The Bride Thief

window, bathing him in a golden glow that highlighted the weary lines bracketing his eyes and mouth.

He stepped closer to her, out of the column of sunshine. He reached out and ran a gentle finger across her cheek, a tender gesture that nearly brought tears to her eyes. 'Are you all right?' he asked.

'In truth, no. I'm sorry I was not about when you arrived, but I did not expect you until later this afternoon.'

'I saw no reason to delay meeting with your father. I set the necessary proceedings to procure a special license in motion early this morning.'

'Those proceedings are precisely what I need to discuss with you,' she said, proud that her voice sounded so steady. 'I wish for you to cancel them.'

A tired smile touched one corner of his mouth. 'I'm afraid that is impossible, as we shall need the special license to marry on such short notice.'

Dear God, did he have any idea how exhausted and resigned he appeared? 'I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'So incredibly sorry-'

He brushed two fingers against her lips, cutting off her words. 'You have nothing to apologize for, Samantha.'

'But you are so upset, and rightfully so.'

'Not at you.' He clasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. 'Never at you.'

'Well, you should be. This entire debacle is my fault.'

'On the contrary, it is completely my fault. I never should have stolen your innocence.'

'You took nothing that I did not freely, willingly give you. And that is why I cannot accept your offer.'

A frown formed between his brows. 'I beg your pardon?'

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. 'I am releasing you from your obligation to marry me.'

He slowly released her shoulders, his dark eyes wiped clean of all expression. 'I see. Even facing ruin you don't wish to marry me.'

Her heart went numb at that flatly spoken statement. Her throat burned with the words aching to burst forth, that she loved him and wanted more than anything to be his wife, but she forced them back. 'You made your position on marriage quite clear before our liaison began, my lord.'

'As did you.'

'And my views have not changed. Neither of us wishes to marry, most especially under these circumstances.'

'Be that as it may, I'm afraid our actions leave us with no choice.'

'That is why I am releasing you from your obligation. I refuse to force you.'

'Your parents and I have already agreed to terms.'

'Then you can all simply un-agree.'

'Un-agree?' An incredulous sound rumbled in his throat. 'Have you considered your reputation would be irrevocably ruined?'

'I shall plan an extended trip to the Continent… The sort of trip I've always wanted. By the time I return, the gossip will have died.'

'The gossip will never die. The scandal will shadow you your entire life and attach itself to every member of your family. Clearly you have not thought of that. Nor of the blight it would cast upon my honor should I not marry you.'

'It would not impugn your honor if/were the one to cry off.'

He advanced a step, and she forced herself not to back up. 'And how many people,' he asked in a soft voice completely at odds with the dark emotions flickering in his eyes, 'do you think would believe that you turned down the opportunity to become my countess?' Before she could reply, he continued, 'I'll tell you how many. None. It would not matter what you claimed, everyone would believe that I'd ruined you, then refused to marry you.'

She swallowed. 'I… I hadn't thought of it that way, but of course you are correct. No one would credit that a woman like me would refuse a man like you.'

Eric looked down at her, at her stricken eyes behind her glasses, and his anger withered. Damn it, a man like me would give every last bloody thing he owned for a woman like you. Including his heart. He knew what she was trying to do for him, and he loved her for it, but her solution was impossible.

Taking her hands, he squeezed them gently. 'Samantha, we've no choice but to marry. Gossip is already spreading about our scandalous behavior and upcoming nuptials.'

'Surely not.'

'My butler congratulated me this morning on my upcoming marriage,' he said in a dust-dry tone.

Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the floor. 'Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I never meant for something like this to happen to you. To me. To us.'

He tipped her chin up until she looked at him. The defeat and sadness swimming in her eyes nearly brought him to his knees. He brushed a wayward chestnut curl off her pale cheek, then cradled her face between his hands. 'Samantha. Everything will be all right, you have my word. Will you trust me?'

She gazed at him with solemn eyes glittering with unshed tears. 'Yes, I will trust you.'

'And you will agree to be my wife?'

The reluctance flashing through her eyes slapped his ego, and an inexplicable urge to laugh at his own conceit hit him. Bloody hell, granted he'd never planned to marry, but he certainly hadn't ever considered that he'd encounter such difficulty getting a woman to agree to become his countess.

She finally jerked her head in a nod. 'I will marry you.'

A breath he hadn't realized he held pushed from his lungs. He gathered her into his arms, then brushed a kiss against her head. 'I promise you,' he whispered against her soft, honey-scented hair, 'that all your dreams will come true.'

Eric had nearly reached the Briggeham's stables to collect Emperor and head for home, when Hubert's breathless voice halted him.

'Lord Wesley, may I speak to you, please?' Turning, Eric waited for the lad racing across the lawns toward him. 'What is it, Hubert?' he asked when the panting boy reached his side.

'Mama just told me that you and Samantha are going to be married. Is that true?'

'Your sister has agreed to be my wife, yes,' he said carefully, not wanting to lie to him.

A frown creased Hubert's thin face. 'Does she know?'

Erie didn't pretend to misunderstand. 'No.'

'You must tell her, my lord. Before you're married. 'Tis only fair that she know the truth.'

After studying his flushed countenance for several seconds, Eric asked, 'And what if, once she knew, she refused to be my wife?'

Hubert seriously pondered the question. 'I don't think that will happen. I believe that she will initially be upset, but after considering the matter, she would understand why you hadn't told her previously and appreciate that you trusted her enough to share your secret before you married.'

A shudder ran through Eric as a life-size image of Sammie accepting his role as the Bride Thief, rose in his mind. Good God, she'd want to help him, share in his every adventure. No doubt she'd want a mask and cape of her own.

Hubert pushed his glasses higher on his nose. 'I would be happy to put in a good word for you should the need arise, my lord.' Scuffing his booted toe against the grass, he added, 'You'd make an admirable husband for Sammie, and, well, I'd be honored to have you as a brother. But you must tell her.'

A rush of affection for the loyal lad swept through Eric, tightening his throat. Reaching out, he clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder.

'Do not worry, Hubert. I promise I shall take care of everything.'

Chapter Twenty

From the London Times: