“It’s for headaches, or hangovers. Whichever occasion calls for it.”

Megan plugged her nose, tilted back the drink and wolfed it down. The bitter tasting thickness edged down her throat. She straightened and gagged. She shivered once and tried to force the nasty taste away. Once Bertha began dressing her in a light green day dress, Megan’s headache gradually disappeared. By the time she walked out of her room and down the stairs, there was no trace of the pounding in her head.

When she entered the parlor and greeted Edmund, she was able to smile without it hurting her face. “Good morning, Mr. Knight.”

He chuckled and glanced at the grandfather clock. “Actually, it’s the afternoon.”

She shrugged. “Forgive me for not rising sooner. I had a very bad night, and worse morning.”

He stepped up to her and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth. “Remind me to thank you later for your intrusion,” he whispered and placed a kiss on her knuckles. He cleared his throat. “You look lovely, as always,” he said louder.

“And, you are just as dashing and charming.”

He gave her hand a tender squeeze before placing it around his elbow. “Shall we be off?”

She nodded, then glanced to her mother. “Are you ready?”

“Oh, yes.” Patrice pulled on her gloves and grabbed her bonnet.

Edmund didn’t disappoint Megan. He escorted her and her mother to the finest shops in London. When Megan began bargaining prices, he scolded her, telling her not to worry about the cost. How could she stop? Her father had driven the idea into her head for the past several years.

By the late afternoon, she’d picked out her gown and several other things needed for the wedding. Her mother’s mood escalated during that time. Was her mother excited over the forthcoming wedding or just the idea of spending money that wasn’t hers?

Although her mother acted as Megan’s chaperone, Edmund still took the liberty to kiss her whenever he saw fit. He’d display his fondness by giving her brief pecks on the cheek, and inside the coach he took it a step further and kissed her lips. A couple of times, he showed his affection inside the store when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her fully. A few spectators got an eyeful, and Megan knew gossip would spread like wildfire. Was he kissing her in public for that very reason? After all, he was used to scandal.

When they returned to the house, her mother made an excuse for having to find her father. She closed the door as she left.

Edmund gathered Megan against him, his smile as warm as the afternoon’s weather. The urge to sigh from the pleasure came to her lips, but she refrained.

“I had a most enjoyable time.”

The huskiness in his tone made her shiver. “As did I.” She chuckled. “In fact, it was almost as if you were actually looking forward to marrying me.”

He cocked his head, his eyebrows drawn together. “Why wouldn’t I want to marry you?”

“I seem to recall a conversation we had while at the woodsman’s cottage. I think you mentioned something about not wanting a wife.”

He laughed. “Yes, I suppose I did say that.”

He swept his hand over her cheek, trailing his fingers over her lips. “Oh, but think how much fun we will have as man and wife living in San Francisco. We will be the envy of every person there, and my lineage won’t have a thing to do with it.” He took her in a dance hold and turned her around in an imaginary waltz. “Can you visualize it? We will be the wealthiest couple in California.”

Her hopes dropped when he confirmed her suspicions.
He wants me for the goldmine.
Once again rejection pierced through her like a knife, cutting deep to her soul. Her lips quivered, but she smiled her best.

She took a deep breath, hoping her voice did not crack. “Why are you so certain the mine will produce gold?”

“I heard it from a very reliable source that the area the mine is located in is very productive.”

“Who is your source?”

He stopped dancing, but still held her close to his body. “The Duke of Ashton. He was there not too long ago. Did you know he owns a hotel? The Fielding Tower Hotel. We will be staying there until our home is completed. I will build you the most beautiful mansion in the new world.”

“Yes, I suppose he’s the kind of man who’d make such wise investments.”

“I have learned much from my friend. I like to think he taught me how to invest wisely.” He chuckled. “I certainly didn’t get it from my father.”

Through her heartache, she detected his pain and received a glimpse of the man behind his outward appearance. If she asked, would he open up to her? She wanted him to, yet why should she care? Perhaps she’d understand why Lord
Thornwyck
took to the bottle so heavily.

“Edmund, would you tell me about your father?”

His happy mood diminished, and a solemn expression crossed his handsome features when he frowned. “What do you want to know?”

“I want to know the real story. The story nobody knows. The story you’re purposely hiding from me.”

Chapter Twelve

Edmund remained stiff as he stared into Megan’s eyes. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, to do something. Just when she thought he wouldn’t tell her, a smile broke across his mouth. He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss on her knuckles, then turned and led them to the sofa.

He pulled her down beside him, his attention focusing on her hand resting in his. With gentle softness, he ran his fingers over her skin. She wanted to cuddle against him, but refrained.

“Remember when I told you before the rumors about my life were true?”

She nodded.

“I meant it.” His gaze lifted and met hers. “The woman I thought was my mother was barren, so in desperation, my father found a willing wench and produced a child.” He shrugged. “Me. My father brought a babe back to his wife and insisted she lie and tell everyone I was her child.”

He stopped and adjusted his position on the sofa, sliding closer to Megan. “The woman I thought was my mother had always been a sickly woman. She hadn’t been out in public for a while, and when she and my father introduced me to society, nobody suspected deceit.”

Megan laid her other hand over his. “I heard you grew up with all the other boys of the peerage.”

“Yes. Everyone accepted me. They didn’t know any differently at the time.”

“Then what happened?”

“When my mother was on her deathbed, she sent her maid to find my real mother.”

Megan touched his cheek and his gaze softened. His gray eyes seemed to melt into silver pools. “Did you ever talk to your real mother?”

“No. I’m certain my father wouldn’t have let her come near me.” He grasped her hand, holding it to his face as he turned and kissed her palm. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m curious. I wondered if you ever discovered why she gave you to your father so easily.”

He chuckled. “What other possible reasoning could there be, my dear? My father paid her well.”

“I’m certain she must have loved—”

“
Shhh
.” He hushed, pressing his fingers to her mouth. “Stop trying to make my life’s story into a happy ending.”

“Forgive me. Will you continue?”

His face loomed near, his lips beckoned for her to kiss. She pulled away before she followed through with her urges.

He sighed. “Once the
ton
found out, all of England knew, it seemed. At age ten, I heard the whispers. People didn’t care if they were rude, and they especially didn’t care they were breaking a little boy’s heart. My father protested, of course, but soon he stopped talking to me. I know his cronies harassed him, but instead of sticking up for his beliefs, and his son, he took the coward’s way out and locked himself in his room. Days passed, weeks, soon months. My only companions were the household staff.”

He sat back and looked up at the ceiling. She detected a shimmer of sadness in his eyes. Her heart ached and reached out to him. She couldn’t possibly imagine what he had gone through back then, and her chest burst with gladness to think he’d share that agony with her now.

“Finally,” he continued, “I decided to shape my own life. If I wanted to be happy, I couldn’t depend on anyone but myself.”

“Do you know why my father loathes Lord
Thornwyck
so much?”

He shrugged. “When I was a young lad, my father used to curse Lord Saxton and the ground he slithered upon. I can only assume they competed some way in their childhood. Each man tried to prove themselves better, and if they couldn’t do that, they would seek revenge.”

“Enough about them.” She sighed, resting her head on the back of the sofa and staring at his profile.
So handsome.
“What did you do after you left home?”

He rolled his head toward her and met her gaze. A smile touched his tempting mouth. “The first thing I did was stowaway on a ship. The captain took pity on me and taught me to become a pirate.”

She jerked up. “Are you jesting? I didn’t think there were pirate ships anymore.”

“I’m quite serious, my dear. There are pirate ships, just not in the way you think. I didn’t know these men were thieves until I’d been with them for a month or so. But I didn’t care, and so decided to stay on.”

“How did you escape?”

He laughed. “I wasn’t held hostage. I was free to leave whenever I chose.”

“How long were you with them?”

“Only a few years. At the age of six and ten, I felt old enough to make my life in London...the back streets of London anyway. From the lowlife miscreants who soon became my family, I learned the art of cheating.”

“Cheating?”

He laughed. “I’m a professional card player.” He touched her chin with his knuckle. “But I think you knew that at the woodsman’s cottage, didn’t you?”

A tug pulled on her lips and she couldn’t stop the grin from growing. “At first I didn’t know, but I soon suspected.”

“I have to admit, our game of Commerce was the most fun I have ever had.”

Her face flamed with remembrance. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

His laughter grew. “Come now, Megan. You cannot tell me you didn’t have an enjoyable time, because I know otherwise.”

When her grin widened, she tried to turn her head to keep him from noticing. He cupped her chin and wouldn’t let her move. His eyes warmed as they gazed at her, and his devilish smile made her heart thunder against her ribs.
Why did he have to be so irresistible?

“Megan, my dear, I can read you perfectly.” He kissed her nose. “And I like what I see.”

She wanted him to kiss her...passionately. Had it only been two nights ago when they had been intimate together? Yet if felt like an eternity.

“Edmund, you have gotten off the subject.” She withdrew, breaking the contact with his hand. “What did you do after learning to cheat?”

His chest vibrated with laughter when he pulled her back into his arms, cuddling her against him as he relaxed in the sofa. “I’d rather not talk any longer.” His attention fell to her mouth. “I can think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time.”

Her heart sped up, and her breathing became ragged. “Edmund, please...”

“Please what, my dear?”

“Please...please...”
Kiss me.

He must have read her mind, because his smile softened as he brought his mouth down to hers. But before they touched, the parlor door flew open and slammed against the wall. She jumped and tried to pull away from their embrace, but Edmund’s arms were like bands of steel and wouldn’t budge.

She glanced across the room to her father who looked as angry as a huffing bull, ready for a fight.

“Knight? What have you done now?”

Edmund’s relaxed expression surprised her. He didn’t look the least bit frightened. In fact, he didn’t even flinch. His body stayed next to hers, his cocky grin returned. “I’m certain I don’t know what you mean, milord.”

“I heard whispering this morning of a duel between you and Rollins.”

She gasped. Her father threw his glare at her. She waited for the fire in his eyes to burn her like a dragon cooking its prey.

“Megan, did you know about this?”

She nodded. “But, there was no duel, Father.”