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Once he drew back from their kiss, he said, “I probably should have not done that because now I want to more than anything pick you up and race upstairs to my—soon to be our—bedchamber.” He ran his hands up and down her body and didn’t stop until they were both panting and staring into each other’s eyes. “Damn this dinner party.”
Natalie pulled back and laughed. “When will you obtain a special license?”
“Ah, I hear the voice of an eager woman.” He grinned, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “I have already applied.”
She smirked at him. “Yes, I would say you were quite sure of yourself, Lord St. John.”
“Indeed, I was, Mrs. Shaw.” After another kiss that left them both gasping for air, he took her hand, linking their fingers together. “Let us join our guests, my love, and tell them of our wonderful news.”
* * *
“How long willit take you to snatch the kid?” Mildred asked. “It’s been over a week.”
“I’m trying. I followed her for a couple of days, but it’s confusing. She leaves in the morning from the Sterling townhouse to go to school. Then when she leaves the schoolhouse in the afternoon, she goes to the infirmary.”
“So?”
Gerard watched her eat another piece of cake. Again, he wondered why he bothered with the chit. Her father was close to disowning her. The only salvation for them was if he grabbed the little girl and offered her up to St. John as a reward for the nob to marry Mildred.
He already had his eye on a maid in the house where he worked as a stable hand. His plan was to have her apply for a position at whatever house Mildred convinced St. John to let her hide until the babe was born.
Two women.
One with the money to provide him with the life he deserved and the other to warm his bed in a very interesting way. All he had to do was remove the little girl from the clutches of her mother.
There were times when he wondered if it was all worth it. He was handsome, strong, tall, and could find another woman—older, and wealthy, of course—who wanted someone to pay attention to her, keep her happy in bed, and make her feel as though she was young again.
“You must get this done soon, Gerard. My papa is threatening me with all sorts of things. If he doesn’t throw me out onto the streets, he will send me to relatives in America. The last thing I want to do is live among the barbarians. You must save me. This is all your fault! You told me I didn’t have to worry about a babe because you knew what to do.”
“Hush!” He pinched the flesh between his eyes. He was so tired of listening to the chit. If this thing didn’t work, he might escape to America himself.
“I will do it soon. I’ve been watching her and know her schedule. I’ll grab her soon.” He had to get this over with before he lost his mind.
Why the devil did he ever get involved with this woman?
CHAPTER14
“Since you are the only male family member for Natalie, I’d like to set a time when we can work out the marriage contracts.” Alex took the seat across from Sterling at the club where many of Bath’s gentlemen gathered in the afternoon.
“Ah, so it’s official, is it?” Sterling grinned at him.
“Indeed it is. I proposed to her last night. And she said yes.”
He still couldn’t believe he was to marry Natalie. When he thought about how they came together and were so quickly attracted to each other, it was almost surreal. Then their attraction grew into an attachment that he was still hard pressed to understand. Especially considering Natalie’s statement upon meeting him that she had no intention of ever having a husband again.
“Congratulations,” Sterling said. “You are marrying a very fine woman. I’ve had time to get to know her since she’s been living with us, and I am sure you have made an excellent choice.”
Alex waved a footman over and ordered a brandy. “And I will become a father as soon as the vows are completed. Annalise is such a sweet little girl.”
Sterling took a sip of his coffee. “That she is. When she first arrived with her mother, she was four years of age and had such a haunted look about her. She was afraid of her own shadow. She didn’t speak to me until they were with us at least a full month. And then she always looked at me as if I were going to scold her.”
Alex leaned back in his chair and swirled the brandy in his snifter. “Natalie shared very little about her marriage. In fact, the most I know is from what you told me Rayne passed along. How a man could browbeat a woman and a small child makes my stomach churn.”
Sterling nodded. “I understand. A man is supposed to protect his woman and children, not beat them into submission or bully them.”
Two other men familiar to both Sterling and Alex walked past them and offered their greetings. After they moved on, Sterling asked, “When do you wish to work out the marriage contracts?”
Alex took a sip of brandy. “As soon as possible. Both Natalie and I agreed on a quick wedding.” He looked up and smiled. “Do not ask me why.”
