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Prologue
1811 THE DOWAGER HOUSE AT OVERTON HALL , WICKFORD, ESSEX
It wasn’t every day you married two people. But lucky for Asher Hawksworth, he was marrying his best friends.
His bay galloped at breakneck speed across the wide field adjacent to the meeting place where his best friends, Lord Robert Wildstone, the Marquess of Overton, and Lady Elizabeth Marcy, the only child of the Earl of Haverly, waited. All day, Ash hadn’t been unable to think of anything besides making love to them in the same bed and at the same time.
And he was late. Ash was supposed to have arrived at half past one o’clock, but it couldn’t be helped. A farmer’s wife had stopped him on the way, asking for his assistance in freeing a calf from a muddy ditch.
Ash could never say no to a farmer’s wife, any more than he could a farmer. He loved farming and the people who dedicated their lives to it. Agriculture was his calling as well. He knew how hard but rewarding the work could be. Ever since he was a child and realized what it meant to be the second son of a viscount, he’d spent all his time with his father’s elderly land steward learning how to make the land profitable and sustainable.
Ash’s older brother would need his help when he inherited the viscountcy. It wasn’t that Daniel couldn’t handle the responsibility or was lazy, but learning new things was difficult for him. And, just like his feeling about the land, Ash would do everything in his power to help his brother succeed.
As the Overton Hall’s Dowager House came into view, he encouraged his horse to move faster. Both Robert and Elizabeth sat outside waiting for him. Finally, the three of them would belong to one another forever.
The Church of England would never recognize their marriage, but they didn’t need the institution’s approval. Some may say the age of eighteen was too young to consider making a lifetime commitment, but Robert, Elizabeth, and he had old souls.
They knew their marriage would be real, and they were the only ones who mattered. They’d been best friends growing up, spending nearly every waking hour with one another and freely spending time at each other’s homes. Their parents had encouraged their friendship. Ash’s father had hoped that one of his sons would offer for Elizabeth. The same had been true for Robert’s father when he was alive.
Elizabeth was a prize.
And so was Robert.
He grinned as he encouraged the bay to go faster. If only their fathers knew how Ash and Robert had accomplished winning her regard and so much more.
As he raced down the gravel drive, Ash’s heart pounded so hard it threatened to break through his ribs. It wasn’t the exercise but because of what he and his true loves were about to do.
He came to a halt in front of one of the dowager house’s lean-tos and tied the bay to a stall. With a pat on his horse’s withers, he made his way to the front of the house. Robert and Elizabeth were holding hands and smiling brightly. But the way Elizabeth fiddled with the ribbon sash around her waist betrayed her nervousness.
She wasn’t the only one. Robert was biting his lip, and well, Ash wasn’t his most confident self either. This was a huge step for them all. They were committing their lives to one another.
They’d been practically raised together since leading strings. As they grew older, they became inseparable. Elizabeth had been the ringleader in their escapades as they explored every inch of each other’s estates. They played pirates, explorers, and even house. Elizabeth had always insisted that Ash and Robert would both play her husband. But eventually, things changed.
They were no longer just friends.
“You’re finally here,” Elizabeth said as he reached her side. She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You shaved.”
“Yes, well…” he answered with a saucy wink. “I wanted to be at my best. I couldn’t let Robert get all your attention.”
“As if…” Elizabeth blushed with a smile.
“I shaved also,” Robert confided with a sheepish smile. His gaze traveled the length of Ash’s body. “But I’ll warn right now, with your hair shining like winter wheat and your tight-fitting formal morning coat, you’ll receive plenty of attention from both of us.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Ash answered with a naughty smile. Immediately, his cock hardened. It was always that way when either of them examined him too closely. It was as if the blasted organ believed that all their attention was directed at it.
Elizabeth smiled knowingly. “Let’s not tarry.” She gestured toward the front door.
Robert nodded and waved a hand for them to enter the house.
Though Ash was well acquainted with the formal Overton Dowager House, it had a different feel today. A dowager hadn’t lived here in over two decades, but it was cleaned regularly and had made a perfect hideaway for the three of them.
The grand house would witness the three of them pledging their troths and their bodies to one another. Of course, they hadn’t really considered the details of where they would live. Even at eighteen, both he and Robert knew they must be careful. To love another man was considered sodomy, a capital offense that, if discovered, could lead to imprisonment or even death. But Ash pushed such a dire thought away. Worrying about repercussions had no place on their wedding day.
As soon as they all were inside, with the door closed, Elizabeth took their hands and squeezed. “From the time I was a little girl and dreamed of marriage, I’d always known that I’d have two husbands.” She blushed prettily. “Lucky me that I have the two most handsome men in all of England to call husband.”
“Lizzie,” Ash murmured as his throat tightened at the emotion in her eyes. “I’ll love you and Robbie forever.”
Robert came forward and cupped Ash’s cheeks. “I pledge my heart and life to you.” With reverence, he placed his lips to his. Slowly, he broke away and did the same with Elizabeth. “I pledge my heart and life to you.” Again, he pressed his lips to hers.
