time to travel back to be with his sister as her time to give birth grew nearer.
His voice shaky, Neil responded where he’d been told to, and he was quite surprised when the reverend’s voice grew gruff toward the end of the ceremony.
When he looked into the eyes of his wife, his Rebecca, Neil saw they were brimming with happy tears. He led her down the aisle, past those of his Lumley cousins who were not in London, past the Widow’s League—who were all patting their damp, rosy cheeks—and into the cool morning air.
He hurried her to the carriage Bridgethorpe had arranged to take the couple to the manor for a breakfast with their guests. He wanted nothing more than to finally have her alone. He helped her climb in, then sat down beside her as the carriage pulled away.
Neil gazed into her eyes, overcome with a nauseating blend of excitement, fear and love. He had a wife now, someone for whom he was responsible. Someone for whom he planned to make every day a delight. All he’d wanted when he’d left home last month was a matched pair of horses, and he’d ended up the richest of men. He sighed. “Mrs. Harrow.”
“Husband.”
His chest tightened at the word. “That has a beautiful sound when spoken in your voice.”
She raised her fingertips to push a lock of hair off his forehead. “It is the name of a most beautiful man.”
He snorted. “Beautiful? That is the word you’d use to describe me?”
“It describes your spirit perfectly. On the outside you are charming, handsome, and at the moment, rather full of yourself.”
“I am. I believe this to be my finest accomplishment.”
She tipped her head and peered up through her lashes. “What is, falling victim to the Widow’s League?”
He chuckled from deep in his gut. “There is that. However, I had a greater accomplishment in mind. That of charming a very serious vicar’s daughter into trusting me with her heart.”
Rebecca sighed. “And I do, dear husband. I trust you and love you with all of my heart.”
Neil leaned down and tasted her lips, claiming her as his own. “My beautiful wife. I love you, too.”
All concerns about what to do with his rooms at the Albany and where he and his wife would live left his mind. Staring into Rebecca’s eyes, he saw his future, and he was home.
Dear Reader:
In the Georgian and Regency era in England, members of the Catholic faith weren’t allow to worship publicly, and marriages performed by Catholic priests were only valid if they’d already been performed by an Anglican minister under English law. When I read that a Catholic marriage was invalid if not performed correctly, I was intrigued with how that could work into a story. Thus the secret in Rebecca’s past came to be.
Research has shown Catholics did marry in secret, either before or after their Anglican ceremony, thanks to recusant houses like Coughton Court in Warwickshire. Records have been found listing the marriages performed there. Masses were also held in secret at such houses, where “mass chests” and priest holes have been found.
A novella isn’t a large enough setting for such a tale, so I might delve into it further in another series. I don’t wish to get into politics, but I am immensely intrigued by stories of the extremes people went to in order to be married. If you are interested, you can learn more about Coughton Court here: http://www.coughtoncourt.co.uk/
Yours in romance,
Aileen
The Bridgethorpe Brides Series
If you enjoyed Neil and Rebecca’s tale, look for the other stories in the Bridgethorpe Brides series. In His Impassioned Proposal , we met Stephen and Jane. The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley featured David and Joanna, who married in this book. And watch for Lady Hannah’s Impetuous Rogue , coming Summer 2014!
His Impassioned Proposal
The wounded hero comes home.
Six years she has waited for the man she hopes to marry to return from war and propose to her. When he finally does, he is so far in