Read Online The Earl's Stolen Bride (Marriage by Deceit Book 4) by Ruth Ann Nordin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ruth Ann Nordin
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nodded and joined him as he led her to the manor. She wished she could share his confidence.
They reached the entrance of the manor in time for the footman to open the door. “My lord and lady, Mr. and Mrs. Boyle are in the drawing room.”
Chloe tried to push aside the sense of impending doom welling up within her, but it was impossible.
Orlando squeezed her hand again, but even his silent reassurance did little to ease the tension in her stomach. He had no idea how demanding her parents could be. She should have known they wouldn’t be content to wait for her to return to London before talking to them. Maybe if she’d sent them a missive, they would have delayed coming here. But the reason she didn’t write the missive was because she didn’t want to deal with the confrontation. A lot of good that did her. They came anyway.
“Remember,” Orlando whispered, “I’m with you.”
Reluctant, she allowed him to lead her to the drawing room. Her mother, the first to see them, bolted up from the settee where she’d been sitting next to her father. Her father was slower to rise to his feet, but he didn’t look the least bit happy.
“My darling,” her mother began as she approached Chloe, “you have no idea how much you frightened your father and me. When you didn’t come back from your carriage ride, we assumed the worst.”
“I’m fine,” Chloe forced out then cleared her throat. “I…um…married Orlando. Lord Reddington.”
“We went to Gretna Green and came here afterwards,” Orlando explained. “We thought it best to stay here until next Season.”
Her mother glanced at her father. Chloe was sure there was a silent message in that look since her father said, “My lord, may I have a word with you while Chloe and her mother talk?”
Chloe opened her mouth to protest when her mother added, “I think that’s a good idea. I have something I must discuss with you, Chloe, and I’d like to talk to you alone. It has to do with Alexander.”
Sensing the concern in her mother’s voice, Chloe turned to Orlando. “It’s all right. I’ll speak to her alone.”
Orlando’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is this something you want to do?”
Ignoring the weight of her parents’ stares, she focused on him. “Yes.”
“All right.” He released her hand, faced her father, and gestured to the doorway. “We can talk in the den.”
Her fathered offered him a stiff nod and strode out of the room. Orlando shot her one last concerned look before he followed her father. She didn’t blame him for being surprised and perhaps even dismayed she’d given in so easily to her parents’ wishes. But she didn’t wish to go into Alexander’s situation right now, at least not so soon after they married.
Her mother went to the doors and shut them before turning to her. “My dear, I hope you don’t think we blame you for this scandal.”
Chloe watched as her mother came over to her, studying her expression to make sure she was understanding her right. She had expected her mother to start scolding her for running off with Orlando. Instead, her mother seemed genuinely concerned about her, and Chloe wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“If you’re afraid to return to London, you needn’t be,” her mother continued. She cupped her hand around Chloe’s elbow and guided her to the settee. “Please sit.”
Chloe hesitated but finally did as her mother wished. She clasped her hands on her lap and prepared herself for what she must say. “Orlando loves me, Mother. I know how foolish that sounds, given how quickly everything happened, but he does. I’m not sorry I married him.”
Her mother smiled. “I don’t condemn you for eloping with him.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I know how things were between you and Lord Hawkins. It was merely a marriage of convenience. We needed money to get the very best physician in London, and you married him
They reached the entrance of the manor in time for the footman to open the door. “My lord and lady, Mr. and Mrs. Boyle are in the drawing room.”
Chloe tried to push aside the sense of impending doom welling up within her, but it was impossible.
Orlando squeezed her hand again, but even his silent reassurance did little to ease the tension in her stomach. He had no idea how demanding her parents could be. She should have known they wouldn’t be content to wait for her to return to London before talking to them. Maybe if she’d sent them a missive, they would have delayed coming here. But the reason she didn’t write the missive was because she didn’t want to deal with the confrontation. A lot of good that did her. They came anyway.
“Remember,” Orlando whispered, “I’m with you.”
Reluctant, she allowed him to lead her to the drawing room. Her mother, the first to see them, bolted up from the settee where she’d been sitting next to her father. Her father was slower to rise to his feet, but he didn’t look the least bit happy.
“My darling,” her mother began as she approached Chloe, “you have no idea how much you frightened your father and me. When you didn’t come back from your carriage ride, we assumed the worst.”
“I’m fine,” Chloe forced out then cleared her throat. “I…um…married Orlando. Lord Reddington.”
“We went to Gretna Green and came here afterwards,” Orlando explained. “We thought it best to stay here until next Season.”
Her mother glanced at her father. Chloe was sure there was a silent message in that look since her father said, “My lord, may I have a word with you while Chloe and her mother talk?”
Chloe opened her mouth to protest when her mother added, “I think that’s a good idea. I have something I must discuss with you, Chloe, and I’d like to talk to you alone. It has to do with Alexander.”
Sensing the concern in her mother’s voice, Chloe turned to Orlando. “It’s all right. I’ll speak to her alone.”
Orlando’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is this something you want to do?”
Ignoring the weight of her parents’ stares, she focused on him. “Yes.”
“All right.” He released her hand, faced her father, and gestured to the doorway. “We can talk in the den.”
Her fathered offered him a stiff nod and strode out of the room. Orlando shot her one last concerned look before he followed her father. She didn’t blame him for being surprised and perhaps even dismayed she’d given in so easily to her parents’ wishes. But she didn’t wish to go into Alexander’s situation right now, at least not so soon after they married.
Her mother went to the doors and shut them before turning to her. “My dear, I hope you don’t think we blame you for this scandal.”
Chloe watched as her mother came over to her, studying her expression to make sure she was understanding her right. She had expected her mother to start scolding her for running off with Orlando. Instead, her mother seemed genuinely concerned about her, and Chloe wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“If you’re afraid to return to London, you needn’t be,” her mother continued. She cupped her hand around Chloe’s elbow and guided her to the settee. “Please sit.”
Chloe hesitated but finally did as her mother wished. She clasped her hands on her lap and prepared herself for what she must say. “Orlando loves me, Mother. I know how foolish that sounds, given how quickly everything happened, but he does. I’m not sorry I married him.”
Her mother smiled. “I don’t condemn you for eloping with him.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I know how things were between you and Lord Hawkins. It was merely a marriage of convenience. We needed money to get the very best physician in London, and you married him
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