Her Sudden Groom (33 page)

“
Oh stop, Edward. You’re embarrassing her. She probably had no idea what she was getting herself into by marrying Alex,” Regina said in her defense.

“
Exactly,” Alex agreed. “But it’s too late now. You’ve already vowed to love, honor, and cherish me—and coincidentally my unscrupulous family—until death do we part.”

She smiled at his words. That was a task she’d gladly do. However, she still had one concern. Well, not a concern really, because it might explain why the family seemed so accepting of her and her mother’s scandalous past. “How exactly did Edwina get this book to send to me in the first place?” she asked carefully. Or as carefully as one could when they were practically accusing someone’s daughter of being a trollop.

No offense seemed to be taken though.

“
Actually, I highly doubt
she
ever even came in contact with it,” Edward said proudly. “No, though she’s got her papa’s unusual humor, she probably paid a servant handsomely to buy it for her and attach her note before sending it here.”

Everyone seemed to accept his suggestion either because they believed it or didn’t wish to entertain the notion of Edwina not being the proper young lady they thought she was. Caroline didn’t know which, and she wasn’t going to press.

Suddenly, Alex and his mother started chuckling again. She stared at them both. “What’s so amusing?” she demanded, perturbed.

“
You,” Alex said as if that explained everything.

“
What he means to say,” his mother intoned, holding her napkin in such a way her grin was mostly hidden, “is that the dubious look on your face is absolutely hysterical.”

Caroline looked to a shrugging, innocent-looking Edward. “What are they talking about?”

“
I have no idea,” Edward said.

Their laughter started again, louder this time. “Tell her, Alex,” Regina said between bursts of laughter.

He shook his head. “I can’t.”

“
Good,” Edward murmured, then turned to Caroline with a wink. “Now, are you going to open that book or am I?”

“
Not now.” She brought it to her chest so he couldn’t grab it from her and open it in front of everyone. She would open it later. Preferably while she was hidden behind the dressing screen so nobody could see her face. She flushed. The book was extremely heavy and thick, presumably due to the many delicious pages that were bound between the covers, begging an innocent and curious girl to devour them like the wanton she couldn’t deny she was swiftly becoming.

“
Open it,” Alex encouraged again.

She looked at him and resisted the urge to whack him upside the head with the book. She’d open it when she was ready to.

Regina’s amusement died and she adopted a more serious look. “Caroline dear, that book is
not
what you think it is,” she said, a smile cracking her lips. “And, it’s not from who you think it is.”

“
All right,” Edward spoke up, throwing his hands up in the air. “I sent it. There, are you satisfied? Edwina is a good girl who would not bribe a servant to buy a naughty book.”

Caroline didn’t know if she was relieved to hear that about Edwina or embarrassed that her new
father-in-law had bought her a dirty book. Actually, the last prospect was just plain uncomfortable. She looked at Alex. He was
still
laughing. Not loudly. Actually, not at all, physically. It was just his eyes really. They were full of laughter.

“
Alex.” Caroline glanced at his parents with unease. “What’s going on?”

His face suddenly transformed and he looked uncertain. “My father gave you a wedding present. And disguised it as being from Weenie,” he added a moment later.

“
Go on, open it, gel,” Edward said yet again.

Now she was certain she didn’t want to. A naughty book from Edwina, a young girl who knew probably as much, if not less, than Caroline did about marital matters was one thing. A book from her father-in-law on the subject was quite another. “I can’t.” She handed it to him. He could have it back and do with it what he wanted.

“
I’ll do the honors then,” Edward agreed, turning the package so the knot of twine faced him.

Caroline’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. “Surely you don’t mean to—” She leapt from her seat as he broke the twine and tossed it on the floor.

He grabbed hold of the edge of the paper and gave a mighty rip. Caroline clapped one hand over her eyes and the other over her mouth in horror as he continued to unwrap the package.

Trying to be nonchalant, Caroline moved her fingers apart just a fraction. All right, she’d admit it, but only to herself—she was still curious as to what that book contained.

“
Here, gel,” Edward said, holding it out to her in a way that she couldn’t see the title. “I’ve marked the good parts for you.”

She gasped.

He chuckled and waved the book at her. “I see you peeking.”

She grunted and lowered her hands, exposing her heated face to them. She quickly snatched the book and brought it to her chest, wrapping both arms around it to keep everyone else from seeing even a corner of it.

“
What’s the title?” Alex murmured, moving his hands to try and pull it from her grasp.

She swayed away and shot him a crippling look that seemed to have no effect on him. “Please don’t, Alex,” she said quietly. Where had the sweet man who hadn’t wished to shame or embarrass her in front of their families or servants gone?

All the humor in the room died and Regina came to her side. “We’re sorry, Caroline. We didn’t mean to embarrass you. You may not know this, but the Bankses are notorious for…” She trailed off. “Just look at the title.”

Embarrassed she’d just ruined their fun by acting like a ninny, Caroline shot them all an apologetic look then relaxed her arms and let the book naturally fall with her arms until the title was in front of her. She blinked. “Good gracious,” she said, exacerbated. “You gave me the Bible?” A giggle passed her lips. They probably all thought she was a goose. She fingered a little slip of paper that poked out of the middle of the book. “I suppose this is where I’ll find the beginning of Song of Solomon,” she mused, flashing Edward a wry smile in hopes of recovering his joke.

The man’s eyes went wide and he brought his hands to his chest as if he were having a sudden pain in his heart. “Absolutely not. That mark is in the book of Ruth, young lady.” He turned to Alex. “Son, I do believe your new bride has her mind in the mud.”

“
What a shame,” Alex murmured, not a bit apologetically. “I shall do my best to reform her.”

Caroline flipped to where the slip of paper hung out the end. It was indeed placed at the first chapter of Ruth. She flashed them a quick smile then read the words that were written on the parchment.

Dearest Caroline,

We are very happy to welcome you into our family, dear girl. We wish you many years of happiness with our son.

Much love,

Edward and Regina

“
Thank you,” she said, her voice uneven. Their gift had not been the Bible. Well, it had, but it wasn’t the main part. The real gift was in that simple, two line note. They were welcoming her into their family with open arms. She’d never felt as safe and welcomed as she did just then. They’d even gone so far as to initiate her into their fold with one of their ridiculous jests, and nothing could have brought her more joy.

Alex came to stand next to her. “Is everything all right?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, unable to speak through the emotion clogging her throat. She replaced the note into the book of Ruth and shut the Bible before meeting the warm, loving gazes of Regina and Edward. She took a deep, calming breath. “That was most kind.”

Edward coughed. “Are you disappointed?”

“
Disappointed?” she echoed.

“
Yes. That you didn’t truly get a naughty book,” he teased.

“
No, not really.” She returned his smile.

“
Good. Welcome to the family, gel. I’ve played that trick on all my brothers and their wives,” he explained with a grin that spoke of all kinds of mischief.

“
Even John and Carolina?” she asked in disbelief. John was a minister, after all. Surely his wife would not have found that joke any more amusing while it was happening than she had.

“
Yes, even them,” Regina said, tittering. “Except Edward didn’t claim it was from Edwina since she wasn’t even born yet. Instead, he said it was from me. He even had me write the note on the outside and give it to her at their wedding breakfast.” She stopped talking and tried her best to purse her lips. Her shoulders shook and she held up a single finger while she recomposed herself. A second later, she took a deep breath. “The look of embarrassment on Carolina’s face when I handed it to her and she read the note paled in comparison to the look of sheer horror that took its place when four-year-old Alex yanked it from her hands and started running around the room unwrapping it and yelling, ‘A present! A present!’”

Caroline could hold her composure no longer and joined his parents in dissolving into laughter at the mental picture Regina’s story created.

Her amusement, however, died on the spot when Alex leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I’ll meet you in our room in thirty minutes.”

Chapter 18

Alex watched the second hand on his watch tick by with all the speed of a tortoise in a race. He frowned and tapped the glass with his finger. Perhaps he should wind it. That was the second time the thing had stopped ticking. Oh hell’s afire, the watch had
not
actually stopped. He was just being so impatient he’d imagined it had. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He needed to think of something—anything—else.

Finally, twenty-nine minutes had concluded and Alex shoved to his feet. From where he was, it would take him exactly one minute to get to his room. If he walked at a leisurely pace, that is. Which he would. He wasn’t going to enter that room one second before thirty minutes had passed. He didn’t wish to appear impatient.

A minute and three seconds later, he took a final breath and knocked on the door to the room he’d slept in for as long as he could remember.

“
Come in.”

Needing no more encouragement, he swung open the door, walked inside, and blinked in surprise. Every candle in the room was lit. He’d always thought virgins were skittish and would prefer it to be completely dark. He shrugged off the notion along with his coat, waistcoat, and cravat. Placing them on the back of the chair, he sought Caroline with his eyes.

She was sitting in his bed, leaning against the pillows she’d propped up against the headboard. The covers pooled around her waist, and she wore a white, virginal nightrail buttoned all the way to her throat. He swallowed. That nightrail would be gone post haste. Turning his attention to his boots, he quickly untied them and kicked them off, not giving any thought to where they landed.

He walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. Scratching his temple, he smiled uneasily at her. “Caro, do you…um…do I need...” He trailed off and broke eye contact with her. Perhaps he should have asked his mother to talk to her about what to expect tonight. Surely Marcus hadn’t, and she’d had no other relations who would even know what to tell her.

She laughed and leaned forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Nobody needs to explain anything to me,” she said softly. “I’m a member of the
Society of Biological Matters
, remember?”

“
That’s right. And I promised you a lesson in physical science and biology tonight, didn’t I? Well, Mrs. Banks, I am a man of my word and I am about to deliver.”

She smiled at him, and he pressed a kiss to her sweet lips. “Will this be the topic of the next
Society
meeting?” she asked, grinning.