The Bridal Contract (Darrington family Book 3) Read online

  The heat intensified through his chest. Her lavender dress had clung to her ample curves that day, and the woman was charming when she wasn’t bossing him or attempting to manipulate, but an attractive female was even more of a challenge onboard a ship than a plain one. One look at her ivory skin and blonde-brown curls and anyone could see she didn’t spend time outdoors. She’d probably complain to no end if the sun brought out freckles or if the sea dampened her skirts or that she was bored.

  His brain stalled on the mental image of Eloisa standing in wet skirting with the fabric clinging to her legs and bosom. He shook his head and practically demanded the images to flee.

  I do not have the time or the inclination to play nursemaid to children or persnickety women.

  A timid tug at his tail coat brought him back into the present. “Oliver, I want a story.” She stuck out her bottom lip. “Please.”

  He heaved a sigh and the desire he’d felt for Eloisa faded beneath a wave of flattered amusement. “I’m glad to see you have some manners, pet. What sort of story shall it be then? And just one. Then I have work to do.” Only one and then he had to maintain distance from her. The less time he spent with her meant the break when he inevitably gave her to an orphanage upon sailing wouldn’t be hard on him—or her for that matter. Hell, the best course of action would be to bundle her off to the orphanage straightaway. The less time either of them had to form an attachment, the better. Except… except he remembered his promise to his neighbor and the shocked look in her eyes when she’d assumed he’d do exactly that. Stuff and bother. I’m weak willed for certain. “Go fetch a story book and I’ll read to you.”

  As she ran out of the room, her little legs pumping, Oliver frowned. Good heavens, what had he been reduced to, reading fairy stories to wayward children? He shuddered to think what his crew would say if they ever found out.

  Half an hour later, instead of replying to correspondence or even formulating his regrets to the few dinner invites that had come his way, Oliver monitored Daniela as she played quietly on the rug nearby. In her own little world she talked to her dolls—she’d retrieved a couple more since he’d read the promised book to her—plus she’d convinced Carruthers—who’d returned—to drag in a rocking horse of gleaming, cherry wood. Now, she perched herself on said horse with a doll in front of her while she sang a nursery song Susan must have taught her. The charming, nostalgic scraps he understood hurtled him back through time to when he and his sisters used to play very much like that, only in the nursery and never in the study.

  He shoved a hand through his hair then laid his reading glasses on the desktop. If he succumbed to madness and kept her, what sort of father figure would he be if he couldn’t deny her entry into even this room? Would he fail in other ways as well?

  A scratching at the door brought him out of his doldrums. Carruthers stood in the entry. “Your brother, the Earl of Swandon, is here, my lord.”

  The bottom dropped out of Oliver’s stomach. His brother. Here. Now. He threw a panicked glance at Daniela. Felix would see the child and the questions would start. Finally, he looked at the butler. “Where is he?” Perhaps there was still a chance Felix would have bowed to convention and allowed himself to be shown into the parlor.

  “He is, uh—”

  “Right here, old chap,” Felix interrupted. He threw an arm about the older man’s shoulders. “Still trying desperately to uphold societal rules, eh, Carruthers?” He released the butler and once the man left them alone, he advanced into the room. “Here you finally are, brother. I feared you’d never return to England’s shores.” He’d put on a few pounds since the last time Oliver had seen him. Obviously, married life suited him well, yet he was still firmly in the prime of life.

  “Right.” Oliver stood, but before he could properly greet his brother, Felix’s attention fell onto Daniela. “Um, there are a few things you should know.” He couldn’t very well keep the girl a secret now.

  His brother’s lips formed a tight line as he raised a dark eyebrow. “Out with it, man.” Though his blue eyes still twinkled with humor, they now held a hard edge. “Please don’t tell me she’s yours.”

  “That’s the rub.” Oliver gestured to one of the leather chairs across from the desk. “You’d best sit for the telling.” He more or less collapsed into his own chair then leaned back while he pondered just how to break the news to his older brother, the one sibling he’d always looked up to for advice and as a mentor.

  Felix folded his tall form into a chair then leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Well? Out of all the men I know, I never worried you’d be the one to father a bastard.”

  “Keep your voice down.” Oliver cringed and threw another glance to Daniela. Thankfully, the girl was involved in her own little world across the floor. With a sigh, he turned back to his brother. “Before you lecture me on the nuances of my life, perhaps it would behoove you to remember you haven’t been the monk nor was your life scandal-free.”

  “Noted.” Felix nodded. “Continue.”

  This was only the first of many trials that would come from his family. As quickly as he could, and in a low voice, Oliver relayed the information as he knew it. “Do I believe I fathered her?” He shook his head. “I do not, and look at her. There is no trace of Darrington in her features, even if one could ignore the timing.”

  Felix fixed his gaze on the girl. After several long moments, he nodded. “Then Maria has done you a disservice. What will you do? You can’t mean to keep her on. It’s not seemly.”

  “I’m not certain now.”

  “Now? What does that mean?” Sharp interest filled Felix’s voice. “She’s not your concern.”

  Oliver sighed. “When the girl arrived in a flurry of tears and angst a few days ago, I absolutely didn’t wish anything to do with her.” He rubbed a hand along his jaw. Yet again he hadn’t bothered to shave. What a fright he must look. “Now, I’m not sure. Is it fair that I send her away simply because a run of bad luck put her on my doorstep?”

  “But you have no legal claim on her, or she to you. There are many such waifs in this country.” Felix stood. He strode across the room toward Daniela’s position. “This one doesn’t have to be your responsibility. Didn’t you say you’d ship out in a few months?”

  “I did.” Shame warmed the back of his neck. “I cannot explain my confusion.” Something had happened to him while he’d read the story book to the girl. She’d sat so trustingly in his lap and didn’t squeak or protest when he’d had to put his arms around her in order to steady her and turn the pages. He’d felt a wealth of protection surge through him and indeed, responsibility. She didn’t have anyone in her life and her own mother had given her up. Shouldn’t someone who had the means care for her?

  “I see.” His brother squatted next to Daniela. “And what’s your name, pretty girl?” His voice had taken on a soft, gentle quality Oliver had never heard before. Here was the new Earl of Swandon talking to a bastard child not related to him by blood as if it were an everyday occurrence.

  Oliver’s awe of his sibling ratcheted up a notch.

  She peeked at Felix over the top of her doll’s curly, blonde head. “Daniela.” Then she pointed at Oliver. “That’s Oliver. He reads stories.”

  “Does he, now?” Felix patted her head as he stood. “Well, then, I’m Oliver’s brother. You may call me Uncle.”

  “I take it from that invitation you mean to see me keep her?” Oliver asked while his brother resumed his abandoned seat.

  “I won’t say the situation isn’t amusing, because it is. Better you than me, actually.” A grin spread across his face. “However, I think having a child around the family will be a good thing. Perhaps it will shut Mother up for a while. After all, you’d be handing her a ready-made grandchild.” He snickered. “Please say you’ll come up to London and show the girl off.”

  “I don’t see how London would be good for a girl so young.” He crossed his arms over his chest. What business w
as it of Felix’s to be so interested in his life?

  His brother snorted. “Oh ho! Going into the boughs, are we?” He chuckled. “At the very least, Charlotte would adore the girl. She’d pamper the puss and adorn her with every bauble and ribbon she could find.”

  Warmth spread through Oliver’s chest at the mention of his favorite sister. “Dear God, how is Charlotte these days? I had a letter from her, waiting for me upon arrival, saying she’d taken up with a marquess. Is that true?”

  “It is.” If possible, Felix’s grin widened. “Ravenhurst to be exact. They wed not a month past. Came back to London from his country estate recently as he takes his duties to Parliament seriously, though Charlotte will insist she means to get him back alone at the first opportunity.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen her so happy, so radiant, but, Lord how she bosses the poor man.”

  Ravenhurst. Oliver searched the depths of his memory. “I’m surprised by that. Doesn’t Ravenhurst possess the temper of a bear and isn’t he a bit of a hermit?” Of course, he’d have duties to Parliament, so how did the man balance both? He’d hate for his sister to have landed into a dangerous marriage. A wash of sadness encompassed him. There was yet another sibling wedding he’d missed because he’d been too busy sailing and fueling his own pursuits. Perhaps he did need to be grounded. Those times wouldn’t repeat themselves, and he’d never forgive himself if he missed another momentous occasion.

  “He does, but our girl can stand up to him no matter what he throws at her. They’re a great match, and another that Mother didn’t put together.” Felix gave a guffaw that made Daniela start and clutch her doll tighter. “Really, adding your little drama will send Mother right over. Say that you’ll consider it.”

  “Quite frankly, I don’t see how any of this is entertaining.” Oliver frowned. The last person he wanted to introduce Daniela to was his managing mother.

  “Oh, but it is, brother. Despite her arrival and birth, I think having the child under your roof will do you an enormous amount of good. It’s high time you put an end to your carefree days of roaming the earth as if you didn’t have responsibilities. She’ll make you grounded.”

  He rolled his eyes against the lecture and slightly pompous tone. Since when had his brother wanted everyone in his life to settle down? “That is the stumbling block, for I do still intend to sail once the repairs are complete.” Yet, he knew in his heart he wouldn’t be able to foist Daniela off on an orphanage, nor would he leave her here to languish with a pair of elderly retainers.

  “That is a problem.” Felix rested an ankle on a knee. “And here I thought it was the height of scandal to marry a kitchen maid.”

  “Clarice, is that her name, is hardly that.” From the pieces of story he’d put together regarding Felix’s courtship and wooing of his bride, his brother had played quite the hero, rescuing her from the clutches of a grasping woman who’d ordered her kidnapping.

  “Yes, well, this is true. The granddaughter of a French comte is nothing to sneeze at.” His smile was complacent.

  “I’m sorry I missed the wedding.” He’d been in Madrid at the time as he’d hankered to tour the city. “Had I known of it sooner—”

  “You still wouldn’t have returned home,” Felix interrupted. He brushed at a piece of lint on his sapphire tail coat. “Which brings me to my mission.”

  “You’re here because of Mother’s summons.” Oliver couldn’t help the dull tone in his voice. Really, their parent’s demands were obnoxious at best.

  “I am. She says she refuses to pen one more letter. If you don’t come up to London soon, she’ll arrive down here. I’m sure no one wants that.” Felix leaned forward. His expression turned serious. “Despite Mother’s bothersome qualities, she only wants to see us happy.”

  “I am happy.” He refused to be coerced, even by his brother.

  “Are you? Sure, I see longing and wanderlust in your eyes, but sooner or later a man needs to realize being alone isn’t that grand a thing.”

  “Just because you are happily married doesn’t mean I would be.” Oliver thought again of Maria, and he shuddered. “I refuse to be saddled with an impractical woman, for I won’t give up the sea.”

  “Oh, you are a stubborn one.” Felix leaned back. “You get that from Father. That man could hold out against a decision longer than anyone I knew. He vexed Mother to no end at times.”

  Oliver grinned. He’d never been told that before. “Good to hear.”

  “What we need is a plan that will mollify Mother temporarily. Once her attention wanes due to other… announcements let’s say, she’ll leave you alone and you can return to your life.” Felix stared at him, and Oliver could almost see the thoughts forming in his brain. “I’ve got it!” His brother leaped to his feet. “Why don’t you pick a woman, any bit of fluff from Brighton would do, then speedily woo her enough in order to strike a contract for a specified time period?”

  “What sort of contract?” He didn’t trust that twinkle in his brother’s eye by half.

  “A bridal contract, of course.”

  “For what purpose? Again, I told you I have no plans to be married at the present time.” Oliver shifted in his seat. This had disaster written all over it.

  “Of course you don’t, but Mother doesn’t know that.” Felix paced with his hands clasped behind his back. After a few moments, Daniela imitated his actions, and soon he had a tiny, dark-haired shadow following him back and forth across the floor.

  Oliver’s frown deepened. How was it that Felix had charmed the girl so quickly when he’d had to work for days to earn her trust?

  “Listen, there are plenty of desperate women out there who need funding for whatever reason. Perhaps a few of them are merely looking for a lark to pass the time. Why not offer one a lump sum? Pick a female who is so completely wrong for you that Mother will voice concerns and objections, which she’ll do anyway. At the end of a month, say, you’ll pay the woman off, fabricate an excuse to Mother why you and the woman didn’t suit then you’ll part ways with her and no one the wiser.”

  What the devil sort of plan was that? Oliver shook his head. “Desperate women are the most dangerous. What happens if she wants more out of this contract period than the farce?”

  “Then make certain you select a woman who doesn’t wish to be wed as well.”

  His frown grew into a scowl. Didn’t all women desire to marry? The plan sounded more like a trap. “What of Daniela? For the moment, until I decide what will happen to her permanently, what do you propose I do with her?”

  “Nothing.” Felix abruptly swiveled around, surprising the girl. He picked her up, threw her into the air, then catching her as deftly as if he had worlds of experience with young children. Daniela’s delighted giggles rang through the air. “She’s part of your life at the moment. Whomever you choose will have to accept that and her. But the addition of this little poppet can also be played into the plan. It’s all a part of annoying Mother enough that she’ll leave you be.”

  “Again!” Daniela demanded.

  Felix obliged the child. Oliver envied him the ability to interact as he did. “That’s enough, sweeting,” he said as he returned her to the floor. “If you want your freedom, this is the best way of any to achieve it. At the end of the month, Mother will be so out of sorts from the potential scandal you’re bringing upon the family name, she’ll be only too glad to let you back on your ship. She’ll practically beg you to leave the country for a while.” He regained his seat. “What do you say?”

  “Will you help perpetuate how bad the woman would be for me?” The last thing Oliver wanted was to remain stuck in a false engagement.

  “I will.”

  “How do I skirt the very real possibility that I might inadvertently compromise said woman?” When Daniela approached him, with the doll clutched tight under her arm, he drew her to his side. Pleasure snaked through him when she didn’t dance away, but instead, leaned on his leg.

  Felix attempted to q
uell a grin but failed. “Don’t put yourself into a position that’ll you’ll truly need to come up to scratch. The trick is to choose a woman you’d never find yourself attracted to.”

  “I see.” Not to mention the fact he didn’t know any eligible women in Brighton to begin with. Perhaps he should accept those dinner invitations after all. Bugger it.

  Daniela patted his leg. “Where is Isa?”

  It was as if the heavens opened and provided his answer. What better woman to pick than one who was so completely and utterly the opposite of his usual type? “Actually, pet, I think we’ll pay Eloisa a visit later today. Would you like that?” When the girl nodded then decided to use his leg as a surrogate horse for her doll, he grinned at his brother. “I know just the one. She’s pretty enough that Mother won’t know right off it’s a ruse, but she is actually desperate for coin. She has her own familial situation and I know she won’t refuse the offer.”

  No one was as wrong of a match for him as his prim and prissy next door neighbor.

  Chapter Five

  Eloisa wanted nothing more than to strangle the overbearing and overweight Lord Everly then finish off the morning by throttling her wimpy brother, but she did neither. She sat composed on a settee in the parlor. With her hands clenched tightly in her lap, Helen sat next to her while Charles occupied the settee opposite. The corpulent lord had propped himself by the window, and unfortunately, the morning sun did nothing to soften his chin rolls.

  “Charles, surely you can understand how ridiculous this plan is,” she attempted to reason with her sibling yet again. “Helen is too young to be tossed into Lord Everly’s lap merely to pay off your gambling debts. How vulgar this whole business is.”