Free The Wagered Bride by Teresa McCarthy Page A

repulsive, and it seemed she thought to scare him off with
them. How many females would try that on an unwanted suitor? Not many.
    "Take
those silly things off your nose, Lizzie. I won't have you acting like some
insipid bluestocking."
    Miss
Shelby pursed her lips and swiped the spectacles off her face, stuffing them
into her cloak. Stephen's amused gaze riveted on the creamy expanse of her neck
and followed her hand.
    He
abruptly put a stop to his wayward thoughts. Thunderation! She was a rich
termagant, too tall for his liking, and her father was greed incarnate. It was
a blasted nightmare.
    "I
suppose he is tolerable, Papa," Miss Shelby replied, lifting her head.
"He is definitely a muscled sort of brute. Has a good set of teeth. A
thick brown-black mane of hair."
    Stephen
perceived a slight mist forming in the lady's eyes and his gut clenched. She
was more sensitive than she let on.
    She
deserved better. But Stephen was an honorable man. He paid his debts. He would
not back out of this arrangement if it killed him. He swallowed, feeling like a
boy cornered after stealing from the baker. However, this was more than cakes
at stake. This was both their lives.
    "Of
course, Papa," she continued. "I take it this man has a title worthy
of your money, does he not?"
    Shelby
grunted uncomfortably. "He don't come from livestock, Lizzie. He is the
fourth son of a duke. And you will desist with this incorrigible behavior. Do
you hear me?"
    The lady
seemed deaf to her father's command, for she forged on, her lower lip
quivering, something William Shelby did not seem to see or want to see.
    "Ah,
sired from a duke," she said softly. "And the fourth son. My, how
honored I am." She batted her eyes and gave Stephen a deep curtsy that
made him feel about an inch tall.
    She
darted a sweet glance toward her father. "I daresay he needed a tidy
little sum to get him through life, and he came to you offering himself as a
prize for your eldest daughter?"
    William's
thick lips curled into a real smile. "Well, yes, poppet. It did go
something like that."
    Dark
blue eyes shot toward Stephen. "Then I daresay he will have his money's
worth, will he not? You will give my husband a good sum for the use of his
lordly title?"
    Stephen
bit back an oath, wanting to strangle the girl. She was making it sound as if
she had been bought. This was ridiculous. But before he could utter a single word
on his behalf, William Shelby fell into the trap.
    "That's
the way of it, Lizzie. I am to provide him with a great sum when you are wed.
But perhaps I should leave you two alone for a few minutes."
    "But,
Papa," Milli interrupted.
    "Millicent,
go back inside and get your hot chocolate."
    Milli
gave her father a swift salute. " Certainement , Napoleon." With
a sour grimace, the girl disappeared beyond the trees, marching toward the
servants' entrance.
    Ignoring
Milli, William continued, looking toward his eldest daughter. "Knew you
had a headache and wanted to clear your mind. A walk will do that, but next
time, Lizzie, you must take an escort."
    He gave
a hearty chuckle. "Milli mentioned you were out here alone. Girl does have
a vivid imagination though. Never know what's true or not. In fact, I had
better leave you two alone and see what havoc she's raising in the
kitchen."
    He
turned toward Stephen. "No need to worry about the announcement. I will
send the notice to the Gazette immediately. All Town will be abuzz. You are
staying here for the night?"
    "I
am," Stephen answered, his jaw tight.
    "Ah,
then, until tomorrow." Shelby bent forward and gave his daughter a peck on
the cheek. "See you in the morning, Lizzie."
    A sweet
concerto filled the air while Stephen and Elizabeth watched in shocked silence
as the man disappeared from sight. "How lucky I am." Miss Shelby's
quivering voice broke through the stillness. "And you, Lord Stephen
Clearbrook, was it not you who mentioned something about a thief? How many
heiresses have you sought out?" Her blue eyes glittered with