Only Marriage Will Do (17 page)

“To keep it from sailing, yes. It’s the same one we took to Italy.”

“Is he quite mad?”

Katarina laughed. “I thought so at the time. But no, just very determined.”

Amiable nodded, his gaze straying to his wife. “It runs in the family.” Then very quietly. “He knows what happened to you?”

Katarina leaned forward. “He was there, Amiable.”

“What?” His throat closed off as though a phantom hand had squeezed it shut. “He watched you being assaulted and did nothing?”

The thin line of Kat’s lips betrayed her displeasure. “Oh, he did plenty.”

“He came to your rescue in the carriage?”

Katarina blew out a breath. She seemed annoyed with him. He must have missed something because he kept being distracted from his own conversation and drawn to the one between Juliet and her brother. He could not hear what they were saying, but Juliet looked stricken.

“Let me start at the beginning, Amiable.” Her words startled him back to their tête-à-tête.

Damn, was Juliet crying? He rose from his seat, but Katarina pulled him back. “Give them time to sort this out. Let me divert you with a tale that can scarce be believed.”

She managed to distract him with her story of near ravishment and betrayal, of animosity and jealousy, keeping him engaged for at least ten minutes. By the end of her tale, Amiable’s jaw ached so much from clenching it he could barely spit out the words. “So you married the man who compromised you, Katarina? Jack did not challenge him?”

“God knows, he tried, but I made him see sense. It was not his place.”

“Not his place?” She made no sense. “Then whose place was it, by Christ?” He wanted to go challenge the blackguard himself.

“Mine, of course.”

“Yours? You challenged Dalbury?” Outrageous behavior, even for Katarina. “And he accepted?” Unheard of. The Code Duello forbade women to fight. He shook his head, and his admiration for her rose once more. Leave it to Kat to find a way.

She chuckled. “Oh, he leaped at the chance. No contest, of course, but I felt better to have it rest on my skill rather than Jack’s. He would have fought my brother to the death and I wanted my brother alive.” She sighed and met his eyes. “Believe me, it has turned out amazingly well, Amiable. I love him more than I could ever imagine loving anyone else.”

He nodded with instant understanding. He’d wondered how he would react, seeing Katarina again. His desire for her, however, had died with his marriage vows. He would always be protective of her, as he would of any woman, but his life now revolved around Juliet.

“Your heart is engaged, too, I think?” she asked, an eager smile lighting her face.

“That obvious, is it?” Did he look as besotted as he felt?

“And what is wrong with a husband showing he loves his wife?”

Challenging woman, as always.

“I am pleased you have found the woman you love. I would have been grateful for your protection at the time, but I fear there would never have been between us what we both now possess. You needed someone to protect, Amiable. I was never that person.”

He chuckled. “No, my dear, you were not.”

“Indeed, I killed a man to protect Duncan.”

“You killed a man!” He barked, making Katarina jump.

Duncan stood and strode to her side, Juliet trailing in his wake. “Are you telling tales, my dear?” He glanced from one to the other. His gaze settled on Amiable. “I understand you knew my wife well in the colonies?”

“For five years, my lord. I have crossed swords with her a time or two and can well believe Katarina bested a man, especially in defense of another.” Lord knew he didn’t want to antagonize his brother-in-law. Their lives could become awkward if Dalbury chose to oppose the marriage. He couldn’t annul it, nor should he desire to with Juliet increasing, but he could make life difficult for them.

“Oh she bested this one, though at some cost to herself.” He glared at Katarina.

Not an easy man to live with, he’d wager. Kat didn’t seem to mind, though. Even now, with his disapproval obvious, she grinned up at him, an adoring gleam in her eyes.

“She did not, however, kill him.”

“The devil you say, Duncan.” Her brows puckered at this revelation. “I remember Redmond groaning and bleeding on the floor just before you took me out. There was a deal of blood. Are you sure he didn’t die?”

“We thought it best during your convalescence to withhold such information from you, my dear, lest you fret yourself. You are perfectly safe from the brute.”

“Are you sure he’s not dead?”

By God, she sounded disappointed she hadn’t killed the man.

“No. He’s been recovering from his wounds. I understand he is not…ahem.” Dalbury paused, trying to form words. “Mr. Redmond is not quite as fully functional as before your encounter.”

“For God’s sake, Kat, where did you wound him?” Juliet had come to stand beside him, snaking her hand around his waist.

He wanted to grin like a fool at her possessive gesture.

“In the groin.”

Amiable winced in sympathy, while Juliet sputtered with glee.

After his sister’s laughter had subsided, Dalbury fixed him with a stern nod. “Captain Dawson, I wonder if I might have a word with you, sir?”

Juliet tightened her grip on him.

He set her hand aside and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “It’s all right, love. We have many topics to touch on, I’m sure. Still, I promise not to challenge your brother as long as he behaves himself.” He smiled into her suddenly frantic eyes, then moved over to the fire and sat in the chair Juliet had vacated.

He watched his wife settle beside her sister-in-law, then turned back to deal with her brother. This interview would be a battle, pure and simple. Well, he’d been accustomed to battle for ten years.

“Captain Dawson,” Dalbury said before he even sat down, “you were extremely ill-advised to marry my sister so out of hand, sir. Without my knowledge or consent. She is not of age until she turns one and twenty. Under the circumstances, however, I am willing to acknowledge your marriage…at Gretna Green?”

Amiable nodded.

Dalbury grunted but continued. “I will acknowledge the marriage when I see the papers. I trust you have them available?”

“They are in the study, Lord Dalbury.” He tried to bite back the acid in his tone. He’d best remember his promise to Juliet. An almost impossible task, given her brother’s obvious animosity. “Shall I fetch them now or at the end of this scolding?”

Dalbury’s eye twitched. “Would you care for a brandy, Dawson? I feel in need of something more substantial than tea at the moment.”

“I would, thank you, my lord.”

Dalbury strode to the sideboard and poured two generous tumblers.

Amiable, who had followed him there, accepted one. Better tactics to remain on his feet. The first sip sent a pleasant fire coursing through him and gave him the impetus to reply more civilly to his brother-in-law. Time for the offense.

“Our marriage was sudden, it is true. During my escort of your sister, it became obvious our affections were engaged. Almost immediately, in fact. You were out of the country and not due to return, according to Juliet, until almost Christmas.” He stared straight into Dalbury’s cool eyes. “We were not inclined to wait so long.”

“It looks as though you were not inclined to wait at all.”

“We anticipated the wedding by less than twenty-four hours.” He kept his voice deathly quiet. “At least I did not attempt to bed your sister in a brothel after buying her for the evening. As, I understand, were your actions toward Katarina.”

“That is none of your affair, sir.” Dalbury’s voice dripped icicles.

“As a very old friend of the family, and her betrothed at the time, I believe it is my affair, my lord.” He itched to challenge the man, outraged at his treatment of Katarina.

“Your betrothed? She accepted you after she met me.”

“Was running to me after you all but ravished her.” Amiable stopped and turned abruptly to the two women not ten feet away. Judging by their faces they had heard every word. “This discussion is better served, perhaps, at another time and place.”

“I believe you are correct, Dawson.” Dalbury too eyed the ladies’ reaction. “I have other matters to discuss with you. The first of which is your name. What
is
your name, sir?”

Amiable closed his eyes. He’d known this confession would need to be forthcoming. He opened his eyes and stared into Dalbury’s. “My full name is Amiable Dawson Morley. Since I joined the army I have been known only as Amiable Dawson.”

Dalbury’s gaze flicked over him, a calculating gleam in his eyes. “Why are you not known by your real name?”

Amiable took another gulp of brandy and launched into the tale he had neglected to tell even Juliet. “At sixteen, I wanted nothing but to join the army. My mother, a Quaker by upbringing, of course opposed it. My father supported anything my mother decreed. After a huge row, I went to Vee, Verity, my oldest sister. She and her husband, Major Lord Ayrdmore, agreed to help me buy a commission in the Army, the 44th Infantry. I was so angry at my parents that I refused to use the family name. I used Dawson, my mother’s maiden name, instead. It tickled my sense of irony to have my mother not only send her son to war—unheard of in the Friends’ Societies—but with the name of a prominent Quaker family. My parents admonished me but it did no good. I took the commission and have been Amiable Dawson ever since.”

“I trust the marriage certificate is properly signed?” Dalbury glared at him. “God knows we need no further confusion.”

“It bears my official name, although Juliet did not see that. She still thinks my name is Dawson.”

“You are now Morley’s heir, I understand?”

“Yes. My brother died in January. That is the reason I am no longer in Virginia.”

“I am sorry, Dawson…Morley.” Dalbury frowned. “I knew your brother slightly. Good man. Excellent horseman.”

“Thank you. All my family seems to have inherited that trait from my father.” Amiable paused a moment. “I suppose I shall have to revert back to Morley now. That will take some getting used to, I fear.” He stared at Dalbury for some moments, considering. “There’s something else, though, isn’t there? What else bothers you about our marriage? I love your sister. You can be assured of that. I will always take care of her and protect her to the best of my abilities.”

Dalbury lowered his gaze to his glass, swirled the contents, then drained it. He placed it on the sideboard and sighed. “I only hope you are allowed to.”

Amiable froze, his nerves singing with tension. “What do you mean? Who would stop me?” Known the man for half an hour and already spoiling for a fight with him. No one would take Juliet away from him.

“Oh, not I,” Dalbury held up his hands to him. “I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I believe you and my sister have a true, deep fondness for each other, but that isn’t the issue. Did she tell you about St. Cyr?”

Amiable chuckled. “That is how I became acquainted with your charming sister.” He then related the events of their meeting to Dalbury, whose brooding manner increased as the tale unfolded. By the end of the story, the thunderclouds had returned to his brother-in-law’s face.

“Despite this knowledge you still married Juliet?” Incredulity rang sharp in Dalbury’s voice.

“I did not think one minor indiscretion at a Christmas ball spelled her ruination.” He frowned at the marquess’ vehemence. “I can assure you now whatever she and St. Cyr did, she was untouched when we married. Well,” he added sheepishly, “until just before.”

“God, man, I’m not talking about her virtue. I am talking about the proxy marriage.”

Amiable shrugged. “Juliet assured me it’s an invalid contract. She said you had revoked it.”

“I did so. However, until that letter arrived it
was
valid. St. Cyr claims he went through with the marriage without his father’s knowledge after the count had broken the betrothal but before my letter arrived nullifying the proxy.”

“Juliet swore he would never oppose his father.” A dawning unease swept through Amiable.

“He gave me signed documents saying otherwise. They are with the lawyers in London now, who are trying to authenticate them.”

Stricken, Amiable clung to one last hope. “I am not schooled in the law, but Juliet assured me proxy marriages are not legal under English law since the Hardwicke Act. She said she had this information from you.”

Dalbury stared at him then drew his hands behind his back. “That is correct as far as it goes. Such marriages are invalid if performed in England. If performed in
France
, however, they are legally binding in that country. So St. Cyr is attempting to have it ruled valid here as well, since the Hardwicke Act says nothing specific about proxy marriage.”

Good Christ, this could not be happening. “So the papers St. Cyr gave you?”

Dalbury squared his shoulders. “If they prove to be genuine, and the court rules in his favor…”

“Then my marriage to Juliet is invalid and…” A cold wave of dread wash over him. “She is his wife and our child…” His heart lurched. God, it did not bear thinking.

“Would be considered his legitimate issue. Not to mention,” Dalbury continued grimly, “she could face charges of bigamy.”

“Bigamy.” His head reeled. With sick foreboding, he recalled the punishment dealt out to the wife of one of his sergeants when the magistrates discovered she had also married a man in a northern regiment. True, the woman had believed her first husband dead at Ft. William Henry two years before, but the courts had not taken that into consideration. Her pleadings and screams during her punishment echoed in his memory still. He shuddered and looked at Dalbury, appalled. “It won’t come to that. If necessary I’ll tear up that certificate and burn it myself.”

“And turn her over to St. Cyr four or five months pregnant? What do you think he will do with her then?” Dalbury’s questions cut like the sharpest blade.

Amiable swung around to Juliet, deep in conversation with Katarina. Beautiful, loving, stubborn Juliet. How could he give her up to that fiend?