The Vengeful Bridegroom. Kit DonnerЧитать онлайн книгу.
he would fix everything after the marriage was annulled. He’d ensure what funds remained after paying off his debtors would be considered Madelene’s dowry. With that responsibility put to rest, he could relax with his new friend. “Let’s drink to our success.”
Matthew accepted the brandy Mr. Brelford offered, which he threw back before slipping out the door and down a rickety staircase to a back street, where he had instructed the hack to wait. Relaxed and on his return to Bloomsbury, he was willing to admit the earlier scene with Madelene had shaken his resolve a bit. However, his sister, as usual, would make everything turn out tolerably well.
Overly pleased with himself, Matthew failed to notice a young man, more a picture of a thief than a gentleman, climb the stairs to knock on Brelford’s door. The young man wondered how much blunt it would take to learn what Sir Matthew Colgate had planned. Mr. Westcott would pay a good wage if his news was of import.
Chapter Two
“Are you sure you want to do this, Gabriel? It all sounds quite outlandish.” Former mistress, Miss Caroline Montazy, watched Gabriel Westcott from across her seat in the carriage.
Gabriel turned from looking out the window and studied Caroline. No one observing her dowdy gray carriage dress and plain mantle with a severe bonnet perched on top of her blond hair would recognize her as an Original. He smiled stiffly and leaned back against his seat.
“Caroline, have you ever known me to be careless in any of my arrangements? I have thought long and hard over this plan, and I am convinced I will succeed.” He gestured to her costume. “You do look the part of my country cousin.”
She scoffed. “The part I play in this little drama, I hope, will be brief. We must get you married to this woman before her brother discovers you are one step ahead of him.”
“Exactly. We’re almost there. Don’t forget your lines, you must be convincing.” His revenge almost at hand, he wondered why he didn’t feel more satisfaction than he did. His goal almost realized, and yet he felt nothing. Sir Matthew Colgate would receive his comeuppance when he learned who had kidnapped his sister, Miss Madelene Colgate.
Caroline nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll do exactly as you require. I simply wish you weren’t going to such drastic measures to exact your revenge, especially on the girl, who appears to be innocent in any of her brother’s doings.” She peered at him more closely. “And that disguise. I can only hope the lady doesn’t immediately become indisposed and take to her bed after one look at you.”
Gabriel made no comment, satisfied his disguise would be a means to an end, even if he was unaccustomed to a heavy beard and spectacles. Their carriage came to a halting stop at a fashionable town house in Bloomsbury. Dusk had almost settled, creating a warm peach haze. As they descended the carriage, Gabriel vaguely noticed a peddler wheeling his cart of wood carvings down the street, and a maid on the steps of the next house over calling children in to wash for tea. Another ordinary day for most of the Town.
The town house, with standard façade of stucco over brick with a bowed window and flower boxes, looked empty, somehow deserted, until a young maid answered his knock. Before she could utter a greeting, Gabriel ushered Miss Montazy before him and followed her into the house, as if they had been welcomed there often.
“Good afternoon. We are here to see Miss Madelene Colgate. It is an urgent matter. Is she at home?” Gabriel removed his beaver hat and gloves and smoothed his hair while waiting for an answer, which came from the lady in question.
“Millie, who is it?” a lilting voice called down from the first-story landing. “Please tell whoever it is that I have just returned from calling and can see no one at the moment. Perhaps they could leave their card and return another time.”
She watched them look up at her in her carmine walking dress with feathered pelisse and red bonnet as she leaned on the gold railing. Perhaps they were friends of Matthew’s. Dismissing them, she began to turn away.
“Miss Colgate. I’m Leonard Brelford, your betrothed. I’ve come with my cousin. Do you forget we are to be married today?” His voice echoed in the hallway chamber. The stranger calling himself her intended walked toward the stairs, stopping at the bottom of the grand staircase. He put one foot on the first step and rested an elbow on the staircase newel. His gaze never left her, pinning her to the spot.
Madelene dropped her bonnet and put her red-gloved hands to her mouth. Not today. It can’t be today. Surely, it was to be tomorrow, the eighteenth of May. Today was only the seventeenth. She slowly walked toward the top of the main staircase to face him, the man claiming to be her husband-to-be.
Her first impression of the stranger was one of surprise. She would have preferred less bushy hair on his head and a clean-shaven countenance. His spectacles magnified his eyes in a strange way. I know I must seem small-minded to desire my husband to have a pleasing persona, but truly, he does have an aura of a rather overbearing nature.
She had hoped, irrationally, Matthew would find a new plan and extricate her from the present ridiculous marriage arrangement. Last night, he had even mentioned something about a valuable dagger.
But it must have led to naught. Unfortunately, she had been unable to find a solution herself with so little time.
She had one last hope. Perhaps she could reason with her false betrothed. “Sir, I would be persuaded not to sound unreasonable for your urgency. However, I must remind you that today is only the seventeenth, and my brother assuredly mentioned the wedding to take place on the eighteenth. You’ll need to return tomorrow.”
She gave him a beatific smile. “However, since you are here, we can discuss our plans in more detail for the marriage ceremony occurring tomorrow. Would you and your cousin, is it, kindly wait in the parlor? Millie can show you the way. I’ll just be a moment.” Again, she turned to leave. And again he stopped her.
In a few strides, he had climbed the stairs until he stood by her side, his hand outstretched in front of him. “Miss, your brother has changed the plans. I cannot believe he did not apprise you that we need to marry today. The sooner, the better.”
She stared askance at this stranger before shaking her head, unwilling to admit to herself that his calm dispassionate voice unnerved her. “Mr. Brelford, I can assure you that we have until tomorrow. Matthew told me it was the eighteenth of May, and he would certainly not have forgotten to tell me if the date had changed.” She gave him another beguiling smile, usually effective on most gentlemen. Her shoulder turned, his arm shot out to forestall her.
“Miss Colgate, it is to be today. Probably your brother did not wish to worry you. Sir Colgate informed me only this morning he thought it best to have the ceremony one day ahead. I’ve brought my cousin, Miss Caroline Montazy, to serve as a witness. Dare I hope your trunk is packed?” He scooped up her bonnet and thrust it in Madelene’s one hand, then grasped her other hand to pull her down the stairs.
She tugged to escape from his grasp, a futile effort. There had to be a way to delay what seemed the inevitable, if only for a day. “Please, sir, I must change and make myself more presentable. I must look a regular sight. And we should truly wait for my brother.”
She could only stare at the back of his bushy head in frustration when he didn’t respond but brought her down to the vestibule. Her red boots tapped on the black and white tiles as she followed him, her hand still gripped in his.
“Miss Madelene Colgate, it is my pleasure to introduce you to my cousin, Miss Caroline Montazy. Caroline, meet my bride-to-be.” Madelene thought he certainly conducted these arrangements in a formal business manner, with no hint of warmth or pleasantries. A forewarning?
She nodded at the other woman, desperate to keep her wits about her. It was all happening so quickly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss, Miss Montazy.” Surely, her cheeks were a bright red to match her costume, while her heart beat at a frantic pace. She needed more time and something cool to ease her parched throat.
The cousin gave Madelene a warm smile. “I am delighted that you are to be part