To Love, Honor, and Obey... (Fated for Love) (23 page)

*~The End~*

Jeremy Adler couldn't believe his blind luck. He frequently remembered that summer night when he was returning late with his new goat, and he saw an
angel standing at the edge of the bridge. She jumped, and he raced over the bridge, his mule baying in protest as they rocketed along the road following the river. He had stopped and jumped out of his cart, running into the water like a madman, throwing his arms into the river searching for the angel who must be there. He had been chest deep, the current tugging at him, as she collided with him, his arms coming around her and pulling her to the surface. He had thought she was dead until the fluttering of a shallow breath had proved otherwise. He took her home, and he thanked God every day, though he wasn't certain that she felt the same.

It had taken three days and a fever before she woke. She claimed she didn't remember her name, but he wasn't sure he believed her, even now. It didn't matter. She had begged to stay, taking the role of caregiver to his ill father, and bringing a light into their modest home that had never been there before. They had taken to calling her
Angel, though she protested it.

She brushed of
f any questions about where she may have come from until finally they had settled into a routine and stopped asking. He didn't care anymore. He never wanted her to leave—ever, but something was changing about her, and he was dying to ask her what he was afraid his heart already knew.

Winter was coming, a fire snapped in the hearth as she hummed and stitched one of his shirts. His father had retired to his room, his cough worsening. He circled the small room before he took the seat closest to her and summoned the courage to speak.

“Angel,” he said.

She smiled reluctantly. “There is no need to call me that.”

“But you are an angel. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to care for my father and this farm. He would have died, and I would have lost everything,” he said earnestly.

“And where would I be without you?”

He didn't like to think about that. “Do you remember anything before that night?”

Her expression turned to stone. “No, and I don't want to discuss it.”

“But...” He grasped for courage. He would hate himself forever if he drove her away. “You're changing, I can tell. I don't know much about women, but living on a farm, one learns a lot about reproduction.”

Her hands stilled. They began to shake as she slowly set the shirt down. “I—I...”

“It's doesn't matter to me, Angel, but did you even know?”

Patience nodded, the carefully constructed composure she had erected crumbling. She had known this would happen, but denial was a powerful ally, and she had hoped to put it off for a little longer. “I'll go.”

“No!” He came to his knees before her and grabbed her hands before she could even move. “I need you. If the father doesn't care, I don't care. Please stay. I'll gladly marry ye and call the babe my own, just please don't leave.”

Patience had lost the ability to
breathe. Jeremy and his father had been so kind to take her into their home when she had none. She had worked every day that she was capable to earn her keep, but she never thought of this. “You would marry me?”

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. It
’s as if God sent you to me, answering my every prayer.”

“Jeremy...”
she gasped. She had no idea he felt this way. She had always seen him staring at her, but never thought much of it. She didn't want to notice, didn't want to feel anything for a muscular, bronzed by the sun farmer who had more heart than anyone she ever knew. Feelings, attraction, a handsome face; that's what had led her to ruin. “I don't know what to say.”

She was not the angel he described; she was a liar, a fallen woman. She remembered everything about her old life, though she tried to forget it. She didn't deserve this kind, sweet man.

“Say yes
. Say you will be my wife. I can't give you fancy dresses and jewels, but I can keep a roof over your head, and keep you warm at night. I don't care about your past. Divine providence—fate, whatever you want to call it led me to that bridge that night. “I'm just a farmer with a meager income, but I will make myself worthy of your love.”

Patience swallowed. Tears came to her eyes and soaked her lashes. She had been dishonest, but she couldn't go forward without telling him the truth now. “Jeremy, it is I who am not worthy. I lied to you. I know my name,
and I know where I came from. I am ruined and can never return to my family. I shamed my mother so completely that I had no recourse but to take my own life. That's why I jumped from the bridge that night. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you would take me home. I can't ever go home.”

The look on his face said it all. He dropped her hands and stood. “You wanted to kill yourself and your baby?”

“She said it was my only choice. With no husband to give me his name, I was worthless. She said it’s exactly what her mother would have expected of her.”

“Who said
this?” Jeremy said angrily.

“My mother
,” Patience sobbed.

He stumbled back. “Your mother told you to take your life because you are with child? What about the father?”

“He cares naught for me. He is a known rake. I thought he cared for me. He lured me to an empty room under the guise of a group game with the other guests. I was a fool.” She slid to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She jumped when she felt his arms come around her. She had never been held like this before. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. “Please don't make me go. I will work hard for my keep, even with the baby.”

“Shhhh.” He ran a hand over her hair. “What is your name?”

“P-patience Wickenham,” she hiccupped.

“Where are you from?”

“Willowton.

“And you have no other family?”

She shook her head. “They must think I'm dead. I'd prefer it to be left at that.” She pulled back and used the sleeve of her dress to dab at her eyes.

“That's going to be a problem,”
he said. “I can't marry a dead woman.”

Her head snapped up. “You would still have me after all I just told you?”

“I would.” He wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I have more bad news
,” she said sheepishly. “I'm only seventeen.”

He grimaced. “Well, it seems it will have to be an anvil wedding for us, and before full winter sets in.”

She kissed him exuberantly and then pulled back. “You have saved me, Jeremy. You are
my
angel.”

He looked away bashfully. “I don't know about that.”

“I mean it. You are more than I deserve.”

He shrugged, but his red face gave away his true feelings. “We can call it even. Patience Wickenham, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He looked into her eyes.

Patience nodded and smiled. “Yes, I will.”

It was the start of the season, a season Obedience was grateful she wouldn't have to participate in, but Chance insisted they come to town before travel was no longer advisable to meet his closest friends. They were out of the period of mourning, although they still talked about his father daily. Soon
, she would enter confinement, and they would remain at Willowton Park until after the baby was born. She was not alone in her delicate condition. Three beautiful women sat across from her eyeing her with rapid interest and equally round abdomens.

“Well, it seems we were all rather busy this past summer.”

Two of the women snickered, the pretty blonde turning a becoming shade of pink before smiling and looking rather pleased. The gentlemen had removed themselves to the billiard room, so Obedience was facing these obviously seasoned ladies of the ton alone. She reminded herself to punish Chance later.

“I've heard so much about you
,” Obedience tried again.

“I must say I have not heard enough about you. Chance said that he had known you since he was a boy in his letters to Dominic, but he never mentioned you to me. I'm very annoyed with him. For three years
, he hid behind my skirts to save himself from parsons’ mousetrap and then marries out of nowhere. I'm of the mind to box his ears.”

Obedience grimaced. “It was rather a rushed affair. There wasn't time to do things properly.” Obedience smiled at the woman Chance had introduced as Lilly. For all the lessons she had sat through at the hands of Mrs. Moore, none of them were following proper etiquette.

“I think it’s romantic. Obviously, they are very much in love.”

The woman with wild black ringlets smiled at her. Obedience could tell they would get along famously. Olivia was her name, if she remembered correctly. She was married to the sea captain.

“It wasn't romantic at first, but things rapidly improved.” Obedience admitted.

The pretty blonde tilted her head and Obedience immediately stilled. Out of the three ladies
, she was the most intimidating.

“I sense a lot of nervousness coming from you. Chance may have introduced our names but let me tell you about how we came to find our own husbands.”

Lilly sighed. “There isn't enough time for that, Lydia. You'll scare the poor girl.”

“I'll keep it brief.” Lydia patted Lilly's knee. “You see, Lilly met Lord Redwick while masquerading as a maid in his household, while trying to escape the scand
al of treason and her evil stepfather. I had a secret affair with Olivia's brother, Lord Wilhelm, and refused to marry him until I realized I couldn't live without him and was carrying his child. Olivia,” Lydia paused as Olivia waggled her fingers in the air in excitement. “Olivia stowed away on Captain Colton's ship when he went in search of Lord Wilhelm, who had fled England because of me. They married shortly after their return, and Lord Wilhelm and I married shortly after that.” Lydia finished with a flourish of her hand.

Obedience was sure her eyebrows met her
hairline. She was both shocked and relieved. “Well, then, since we are sharing, Chance returned home to see his father who was dying. I hadn't seen him in five years. He proposed to me two days later after his father suggested it, and we married two days after that. The eve of the wedding, my mother disowned me and my sister disappeared. I have not heard from either of them since. We did hire a private investigator and she was found. It seems she is happily married to a farmer a few miles away from Willowton Park. I have one older sister who will also not speak to me, but I no longer consider that a great loss. The duke...” She hesitated. The familiar sorrow filled her chest whenever she spoke of him. “He was very special to me, very much like a father. He passed the night of our wedding, in his sleep, I like to think.” She looked up to find three astonished faces.

“We're so sorry for your loss
,” Lilly said.

“That is quite a story
,” Lydia added.

Olivia smiled and dabbed at her eyes. “But if you look at us now, despite our rather unorthodox courtships and marriages, we all found our happy endings.”

The women looked to each other and shared smiles.

“That we did
,” Obedience agreed.

The three ladies picked up their
teacups and raised them into the air. “To the new Duchess of Maltravers,” Lilly said, “and more importantly, our new friend.”

Obedience smiled warmly as she raised her cup to salute them and they all sipped. She liked these ladies tremendously already, and she looked forward to many more visits.

*~~*

Chance braced himself for another hearty slap on the back as he finished another finger of Brandy. Dominic promptly refilled his glass.

“Look at you. You're a besotted fool,” Dominic sneered.

“Welcome to the club.” Devon pocketed another ball and Colt
on cursed. They were standing around the billiard table, the room dim and hazy with cigar smoke.

“Am I supposed to deny it?” Chance said hoarsely. He was well on his way to being drunk.

“No,” Dominic shook his head. “It's going to get worse.”

“You're one to talk. You panted after Lilly the moment you caught scent of her in your kitchen
,” Chance quipped.

Dominic shrugged carelessly. “Love is love. Sometimes it wallops one over the head
—”

“I can attest to that
,” Devon snorted.

“
—and sometimes it sneaks up on you,” Dominic finished.

Colton nodded in agreement. “Fighting it makes it worse.”

“I'm not fighting anything. I'm neck deep in wedded bliss and loving it. So are all of you.” Chance took the pool cue from Devon and took his shot. No one disagreed with his assessment.

“What still terrifies me is fatherhood
,” Dominic admitted. “My own father was a bloody ogre, and I have no experience with babies, or children, for that matter.”