Read Online The Bedford Beauty (A Regency Novella) by Erika Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erika Hunter
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you
never say anything?” Alice asked in wonder and awe.
Blake
shrugged. “You were too young for marriage or commitment and I was leaving. I wrote
you letters everyday I was gone, but I could never send them to you. It would
have been wrong. But I read every letter you wrote to Dayton, trying to extract
additional meaning out of your inquiries about me.”
Blake smiled
down at her and Alice couldn't speak. She was overwhelmed and choked beyond
words with love for Blake.
“I love you
too Blake, my Shadow.”
Blake gave
her a curious smile, wanting to know what she meant by Shadow, no doubt.
“I gave you
the nickname when we were young. I've always thought of you as true and
faithful and quiet like a shadow,” she shrugged with embarrassment and gave him
a smile.
Blake smiled
and pulled her close.
“What now?”
Alice asked, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head down for a kiss.
Blake
laughed. “Now we go to Gretna Green so I can officially make love to my wife,”
he kissed her nose.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Blake and
Alice paid their fare at the Queens Head Inn the next morning and stepped out
into the busy courtyard. The carriage would be ready momentarily to continue
their journey to Scotland. Alice was full of nervous excitement. Blake loved
her! But what would happen when they got back? Mother and Papa will be so
unhappy and she had never disobeyed them in such a shocking way before.
As they
waited, a horseman arrived into the courtyard. A dirty and dusty fellow who
looked worn to the bone but held on by sheer will, as if he was on a mission.
As the stranger stepped down from the lathered horse and turned toward them,
Alice nearly fainted at the sight of Lord Bedford.
She grabbed
Blake's arm in distress and watched with wide eyes as a solemn, disheveled Lord
Bedford approached them. Blake tensed beside her and slid his arm around her
waist possessively. Lord Bedford looked relieved.
“What brings
you to Leicestershire , my lord?” Blake asked casually.
“You,” Lord
Bedford replied watching Blake intently.
“You cannot
marry her,” Blake ground out.
“I do not
want to marry Miss Fulton,” Lord Bedford replied.
Alice watched
his lordship in confusion. She glanced at Blake and he seemed equally
bewildered as to the reason for Lord Bedford's strange interception.
Lord Bedford
sighed and rubbed his face. “I am not explaining myself well. I am here to tell
you there is no need to make haste to Gretna Green. If you come back with me to
Bedford, things can be explained.”
“Why should I
trust you after what you did to my mother?” Blake spat in anger.
Lord Bedford
looked at Alice briefly and then replied, “I think we should talk privately,
Mr. Hadley.”
“Miss Fulton
stays,” Blake bit back and squeezed her waist in reassurance. “Why should I
trust you?”
“Because I am
your real father, dammit!” Lord Bedford glared at Blake then looked away and
closed his eyes. His clothes were rumpled, his eyes were shadowed. Exhaustion
would claim him soon.
Alice gasped.
Of course, she should have seen it. The resemblance between them was easy to
spot if one looked for it. They had the same square jaw, the proud Bedford
nose, and the way they smiled was similar, although that last attribute was from
memory as neither smiled at present.
Blake scowled
and Lord Bedford looked strained and frustrated, a tight mouthed expression on
his face.
“You are not my
father,” Blake ground out, releasing Alice, “How dare you claim that title
after you killed my mother!”
“I loved your
mother! God, I've done nothing but love her since I was a young man,” Lord
Bedford defended.
“Then why
didn't you marry her if you loved her?” Blake accused.He didn't believe Lord Bedford, but the similarities between them
were hard to deny from Alice's perspective. But she kept quiet, now was not the
time to interfere even though they stood openly in the courtyard.
“I wanted to
marry her, but my
never say anything?” Alice asked in wonder and awe.
Blake
shrugged. “You were too young for marriage or commitment and I was leaving. I wrote
you letters everyday I was gone, but I could never send them to you. It would
have been wrong. But I read every letter you wrote to Dayton, trying to extract
additional meaning out of your inquiries about me.”
Blake smiled
down at her and Alice couldn't speak. She was overwhelmed and choked beyond
words with love for Blake.
“I love you
too Blake, my Shadow.”
Blake gave
her a curious smile, wanting to know what she meant by Shadow, no doubt.
“I gave you
the nickname when we were young. I've always thought of you as true and
faithful and quiet like a shadow,” she shrugged with embarrassment and gave him
a smile.
Blake smiled
and pulled her close.
“What now?”
Alice asked, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head down for a kiss.
Blake
laughed. “Now we go to Gretna Green so I can officially make love to my wife,”
he kissed her nose.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Blake and
Alice paid their fare at the Queens Head Inn the next morning and stepped out
into the busy courtyard. The carriage would be ready momentarily to continue
their journey to Scotland. Alice was full of nervous excitement. Blake loved
her! But what would happen when they got back? Mother and Papa will be so
unhappy and she had never disobeyed them in such a shocking way before.
As they
waited, a horseman arrived into the courtyard. A dirty and dusty fellow who
looked worn to the bone but held on by sheer will, as if he was on a mission.
As the stranger stepped down from the lathered horse and turned toward them,
Alice nearly fainted at the sight of Lord Bedford.
She grabbed
Blake's arm in distress and watched with wide eyes as a solemn, disheveled Lord
Bedford approached them. Blake tensed beside her and slid his arm around her
waist possessively. Lord Bedford looked relieved.
“What brings
you to Leicestershire , my lord?” Blake asked casually.
“You,” Lord
Bedford replied watching Blake intently.
“You cannot
marry her,” Blake ground out.
“I do not
want to marry Miss Fulton,” Lord Bedford replied.
Alice watched
his lordship in confusion. She glanced at Blake and he seemed equally
bewildered as to the reason for Lord Bedford's strange interception.
Lord Bedford
sighed and rubbed his face. “I am not explaining myself well. I am here to tell
you there is no need to make haste to Gretna Green. If you come back with me to
Bedford, things can be explained.”
“Why should I
trust you after what you did to my mother?” Blake spat in anger.
Lord Bedford
looked at Alice briefly and then replied, “I think we should talk privately,
Mr. Hadley.”
“Miss Fulton
stays,” Blake bit back and squeezed her waist in reassurance. “Why should I
trust you?”
“Because I am
your real father, dammit!” Lord Bedford glared at Blake then looked away and
closed his eyes. His clothes were rumpled, his eyes were shadowed. Exhaustion
would claim him soon.
Alice gasped.
Of course, she should have seen it. The resemblance between them was easy to
spot if one looked for it. They had the same square jaw, the proud Bedford
nose, and the way they smiled was similar, although that last attribute was from
memory as neither smiled at present.
Blake scowled
and Lord Bedford looked strained and frustrated, a tight mouthed expression on
his face.
“You are not my
father,” Blake ground out, releasing Alice, “How dare you claim that title
after you killed my mother!”
“I loved your
mother! God, I've done nothing but love her since I was a young man,” Lord
Bedford defended.
“Then why
didn't you marry her if you loved her?” Blake accused.He didn't believe Lord Bedford, but the similarities between them
were hard to deny from Alice's perspective. But she kept quiet, now was not the
time to interfere even though they stood openly in the courtyard.
“I wanted to
marry her, but my
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