The Earl's Inconvenient Wife (Regency Collection Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

“He’s your husband now.”
    She looked over at him, and though he knew he should probably do the decent thing and turn his attention elsewhere, he crossed his arms and stared straight at her, refusing to blink.  Did she honestly think it’d please him to be duped?
    She turned back to her father and vehemently shook her head and muttered something he couldn’t make out, nor did he really care to.  If she experienced half the pain he did at being trapped into this horrible marriage, then all the better.  If he was going to be miserable, the least she could do was be miserable with him.
    After what seemed like eternity, her father and mother managed to push her over to him.  “You’ll ha ve to forgive our daughter, my lord,” her father began.  “She’s terribly shy.”
    “Oh?” He glanced at her.  “She wasn’t terribly shy at the ball when we were outside.”
    She gasped at his implication, and while something in the back of his mind warned him it was wrong to say that, at the moment, he didn’t particularly care to listen to his conscience .
    “Come on,” he told her, deciding he’d h ad enough of this stupid game.  “Let’s go home.”
    She slapped his hand, but he tightened his grip.  She clenched her teeth and stomped her foot on the floor.  “No!  I demand an annulment.”
    He laughed. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.  You just stood there and promised yourself to me for better or worse.” He pointed to the spot where they’d been standing by the vicar whose eyebrows rose.  “I’m sorry, my lady, but there’s no undoing what God has joined together.”
    “But-”
    “Don’t make a scene,” her mother warned her daughter in a gentle tone.  “You’re married now.  It’s time to act the part.”
    “Exactly,” Nate agreed.  “Now come along.  I’ve grown tired of this whole thing.”
    When she continued to dig her heels into the rug as he attempted to escort her out the door, he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the church.  By the time they were in his carriage, she was crying.
    “Your family is no longer around, so you can stop pretending,” he muttered under his breath, irritated she continued on in this charade.
    “I’m not pretending,” she sobbed.  “I really don’t want to be married to you.”
    He groaned and handed her his handkerchief.  “Do you think you can be done crying by the time we reach my townhouse?  I’d rather not have people think the worst, even if I was tricked into this marriage.” And how the Ton was already talking about that one!  He didn’t need them adding, “And Lady Roderick cried all the way home from the wedding,” to the gossip.  It was bad enough that they agreed to skip the wedding breakfast.
    She nodded and wiped her eyes with the clean cloth.  “I’ll try.”
    He sighed but kept his thoughts to himself.  Anything he’d say would probably make things worse, and as it was, things were bad enough.  When she stopped crying, she held the handkerchief out to him, but he grimaced.  “Keep it.  I have plenty more at home.”
    Since she didn’t say anything, he turned his attention to the horses and carriages as the coachman led them back into the heart of London.  Truth be told, he hadn’t been opposed to a formal wedding.  Indeed, he’d envisioned it when he thought he’d be marrying Rumsey’s daughter.  But no.  Instead, he ended up with a special license, a rushed wedding and a quick departure for home as if he was doing something wrong.
    Too bad his friend Perry was back at his estate handling things with his ward.  Otherwise, Nate would invite him along and have a couple of drinks to curse money-hungry families.
    He let out a long s igh, determined to put all of the horrid events leading up to this marriage behind him.  The only thing he could hope for was that she’d give him an heir and then they could spend the rest of their lives ignoring each other.  Yes, that