Page 11 of Bedding the Marquess
“Fine,” he bit out. “But I will not change my mind.”
Chapter Five
True to hisword, Gideon arrived at Caroline’s townhouse only two days later, special license in hand. Her housekeeper showed him in and then left them to their private conversation. She knew it was only a matter of time before the entire staff knew about the pregnancy, if they didn’t already. It had actually been Caroline’s lady’s maid who’d alerted her to the fact that she’d missed her monthly courses. Their time for managing the consequences of their actions was growing slim.
“I called in a favor owed to my father,” Gideon explained as he held up the signed, sealed document that would allow them to forego the reading of the banns and marry as quickly as possible. “It is nice to know the man was good for something.” He dropped onto the sofa beside her with all the grace and negligence of an overindulged hound, making her bounce a bit and scramble so her sewing wasn’t lost in the cushions. Most would be surprised to realize how prolific an embroiderer she was, but she’d always enjoyed the task. It felt as if she were painting with thread instead of a brush. The repetitive motions and mindless counting served as a pleasant counterpoint to the joyful chaos of the rest of her life.
Hastily packing her work away in its basket, Caroline supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised that Gideon had followed through. The world might think him an unreliable scoundrel, but she and their closest friends knew the truth: There were few people more trustworthy than him.
Her reaction had more to do with the fact that she’d long ago given up any hopes of a proposal, let alone one that would make her a marchioness.
Never mind marriage to Gideon, her closest friend.
Her mind simply could not fathom the speed with which her life had careened onto a new path.
“Really, Gideon, you needn’t do this.” She tried to sound convincing, but she feared her tone gave away how she’d lain awake the previous few nights mulling over her very limited options. Either she disregarded Gideon’s insistence that they marry and she disappeared into the country, thereby absolving him of what he saw as his responsibility, or she allowed him to press forward with this marriage of necessity and trust that he knew precisely what he was doing.
She’d also have been lying if she claimed the thought of marriage to him didn’t unleash a bevy of flutters in her stomach. No matter how tempting the prospect, she would never forgive herself if, down the line, he felt as if he’d been trapped. That was not why she’d mustered the courage to invite him to her bed with no strings attached, and that was certainly not how she intended to move forward now that her choices had caught up with them.
Gideon was an honest, loyal, terribly generous person. All of these were admirable traits in a man, and they were desirable in a mate. Still, he was also first and foremost her friend. The last thing she’d ever intended to do was ruin his life on a whim. Granted, he’d been a willing participant in said whim, but neither of them had intended this outcome. Caroline knew she could do far, far worse than Gideon, but that didn’t change the fact that the outcome felt hollow—that she’d somehow cheated her way into a prestigious place in Society by extending the illicit invitation.
At least, that was how she knew her family and many others like them would see things.
The truth of it was far less nefarious than entrapping a good man into marriage…she’d only wanted to, just once, experience intercourse with a man whom she cared for and trusted. Her experience was tragically limited, and she’d only wished for something to help blot out the memory of it—to replace it with something better.
“Of course I do,” Gideon replied lightly, snapping Caroline out of her scattered, rambling musings. Despite the joviality of his voice, there was no mistaking the adamancy in the message. He would not budge.
“This is entirely my fault,” Caroline sighed, deflating somewhat. She fought to maintain her composure, but it was a vicious battle. She’d never been an overly emotional person before, but this child in her womb was making her rather weepy—what an inconvenient side effect.
“I am certainly not blameless.” She could hear the kind smile in Gideon’s voice as his hand covered hers in her lap and his thumb stroked her knuckles in that familiar way. “My curiosity finally got the better of me,” he jested gently. Caroline tried to smile in return, but it was nearly impossible.
“I am…” She trailed off with a shaky sigh. “I am worried that, one day, you will resent me…and the baby.”
“Caro…” he chided, gently lifting her chin until she finally met his eyes. His dark brows were knit together in concern. The hard angle of his jaw was tense. The sincerity in his storm-gray eyes, however, was what finally caused a single tear to spill onto her cheek. “It won’t be such a bad arrangement. We’ve always gotten on well. We share history and common interests.” He went on to detail all the ways they suited, but, to Caroline, she couldn’t help believing it all sounded as if she, the baby, and the marriage were a consolation prize into which he’d talked himself into accepting.
Taking a slow breath through her nose, she reminded herself that her emotions were high and she bit her tongue. Gideon was doing his best to be reassuring in their unorthodox situation.
“Besides,” he continued, “I’d have to marry and produce an heir sooner rather than later. As I see it, you’ve saved me a hell of a lot of trouble and given me a head start.” The last finally made her crack a smile. He took both her hands now and squeezed them warmly. “I suppose we shall have to tame down a little bit as parents, no? Fewer visits to Duke’s and Vauxhall? And the child’s first words probably should not be ‘win,’ ‘place,’ or ‘show,’ so less time at the races is in order.”
Caroline’s smile finally bloomed in full. “The only change I will request from you is to put an end to your drunken jousting career.”
Gideon threw his dark head back and laughed heartily, the sound booming through her chest. “I thought you found that hilarious,” he chuckled.
“That was when I had no right to dictate your behavior. Now, as your supposed fiancée, however, I may have to put my foot down against anything that might result in you snapping your neck.”
“For you, I just may make a concession.” He inclined his head gallantly. “Speaking of fiancée…” Gideon trailed off, reaching into his coat and pulling a dark-blue velvet pouch from an inner pocket. Unfastening it, he dropped into his palm a glittering gold ring set with a sizable pigeon blood ruby and a quartet of diamond baguettes. Caroline immediately began shaking her head.
“I couldn’t—”
“It wasn’t my mother’s,” he hastily reassured her, “nor was it ever part of the Swanleigh estate. I didn’t want you to have anything tainted by their bad blood.” She eyed the beautiful piece longingly, knowing it must have cost a small fortune. Sheall but melted when he said, “I purchased it with you in mind, Caro.” A soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I won’t force you to wear it—I wouldn’t presume that I can force you to do anything because Iknowyou—but I hope you will at least accept it and keep it.”
She was utterly helpless in the face of this information. Biting her lip, she plucked the stunning ring from his hand. It was deliciously warm from the heat of his body as she slid it on her middle finger—the only one it would fit.
“We can have it resized,” he reassured her as he took her hand and examined it. Was it her imagination, or did he linger a bit longer than he should have? She was so lost in examining the contrast of his long, square fingers as they cradled her much smaller ones that she nearly jumped when he spoke again. “Now, would you like to accompany me to speak with your family, or shall I go alone?”
Caroline blanched immediately. “Why would you do that?”
“Because we should still obtain your father’s consent to wed…unless you wish to run away together?”
