A Bride For Windridge Hall Read online

Emily’s eyes widened.

  “I do not take charity, sir,” she said proudly, straightening her back and glaring up at him. This reminded Roderick of the way she had looked at him on her birthday and his hackles rose in response. It took a while to calm his inner turmoil.

  “I would not think of offering you charity. None the less, I would like to offer you friendship.”

  He held his breath to see how she responded to this offer, so vividly remembering the last time she turned him away as a future friend.

  “That is kind of you, sir. All the same, I don’t believe there is anything you can do to change my predicament, that is unless you have a proper position to offer me in your household.”

  “You might say that I do,” he winked. “If you accept my friendship, I do have a proposition that you may be interested in. It isn’t charity and not only would it help you out, but it would help me as well.”

  “A proposition?”

  She felt hesitant since she didn’t know the man.

  “Perhaps we could discuss this over a cup of tea?”

  “But you are a stranger…”

  “I did introduce myself and I knew your father briefly. You said yourself you needed a proper position, and I think I have one you may be interested in.”

  “Yes, only I am already late to an appointment.”

  “Could I be so presumptuous to ask what kind of appointment?”

  “You know what my situation is. I have a job interview. If I am to resolve my destitute condition, I certainly have to find some sort of work to support me. Only I have to admit, I am overly nervous about it. I have never worked for anyone before.”

  “Quite understandable. I pray you leave your appointment for now. Perhaps my proposition will be of more interest to you.”

  “Just what is your proposition?” she demanded, still trying to place where she had seen him before.

  If she had actually met him before, she would feel easier about his offer.

  “I will be happy to explain it all to you if you will only come with me. What had you planned to do with your little hound there, during your appointment? Surely you cannot take it with you to an interview, not to mention to a position, if you got hired.”

  Emily put her hand to her cheek.

  “Oh dear, that is the sadist part of it. I feel I shall have to leave poor Muffin behind and I haven’t the slightest idea of who to leave him with. It is quite distressing. I am hoping my girlfriend will agree to take him.”

  “I can see that. You seem to be quite distressed all the way round,” he pointed out.

  Roderick straightened his expression. He was starting to be softened by her plight, and he had promised himself he would remain indifferent.

  “It is not for us to be standing in a graveyard discussing this matter. We would not want to disturb the dead with our problems,” he laughed lightly, trying to put her in a better spirit. “If you agree to my proposal, you could keep your dog in the bargain,” he added.

  He had used the word proposal purposely, feeling rather witty, at the thought.

  “I cannot imagine what you could be suggesting,” Emily puzzled.

  No, Roderick thought to himself. That was the point.

  “Fetch your little mutt there and I shall explain it all to you presently. Now please don’t argue,” he implored her as she began to open her mouth again, in protest.

  Feeling frustrated, Emily scooped up Muffin in one arm. Roderick took her other arm and led her to his carriage that was waiting just outside the cemetery.

  “I do not at all feel at my ease!” Emily informed him as he helped her up into the seat and then handed her the dog which had jumped down from her arm, just before they got to the carriage.

  “Do not give it a moment’s thought.”

  He climbed up beside her.

  “It is not far to Windridge Hall, and there will be no prying eyes there to make you nervous.”

  “I cannot possibly accompany you there alone. It would not be proper. You don’t even have a footman!”

  “You are correct but you are going to have to trust me. I do have a footman, I just did not bring him. I also have a butler, a groom, a stable hand, a driver a cook and a housemaid, not to mention a few gardeners puttering about, so we won’t be totally alone. When you hear what I have to offer you, having a chaperone will be the least of our worries.”

  He looked at her and chuckled in amusement at her bewildered stare as he whipped up his horses. She was so trusting he thought, which almost made him regret his plans.

  Emily grabbed onto the armrest of the seat as the carriage gained speed. She chided herself for going along with this total stranger. What kind of lady was she? Certainly, her father had taught her better than this! Alfred was right. She was far too trusting and kind to people she didn’t even know. Perhaps her father was to blame for that since he had been the same way. It was most likely why he had become so deep in debt.

  Emily breathed a little easier when she discovered they were making towards the coast and there were very few people along the road to notice her riding alone with a man. She knew nothing about Lord Roderick Winlock. However, the mention of Windridge Hall brought vague memories about a Lord who had killed a man and a woman. Yes,.. it was his wife and her lover, that had been killed if the story was correct. She wondered if Lord Winlock was related to that person? She did not dare feel comfortable enough with him to ask him about it, though.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Emily tried to distract herself by watching the landscape passing her by. Lord Winlock certainly was not in a very talkative mood, apparently determined to wait until they reached Windridge Hall before discussing anything with her. The spring flowers that danced along the road added color to the moors which pushed out on either side of them. Tulips, daffodils, pansies, and petunias, decorated the roadside, along with a scattering of bushes, trees, and wild heather. The hills rolled off towards the ocean and the salt breeze, that caught at her hair, made the air smell fresh and alive. She realized that she was feeling fresh and alive as well. She stole a glance at the man beside her and noticed how handsome he looked if it weren’t for a brooding scowl on his face. His expression now was so drastic to the look he had presented to her at the graveyard, that it caught her by surprise. It was as though a different man sat beside her now. This caused Emily to tremble slightly and question her own judgment of going with him.

  He turned his grays off the main road and was heading up a winding drive. Emily looked away from his face to discover a huge house looming up before them, which she assumed must be Windridge Hall. Her father had owned a grand townhouse in Bridgeport but nothing quite this grand. It made her wonder why she had not met Lord Winlock before, for certainly, he was part of high society, as well as she had been. He must have been abroad, she decided, or just did not attend social gatherings.

  Her attention was drawn to the house that Lord Winlock was bringing the carriage up to. Red ivy-covered the front of the right wing. It had been trimmed expertly around the high oblong windows of the main floor but it completely covered the windows on the second floor. It continued on, bypassing the windows on the third floor, and wound itself neatly around one tall chimney. She counted several chimney stacks and four gables. The center section of the house boasted a fourth floor, which rose above the rest of the building. It was not gabled but squared off, tapering slightly at the top.

  Hedges surrounded the front garden, where daffodils bobbed merrily about azalea bushes. Roses bloomed freely as they climbed trellises fastened to the side of house. In the center of the circular drive was a huge fountain, throwing its spray into three tiers that caught and spilled the water out to each tier below. It then cascaded into a fishpond that surrounded the fountain. Lily pads floated smoothly on the surface of the pond and Emily could see large coy fish swimming aimlessly about, below the surface.

  This display of grandeur made Emily all the more nervous. She experienced luxuries all her life but this was be
yond what she had experienced growing up. She and her father lived in a rather elegant townhouse, which did not compare to this. Roderick glanced at her as she surveyed her surroundings and it made him smile. Had she only known who she had turned away at her party, she never would have treated him so, he thought cynically to himself.

  “You act as though you have never seen a manor house before, Miss Thornton,” he teased.

  Emily blushed.

  “Why that is not so, Lord Winlock, it is only that I had no idea that your estate was so grand. I am surprised I have not heard much about you if this represents your wealth. I am also wondering why you do not have a string of women with mama’s throwing them at you, for you to propose to. Had that been so, I surely would have heard about you.”

  She had noticed he had not been wearing a wedding ring.

  Roderick laughed and she observed how it transformed his looks. He looked so much younger when he laughed, she thought, and his laugh made him seem endearing.

  “Apparently, you have not heard of my black side then,” he said sobering and giving her an intent look.

  Emily drew back. He was making her feel uncomfortable again. She tried to smile.

  “Surely you could not be that dark,” she suggested lightening the mood.

  “I am glad you hope so. It makes me feel so much better.”

  He alighted from the carriage and reached up to help her down. Her hand felt so small in his, that he found himself staring at it for a long moment. The dog jumped down and started running around, sniffing its surroundings. Tanner, the groom came up to take the carriage around back and Roderick clicked his fingers to get his attention.

  “Take the dog to the stables with you, Tanner” he instructed. “You can bring him back when Miss Thornton is ready to leave.”

  Tanner scooped up the unsuspecting dog and it snapped at his hand, which he completely ignored as he wrestled it up under his arm and climbed up into the carriage.

  Roderick ushered Emily towards the entrance and the huge double doors were opened to them by Dobbs, the butler, who was standing ready when he heard the carriage drive up. Emily held fast to Roderick’s arm, feeling a little frightened despite her resolve to show this man that he did not intimidate her, even though her surroundings were beginning to. Roderick felt the pressure of her small fingers and it sent a satisfied thrill through his body. Now that Miss Emily was not in charge, she was timid and not the rude little miss that she had been at her birthday dance. Oh, how she was going to be in for a surprise, he chuckled to himself.

  Roderick directed Emily into the formal parlor, where he released her arm and motioned for her to be seated. She obeyed and gazed around the room, feeling quite out of place and wishing she had not consented to come. There wasn’t much furniture in the room to clutter it, only a settee and three or four chairs with a few small tables up against the wall. The fire was lit, as the weather was still chilly yet, and Emily couldn’t help but notice the original carvings which framed the mirror over the mantle. She noted the floors were of polished hardwood and were covered in the center by a magnificently detailed hook rug. Emily found herself examining it closely since she was afraid to lift her eyes to Lord Winlock. He had sprawled himself comfortably in a chair across from her after he rang for tea. He appeared to be taking her in as much as she seemed to be taking in the carpet.

  A lovely looking maid, with dark hair and striking blue eyes, interrupted their silence by bringing in tea and biscuits. Emily realized she did not act like most maids were trained to act. She did not keep her eyes downcast, as expected of the hired help, and she looked too relaxed and sure of herself. House servants were usually at attention, fearful of making a mistake that might get them sacked. Her eyes boldly appraised Emily and then looked questioningly at Lord Winlock, an attitude her late father would never have put up with. Lord Winlock, for the first time, seemed uncomfortable, as though he was not happy about the maid being there, which seemed strange since it was her job to bring in the tea. He acted relieved when she finally left the room. In fact, he had to request that she leave the room by saying “That will be all, Della.”

  Della gave him a flippant look and then departed. Emily thought it was highly rude of the chit and wondered why Lord Winlock kept her on?

  Lord Winlock asked Emily to pour out since the maid had left. When they were both served, they drank and nibbled on their biscuits in silence as though Lord Winlock had completely forgotten why he had brought her there.

  Finally, Emily cleared her throat.

  “Well, I have missed my appointment,” she said with exasperation starting to rise in her voice, “and so I would be glad to know why it is that you insisted on talking to me. You claim you have a proposition for me and then you proceed without saying as much as two words to me since I arrived.”

  Roderick gave her a long appraising stare. His eyes took in every detail of her face and dress. He had to admit, he was stalling for time since he was not quite sure how he was going to proceed with his proposition. Finally, he swallowed and then smiled reassuringly at her, feeling far from reassured himself.

  “I was just trying to think of a way to put it to you, without offending you, Miss Thornton,” he said at last.

  “If you think your proposition would offend me, why did you suggest it in the first place?”

  She raised her eyebrows and looked as though she wanted to jump up and flee his house.

  “Because even though it may offend you at first, it would suit us both so nicely and solve a problem for you, while solving a problem for me as well.”

  “Then, I beg you, please inform me of this proposal of yours and you can hope I get over being offended quickly.”

  She gave him a slight smirk, which he raised his eyebrows at. They both appeared nervous.

  Roderick sat a little straighter in his chair, as if getting ready to recite, and Emily couldn’t help but smile at his awkwardness, for he had seemed quite at ease until now.

  “I feel I should be straight forward with you, which I am afraid will not be very romantic,” he began.

  “And what, pray tell, does romance have to do with anything?” Emily questioned.

  “That is just it. Not a thing! But you being a lady, may well believe there should be some sort of romance involved.”

  “Please, Lord Winlock. Enough of the riddles! I may look young to you and perhaps you think my head is full of all sorts of romantic notions. Let me assure you, I am well into my twenties and left my romantic fantasies in the school room long ago.”

  Emily tried to look indignant after this statement but was failing badly. She had just turned twenty and felt exactly like a school girl at the moment.

  “I am quite aware of exactly how old you are,” Roderick almost sneered. “You are two years younger than I am.”

  “Is that so? I thought you older than that,” she said thinking he acted old and grim. Then she caught her breath, wondered how Roderick knew exactly how old she was?

  Roderick laughed, a little scornfully.

  “Perhaps it is my years of disappointments in life which have aged me,” he offered. “So I hope you will not disappoint me now, by refusing what I offer you,” he added.

  “Pray, Lord Winlock, tell me just what it is you are proposing and save me from all this suspense!”

  “That is a good choice of words,” Roderick said boldly, “since I am proposing that you marry me!”

  Emily gave a little gasp.

  “Did I hear you correctly, Lord Winlock? Did you just ask me to become your wife?”

  “That is exactly what I did, Miss Thornton, but before you jump to any conclusions, as I mentioned, this has nothing to do with romance. I have not suddenly fallen in love with you at-first-sight.”

  He reminded himself that at one point in his life he thought he had, though.

  “This is more of a need, than a desire, which I will explain. Since you seem to need someone to take care of you so you can keep your little dog an
d not worry about working the rest of your life, I thought it would suit us both.”

  “Do not think me dim-witted, Lord Winlock. Whatever makes you think I would agree to marry a complete stranger, regardless of my need?”

  “That is the rub, but I assure you, Miss Thornton, I come from a very respectable family…”

  “Regardless of your dark side?” she interjected.

  “There is nothing wrong with my character. I am perfectly trustworthy.”

  He realized he was lying because he was not being trustworthy if he carried out his plan to break her heart and destroy her more than her father had. This made him feel a pang of guilt for trying to take advantage of her at this vulnerable moment in her life, but he forged on.

  “I have done nothing wrong that would blacken the name of my family. It is just that I have had a troubled past, which most people do not know the true details of. As a result, they jump to their own conclusions as they listen to ridiculous rumors that circulate.”

  “That did not answer my question, Lord Winlock. What makes you think I would marry a mere stranger that I happened to meet in a graveyard, of all places!”

  “It is not like you have to be dedicated to me. It would be a marriage of convenience only. Convenient for you and convenient for me as well. You can do whatever you wish, once you become my wife, without a worry in the world. You will understand once I explain. Arranged marriages are not so unusual, as you well know.”

  Emily narrowed her eyes.

  “Is that so, Lord Winlock? I have to take into consideration that marriage lasts a lifetime. I may be perfectly miserable once I become your wife. So, pray, explain all the advantages!”

  Roderick was now starting to feel nervous. It was as though she had guessed his motivation. Well, one of them, anyway. How did he expect to convince this woman to marry him? She was right, he was a total stranger to her, yet now that he had decided he wanted to make her his wife he felt even more determined to accomplish the goal. Was it the memory of his first infatuation with her on her 16th birthday, or was it merely his desire to get revenge? He wasn’t completely sure, but he did know he had to find someway to calm her fears and talk her into becoming his wife. Time was running out.