Bobbi Smith - Captive Pride

“I love you, too, Matthew, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to be your wife.”

Matt held her slightly away from him to look down at her. Never in his life had anyone possessed his devotion more completely. Faith was the woman of his dreams…the woman some men would search their entire lives for and never find. Matt had found her, and he never intended to let her go.

They came together in a rush of passion, their mouths meeting and blending, their hearts beating as one. Only the sound of Ruth clearing her throat in the doorway forced them apart.

“Faith…Matthew…” Her tone was reprimanding, and Matt jumped to his feet, embarrassed at having forgotten in his joy where they were and what they were about.

“Mrs. Hammond, my apologies. “I…we…well, I have just proposed to Faith and she’s accepted, and I suppose, in the moment, we forgot ourselves.”

“What?” Ruth was completely dumbstruck. She had hoped from the beginning that there might be a future for these two, but she had not planned on it. If there was anything she’d learned from life, it was to take what happiness you could while you could.

Faith came to her feet, too, and she took Matt’s hand. “Yes, Mother, Matthew has proposed and I’ve accepted.”

Ruth looked from one to the other, reading the love and happiness in their faces, and she smiled, moving into the room to kiss her daughter and hug Matt. “That’s wonderful.”

“I had hoped you would feel that way, Mrs. Hammond,” Matt told her as he looked down at his future bride, his eyes alight with the depth of love he felt for her.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ruth was glowing. “I think you’re a wonderful man, and I also think you love my daughter very much.”

“Indeed I do, ma’am,” he replied.

“Have you discussed the wedding yet?”

“No, Mother. Matthew had only just proposed when you came in,” Faith answered, and then blushed as she remembered the kiss her mother had witnessed. “Matthew?”

“As soon as possible,” he told them enthusiastically.

“Will you be wanting a big wedding?” Ruth asked cautiously. She expected that Matt might be wanting a splendid wedding and reception befitting his status in life, and the thought troubled her. There was no way she could afford more than the simplest of celebrations.

“I think that’s something we have to talk about. There are things I have to tell you that need to be discussed,” he told them seriously.

Again Faith was puzzled by his tone and she drew him back down on the sofa beside her. “What do you have to tell us, Matt? It sounds important.”

“I’m afraid it is, but it’s not going to stop us.”

“What?” Both women were attentive.

“As you both know, I am here with my brother, Noah.”

“Yes, you told us about him…” Faith urged him on.

“Well, Noah and I have had a falling out, and I’m not completely sure what my status is right now.”

“I don’t understand. What did you have a fight about?”

Matt sighed as his expression grew troubled. “It’s a long story that began in England many months ago. You know that my father died recently.”

“Yes…”

“When he died he left enormous debts that had to be settled against the estate.”

“Oh no…” Faith was immediately sympathetic. “Did you lose everything?”

He smiled weakly. “Not everything, but almost. We still have two good vessels left and a small inheritance from our mother’s estate.”

“Your mother is dead also?”

“Yes, she died some years ago. Anyway, Noah was more affected by the losses than I was. It devastated him to see our family’s holdings stripped away.” He shook his head sadly. “Noah changed.”

“How so?”

“We got along marvelously until this happened. The loss of all he held dear seemed to destroy him, and he suddenly became almost obsessed with the need to reclaim our heritage.”

“I can understand his feelings,” Faith said with empathy.

“I can, too, but there comes a time when maybe it would be better to start anew, start over fresh-throw out the past and look to the future. That’s what I want to do. I like the colonies, I like Boston. I can see how a man with drive and ambition can make a comfortable living for himself.”

“And Noah?”

“Noah wants to make as much money as he can, as quickly as he can, and then return to England.”

“Have you told him how you feel?”

“Yes, and that’s when we argued. He doesn’t want me to stay behind. He wants me to go back with him, but that’s when I told him that his dreams were his, not mine.”

“I’m sorry.” Faith’s eyes were upon him with love and understanding.

Matt tried to shrug, as if it meant nothing to him, but he wasn’t convincing. The pain in his eyes was too evident. “I’ve tried to talk with him about staying here, but he refused to even consider it.”

“Matthew, why don’t you invite him here to dinner for a small celebration?” Faith offered, looking to her mother for support for the invitation.

“We would love to meet him,” Ruth agreed, “and this is the perfect opportunity.”

“I would like that, and I think he would, too,” Matt responded.

“Then it’s settled. Why don’t we plan on next Sunday? That way Ben can join us, too.”

“It sounds wonderful…and the wedding?” Matt turned again to Faith.

“In two weeks?” she suggested eagerly, not wanting to delay their marriage any longer than necessary.

“Two weeks…” Matt agreed.

“Lord Radcliffe?” Knowing how her mistress felt about him, Peggy was surprised to see Geoffrey, and her voice reflected her reaction.

“May I come in?” Geoffrey asked in his most arrogant manner as he strode past the diminutive maid and glanced up the staircase in the direction of Eve’s chamber. “Is Eve here?”

“Well…um…”

“Is she at home or isn’t she?” he demanded, his gaze frosty upon her.

“If you’ll wait in the sitting room, I’ll get her for you.” Peggy directed him toward the parlor and then raced up the back steps to her mistress’s room.

Eve was sitting at her dressing table brushing out her hair when Peggy knocked at the door. She found the intrusion annoying, for she had given orders earlier that she didn’t want to be bothered so she could spend the day totally wrapped up in her thoughts of Noah and the future she believed they had together.

“What is it?” Her tone was sharp with irritation.

“It’s me, ma’am, Peggy…” Aware that Eve had wanted to be undisturbed, she opened the door only a crack and peeked inside.

“Yes, I gathered that. What do you want?”

“It’s Lord Radcliffe, ma’am. He’s downstairs, and he wants to see you.”

“Geoffrey…” Eve remarked more to herself than to Peggy. “All right. Tell him I’ll be down shortly. Give him a drink or something.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will.”

When Peggy had gone, Eve quickly styled her hair back into a sedate bun and then stood up to straighten her skirts. Originally, after setting her sights on Kincade, Eve had sought to end all intimacies with Geoffrey, but she was now thinking better of the idea. Kincade’s refusal to bed her had pleased her emotionally but left her decidedly hungry for a man. While she wanted no future with Geoffrey, she certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy his sensual company, if he was so disposed. A small, cunning smile curved her perfect lips as she thought of how easy it would be to seduce Geoffrey, and she started downstairs with just that goal in mind.

“Geoffrey, darling…” Eve swept into the parlor with all her usual aplomb, and she was thrilled to see the spark of desire in his eyes as he came to his feet.