Captain Amberton's Inherited Bride by Jenni Fletcher

Author:Jenni Fletcher [Fletcher, Jenni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-01-05T14:43:03+00:00

Chapter Ten

‘What would you like to do with the house?’

Lance shifted forward on the bench, trying to catch a glimpse of Violet’s averted face as they sat side by side in the rolling carriage. The tops of the moors were still covered in snow, but the valleys had cleared sufficiently for them to make the journey to Whitby without too much difficulty. The weather had improved markedly over the past week, so that it felt like spring today instead of winter. Now they were on the outskirts of town, two scant hours before their wedding, although there was somewhere else they needed to go first.

‘Sell it.’ She didn’t hesitate. ‘Unless you want to keep it?’

‘Not if you don’t want to.’

He shook his head, not that there was much point in doing so when she wouldn’t look at him, but at least she was speaking now, which was more than she’d done since breakfast. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, her small hands gripped rather than folded together in her lap, her jaw a tightly drawn line. If he wasn’t mistaken she was clenching her teeth. If she didn’t relax soon, then she’d break a tooth for certain.

He only hoped that it was pre-wedding nerves and not that she’d changed her mind and felt honour-bound to go ahead, although he was reluctant to ask the question out loud. It had been a week since she’d accepted his proposal and he’d thought that they’d been getting along well enough.

Admittedly, he’d been busy at the mine during the days, but they’d spent their evenings together in the drawing room, either talking or reading or playing cards. She’d seemed reasonably calm until that morning—happy, even. Strangely enough, it had felt good to make her happy, as if he were doing something positive for once in his life. To his surprise, he’d felt reasonably happy, too. He’d even been sleeping better. He’d never imagined spending his life with any woman for a prolonged period of time, even so much as a week, but he’d actually enjoyed being with her.

Today, however, was the real test. It was now or never. He’d given her as long as possible to be certain, but in another day, the terms of her father’s will would expire. They could either be rich together or poor separately, although, somewhat alarmingly, that seemed to be a more difficult decision for her than he’d thought. Dressed in a plain grey morning gown, her small face pale and drawn, she looked more like a woman on her way to the gallows than a bride on the happiest day of her life.

‘Very well, then.’ He did his best to sound cheerful. ‘I’ll ask Mr Rowlinson to look out for a buyer. I just wondered if you’d like to keep your own establishment in Whitby.’

‘No.’ She pressed the flat of her hand against her stomach. ‘After today, I never want to go back.’

He lifted an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic edge in her voice. Going to the house that morning had been his suggestion.

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