Stanhope,” she whispered as she exited her bedroom and came to stand with Tulip at the top of the stairs.
“One more thing, my dear.” Tulip leaned a bit closer to her, the tang of the peppermint leaves she often chewed fresh on her breath. “We know very little about your Mr. Masters. If he…hurts you in any way, or you cannot stand…what he does to you in the bedchamber,” she said blushing, “you can come home.”
“Back here?”
“Yes. You can leave if he hurts you.”
The reality of what her aunt said bloomed. “But Aunt, what about you? Why haven’t you left?”
“Me?” Confusion washed across her aunt’s face. “Oh, my dear,” she said with a brittle laugh. “Your uncle loves me.”
“But he hits you.”
“Only when he’s under great strain,” she said, waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss their conversation. “Now, I’ve said what I needed to say. It’s time for you to go to your husband. Your parents would be so proud.”
Her parents.
Their marriage had been special. A true love story, but they were gone and could not help her.
Living with Tulip and Luther, hearing his constant belittling of her aunt, Tess had begun to wonder if her parents’ marriage had even been real. What if she had simply imagined such harmony because of her grief?
Blinking away the sudden onset of tears, she wished again that they could have been here, especially today.
“I know you miss them, my dear.” Tulip leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “But now you will have that handsome man downstairs to look after you.”
“Oh, no, Aunt,” she said, suddenly imbued with strength and courage.
Stand tall, proud and determined, Tess.
“ I will look after myself .”
Tulip tut-tutted and took a step down the grand staircase, leaving Tess with no option but to follow and walk into the bowels of the unknown.
The moment she entered the morning room, her gaze set on Aiden. Her throat closed over.
Dressed in a navy tailcoat and crisp white shirt beneath his brocade waistcoat, black trousers molded his thighs. The man was so handsome, so powerful—and soon to be her husband.
His hair had been trimmed, which caused a surprising flutter of disappointment. She remembered the feel of it sliding across her fingertips. Remembered delighting in it.
…
At her footstep, Aiden discontinued talking to the man at his side and turned to her, his darkened gaze holding her captive. She tightened her grip on her bouquet. It was time to get married. She took one step into the room, then another, drawn by the intensity of his gaze.
“You came,” she whispered as she came alongside him.
He leaned toward her, his warm breath teasing her skin. “You thought perhaps I wouldn’t?”
He’d read her mind.
“Tut, tut, sweet Tess. Trust is such an important aspect of marriage, is it not?” He offered her a wink and her cheeks burned.
A subtle cough from the vicar standing in front of them interrupted any opportunity for her to respond and she tore her gaze from Aiden’s.
The next few minutes passed in a daze of words, until it was Aiden’s turn to recite his vows.
“Please repeat…I, Aiden Masters, Earl of Charnley.”
An earl?
Eyes wide, Tess rounded on him. “You are a peer,” she accused.
Humor glittered in his piercingly blue eyes. “I am.”
“What were you doing at the Bancroft’s dance? That isn’t the sort of thing I would expect an earl to attend. Or is it that you only steal from those not of your station?”
“I attended incognito with a friend.”
“And did you not think that you being a peer is something I should know prior to our wedding?”
“Remiss of you for not informing your betrothed, Charnley?” the man at his side chuckled.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders. “All in good time.”
“And when would that time have been, my lord ?”
His lips curved into a nonchalant smile. “Who knows? Let’s just say it is a point of interest I decided to hold
“One more thing, my dear.” Tulip leaned a bit closer to her, the tang of the peppermint leaves she often chewed fresh on her breath. “We know very little about your Mr. Masters. If he…hurts you in any way, or you cannot stand…what he does to you in the bedchamber,” she said blushing, “you can come home.”
“Back here?”
“Yes. You can leave if he hurts you.”
The reality of what her aunt said bloomed. “But Aunt, what about you? Why haven’t you left?”
“Me?” Confusion washed across her aunt’s face. “Oh, my dear,” she said with a brittle laugh. “Your uncle loves me.”
“But he hits you.”
“Only when he’s under great strain,” she said, waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss their conversation. “Now, I’ve said what I needed to say. It’s time for you to go to your husband. Your parents would be so proud.”
Her parents.
Their marriage had been special. A true love story, but they were gone and could not help her.
Living with Tulip and Luther, hearing his constant belittling of her aunt, Tess had begun to wonder if her parents’ marriage had even been real. What if she had simply imagined such harmony because of her grief?
Blinking away the sudden onset of tears, she wished again that they could have been here, especially today.
“I know you miss them, my dear.” Tulip leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “But now you will have that handsome man downstairs to look after you.”
“Oh, no, Aunt,” she said, suddenly imbued with strength and courage.
Stand tall, proud and determined, Tess.
“ I will look after myself .”
Tulip tut-tutted and took a step down the grand staircase, leaving Tess with no option but to follow and walk into the bowels of the unknown.
The moment she entered the morning room, her gaze set on Aiden. Her throat closed over.
Dressed in a navy tailcoat and crisp white shirt beneath his brocade waistcoat, black trousers molded his thighs. The man was so handsome, so powerful—and soon to be her husband.
His hair had been trimmed, which caused a surprising flutter of disappointment. She remembered the feel of it sliding across her fingertips. Remembered delighting in it.
…
At her footstep, Aiden discontinued talking to the man at his side and turned to her, his darkened gaze holding her captive. She tightened her grip on her bouquet. It was time to get married. She took one step into the room, then another, drawn by the intensity of his gaze.
“You came,” she whispered as she came alongside him.
He leaned toward her, his warm breath teasing her skin. “You thought perhaps I wouldn’t?”
He’d read her mind.
“Tut, tut, sweet Tess. Trust is such an important aspect of marriage, is it not?” He offered her a wink and her cheeks burned.
A subtle cough from the vicar standing in front of them interrupted any opportunity for her to respond and she tore her gaze from Aiden’s.
The next few minutes passed in a daze of words, until it was Aiden’s turn to recite his vows.
“Please repeat…I, Aiden Masters, Earl of Charnley.”
An earl?
Eyes wide, Tess rounded on him. “You are a peer,” she accused.
Humor glittered in his piercingly blue eyes. “I am.”
“What were you doing at the Bancroft’s dance? That isn’t the sort of thing I would expect an earl to attend. Or is it that you only steal from those not of your station?”
“I attended incognito with a friend.”
“And did you not think that you being a peer is something I should know prior to our wedding?”
“Remiss of you for not informing your betrothed, Charnley?” the man at his side chuckled.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders. “All in good time.”
“And when would that time have been, my lord ?”
His lips curved into a nonchalant smile. “Who knows? Let’s just say it is a point of interest I decided to hold
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