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  The Marriage Bargain

  Blaise Kilgallen

  Published: 2016

  ISBN: 978-1-62210-322-5

  Published by Liquid Silver Books. Copyright © 2016, Blaise Kilgallen.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Manufactured in the USA

  Email [email protected] with questions, or inquiries about Liquid Silver Books.

  Blurb

  When her parents were killed in a carriage accident, young Emily Dancy attempts to save herself from the clutches of her hateful, adopted uncle and guardian. She manages to escape from him and finds employment as governess to the Earl of Leathem’s ward. She is to help the untutored, countrified girl into marriage-worthy. By the same token, she hopes to be safe until she reaches her majority and can claim an inheritance.

  Gavin Fielding, is made guardian of a young female in an unknown person’s will. As a firm bachelor he needs help, and he hires Emily to teach his ward what she must know to be launched onto London’s Marriage Mart. Somewhat intrigued by the young governess, he asks his aunt to sponsor his ward’s debut by adding her consequence. Lady Parcells breaks her ankle and can’t get around to help, so Gavin has to change his plans. He offers a marriage bargain to Lilianne’s governess.

  Emily is saved from her nasty, adopted uncle when he is arrested and jailed as a spy.

  The marriage bargain also would help the earl’s problem.

  Meanwhile, dark forces work again the couple as they attempt to stay one step ahead of danger and yet, keep from falling in love.

  Dedication

  This novel and all of my other books are dedicated to my handsome husband, Bill—a true knight in shining armor. My love, you will always be my perfect hero.

  Chapter 1

  London

  Early 1813

  “WHAT can I help you with, Miss Dancy?”

  Gavin Fielding, Earl of Leathem, rested his buttocks against the front edge of his mahogany desk. Wearing tight, doeskin breeches, one leg swung back and forth rhythmically in a highly-polished, leather boot.

  “My lord,” Emily Dancy began. She spoke slowly as she stepped farther into his study. “I-I expect you saw the article in the Tattler.”

  He squinted at the governess he had recently hired for his ward. The young woman moved gracefully. Sunlight streamed through the uncovered windows of his study and highlighted her figure. She was slender but her womanly curves were apparent beneath the dowdy gown. She was also blessed with intriguing eyes. They glittered with a light shade of blue, almost iridescent in their brilliance, and fringed by thick, sable lashes. A bun of ebony hair nestled against her nape. Several large tortoiseshell hairpins anchored it. A few dark wisps escaped, curling forward on her ears.

  Gavin nodded at her silently with agreement. He noted her lips when she spoke. They looked ripe. Perhaps, for a lover’s kiss. Either that or she had been biting on them, because they appeared ruby-colored and somewhat puffy. For no reason at all, he wondered idly if she had ever been kissed. The thought jolted him. Why in the world should he suddenly have such carnal thoughts about his ward’s governess?

  For chrisakes, he was touching forty. Four decades. A confirmed widower during half of those years, he had been comfortable with his lifestyle, until a new, unwanted responsibility was unexpectedly thrust upon him, one he was honor bound to accept when he was designated guardian to an unknown, young female, no less. He knew right off he was out of his depth. So he had resolved his dilemma quickly, he hoped, by hiring a governess.

  Gavin watched Emily Dancy approach him. She had never before asked to speak in private with him. Shoulders pulled straight, she stood facing him, her normally smooth brow was furrowed. Was she worried about being sacked? If that were the case, he would reassure her immediately. He hired her to help launch his ward onto London’s Marriage Mart, and he wouldn’t dismiss her for anything but a very grievous wrongdoing.

  Gavin knew little about his ward and less about the woman he employed. Emily Dancy seemed young, and he had been concerned about her age. But since he received only one inquiry to his Times ad, he offered the position to her. He sensed a maturity in her that made up for her youthful appearance. He also realized he’d found her attractive, even in those dowdy clothes.

  Nevertheless, Miss Dancy would leave, mission accomplished when he located a suitable husband for Lilianne. He would pay the young woman handsomely for her time and, as before, he would again have Fielding House to himself.

  Gavin forced his attention back to his ward’s governess waiting quietly before him. He realized his thoughts had been wandering. She just asked him something, had she not?

  Gavin’s mind quickly shifted from what he was thinking to the current problem facing him. First, he must reassure her. “Come now, Miss Dancy, your surname is hardly uncommon. And I dare say there are many English citizens who care nothing about what they read in today’s scandal sheet. Even if the person cited there bears your identical surname.” Clearing his throat, Gavin went on. “I agree you must not like seeing your name bandied about in that tabloid, and I can well understand that.”

  “Err, no, my lord, but you see, Eustace Dancy is my adopted uncle.” Emily never told the earl about Eustace and his despicable background during their interview.

  Gavin’s dark eyebrows arched somewhat with surprise, but he continued. “Hmm…Well, yes, I can see that might concern you. But I assure you not all of London gives a fig about the scoundrel or what he is accused of until he’s shown to be guilty.”

  Gavin peered more closely at Emily. He wasn’t going to send Lilianne’s governess packing because of her adopted uncle’s problems. “Ahh then,” Gavin said, sliding his buttocks along the polished edge of his desk. “Is there any doubt in your mind, Miss Dancy, about what I just said? I recall you forgot to mention those facts when we first talked, but it doesn’t make a great difference to me. Now, tell me. How has your uncle impacted your life?”

  *

  Emily’s heart raced. Her bloodless knuckles clenched pale against her drab-colored gown. She had waited anxiously upon facing him. Would the earl sack her if he had, indeed, read the Tattler this morning? She had filched the news rag after a servant placed it in the trash bin.

  “I read the article,” she confessed stoically, “and it was a real shock to me.” Her voice was strained, but her words were precise. “I learned my relative was charged with crimes against the King and the government.” Emily paused and drew in a long breath, forcing her hands to unclench. “It is not something I can deny, my lord. Eustace Dancy is my relative, so I must acknowledge the connection.

  “And I happen to know he’s a black-hearted devil…my father’s adopted older brother,” she reconfirmed.

  “And he had an impact on my life. I was placed in the custody of the blackest sheep ever born onto this earth. No one came to save me from him. A dog would have made a better guardian…I confess I never liked him.”

  Perhaps, she shouldn’t have said too much, but she responded with strict candor.

  And if the truth were known, I’d scream long and loud just how much I hate my Uncle Eustace.

  “My grandparents found my uncle as a child in London and adopted him. When my parents were killed, I learned my father made him m
y guardian in his will. I soon found that Eustace wished to be rewarded as my guardian. You see, my lord, I am due an inheritance of some sort. Eustace pressed me to tell him my natal day. To tell the truth, I don’t know it, because it never mattered to me if I knew my birth date”

  “Forgive my poor manners, Miss Dancy, but your story seems rather complicated. So please, sit down”

  “I suppose it is, my lord. Thank you.” Emily sighed and lowered herself into the chair facing his desk.

  Gavin ambled toward the window wall. “Do go on, Miss Dancy, I’m listening.” He turned his back and gazed onto his Mayfair garden.

  “I received a letter from my parents’ solicitor soon after Eustace brought me to London. A Mr. Percy Grafton enclosed a small amount of money with the letter. My uncle had never given me any money of my own. But once or twice, if I were lucky, I’d find a loose coin lying around. I hid them in my mattress. I wrote Mr. Grafton back and begged him not to tell my uncle about my inheritance. Of course, Eustace discovered I wrote Mr. Grafton. In his return letter the lawyer said my uncle was entitled to a monthly stipend because he was my guardian.” Emily held her breath for a moment and then exhaled. “My uncle was away the day you hired me,” she went on. “I never knew where he went.” Emily smiled grimly. “Maybe he was out spying.”

  Gavin twisted around to look over his shoulder. “You didn’t tell him you came here seeking employment?”

  “No, of course, not.”

  “Hmm, that brings up a problem.” Gavin faced back toward the young woman. “Well,” he hesitated, “never mind that for now. You mentioned an inheritance. Do you know who is in charge of it, Miss Dancy?”

  “I believe Mr. Grafton is. He lives in Kent,” she said. Her silvery eyes appeared awash with unshed tears, but she quickly rubbed fingers across them and continued with the rest of her story. “When you employed me, I packed my things, sneaked away again, and came here while my uncle was away. I’m sure he was furious when he returned and found me gone.”

  “Any guardian worth his salt would definitely be angry if you disappeared without telling him.” Gavin coughed, wondering what he’d do if Lilianne decamped on him.

  “Well, I’m glad that my uncle is locked up. Now he can’t drag me back to that awful hovel of his.” Looking up at the earl, Emily murmured, “I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you hired me, Lord Leathem.”

  An odd expression flitted across Gavin’s face. “Yes, Miss Dancy, but you present me with a rather unique problem.”

  Emily’s heart raced faster, noting the earl’s perplexed frown. What if he let her go? Where could she go? She scarcely knew her way around London, she knew no one, and had no place to stay. Her hands began to quiver.

  “Besides your…err…connection with your uncle. As I recall, you never told me he was your guardian. Therefore, I never thought to request his permission to hire you.” The earl met her gaze straight on.

  “He would never have allowed it—” She halted in mid-sentence.

  “Nevertheless, I must give this matter some thought, Miss Dancy.” Leathem’s mobile lips twitched. “But perhaps there may be a way around it since your uncle is currently unavailable and locked up.”

  Emily never planned to divulge so much of her background to the earl, but somehow the words had tumbled out of her mouth. Leathem was a far cry from Eustace and his lowlife comrades. And…he was Lilianne’s guardian, too. Spilling her life’s story to him almost made her feel safe. Instinctively, she trusted him. Perhaps if she begged him to let her stay on…but no…that she wouldn’t do. Somehow, she would manage. And besides, she hadn’t told him everything.

  The earl was silent until he asked, “Did you speak with your uncle since you ducked out on him? Before he was arrested, I mean?”

  “He found me a few days before he was arrested. Somehow, he found out where I went. I received a note from him here demanding that I meet him.”

  *

  Gavin peered more closely at Emily who sat huddled in the armchair, staring at the room’s Persian carpet, her arms hugging her sides. She looked very young—and quite vulnerable. Gavin’s heart skipped a beat or two. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, he had an urge to reach out and take her into his arms. Assure her things would be fine. She would be fine. She looked lost…and bewildered.

  How can I keep her here without seeking Dancy’s permission? By all common sense, I should send her away. Find someone else to be Lilianne’s governess.

  He heard Emily sigh audibly. Her chin rested atop the tiny buttons fastening the front of her gown. He couldn’t help himself. He pictured that dowdy gown spread open to display her creamy breasts, his mind giving him an even worse dilemma.

  What the devil is wrong with me?

  “I thought I escaped Eustace, my lord, but…”

  Silence descended upon them during the lull in conversation. Gavin waited, struggling to suppress the carnal images flying through his head.

  Her crystalline eyes probed his dark gaze. “When I received a message from Eustace, I was terrified that he knew where I was and felt certain he’d drag me back.”

  Still suppressing his randy thoughts, Gavin said nothing.

  Emily swallowed. She had no inkling about what was going on in Leathem’s mind. Instead, she doggedly continued. “I prayed my uncle would forget about me, and let me be. Then I heard from him again. I thought it best that I meet with him—tell him to his face that I never wanted to see him again. Tell him I had secured employment and I didn’t need him.”

  Frowning more deeply, Gavin muttered, “Tell me the rest of it, Miss Dancy.”

  “As you wish, my lord.” Emily drew in a shortened breath. “My uncle ordered me to meet him at a tearoom near Piccadilly. When I got there, he demanded money. I told him I earned only a small wage and had nothing extra to give him.” She glanced up at Leathem. “That wasn’t true, my lord.” Emily blushed. “You’ve been more than generous.”

  “Fine. Go on. Finish it.”

  She spilled the rest of her tale of woe into his ears. “Well, my uncle…he didn’t believe me.” She pressed her lips tight together, avoiding the earl’s earnest gaze. “He said I lied. And then he cursed. He said I was young and pretty and…and since you didn’t have a wife…you must have hired me for reasons other than as a governess.”

  Gavin’s eyes blazed with dark fire, his nostrils flaring wide with notable, aristocratic disgust. “Blast him! He’s a bloody liar!” Leathem’s sneer was evident by his blatant curse. Immediately, he controlled himself. “Miss Dancy, forgive my foul language. I deeply regret that a scumbag like Eustace Dancy happens to be your guardian.”

  “Oh, my lord, I agree!” Emily hurried on, color tinting her cheeks pink. “But there isn’t anything I can do about it!”

  The earl’s temper burned so hot that for several minutes he was at a loss of words. His outburst pushed him turning toward the windows a second time. More curse words spit out under his breath while his back was turned. He faced her again, finally. “Had you considered the bastard might approach me? Ask me to pay him for his slander?”

  Shrinking deeper into the chair, Emily twisted her fingers together in her lap. “Oh! I never thought…I never guessed what he might do. But I didn’t give him any money.” She shook her head and kept quiet. Silence in the atmosphere was almost deafening, bubbling with tension.

  At last, Emily blurted, “All I can tell you is that Eustace stomped out of the shop and left me to pay for our tea!”

  The earl faced Emily. His stormy expression had changed. His tone was incisive, under control and calm. “In all likelihood your uncle planned to leave Town before he knew he was suspect,” Gavin stated firmly. “Obviously, he didn’t succeed.”

  “My lord, what concerns me is that your hiring me may damage your reputation.”

  “You’re worried about me?” Gavin’s slashing, black eyebrows quirked upward. Incredulity gleamed from beneath his lashes. />
  “Yes. I know what can happen. Unfair gossip spreads whether it is true or not.” Emily’s spine straightened. Courageously, she leaned forward and continued. “It’s only right and proper, Lord Leathem, that I hand you my resignation and leave now—”

  Gavin started toward her, glaring down at her upturned face. “Give me notice, will you? What the devil are you thinking, Miss Dancy?” Without further thought, he spat out, “Well, think again! I won’t accept it!”

  Another step and he was looming above her, his expression quite intimidating. Quickly realizing what he’d said, he adjusted his irate tone. “I meant to ask…why in God’s name would you leave? Don’t you like it here? Or is it because you don’t like me?”

  Tall and dark, Gavin scarcely gave Emily a chance to reply. He grumbled on. “Perhaps, I haven’t been friendly enough?” He paused, still frowning. “I may not have been,” he scoffed, his forehead smoothing, “because I didn’t interfere with your methods or lessons while tutoring Lilianne.” Still exasperated, he hissed in air through taut lips and added a few more rhetorical questions. “Is it my ward? Has she done something that oversets you?” Gavin clenched his fists beside his lean hips, still staring down at Emily.

  She grasped the arms of the chair and scooted her buttocks farther back because of Leathem’s intimidating stance.

  “My lord—”

  “Answer me,” the earl snapped, his irritation showing. “I want a very good reason for your leaving!” Bewildered by her unexpected resignation, and not thinking rationally, Gavin leaned down and grasped the girl’s chin between a thumb and index finger, tilting her face up. When he stared into those incredible crystal eyes, something powerful plowed into him. Raw—unmitigated—lust. Potent. And unexpected. All of it unwelcome. A spurt of heat traveled from his fingertips to his unruly male anatomy as he caressed the soft skin of her face.

  God help me, this nonsense has to cease!

  The earl realized he’d made a terrible mistake. He jerked fingers off Emily’s chin; he could just as easily have grabbed a hot poker. Regaining his composure, he backed away.