His Mischievous Bride (Regency Matchmaker Book 2) Read online

  ‘Twas my undoing and I spurted my hot seed deep into my wife’s pussy.

  I leaned over her and rested my head next to hers, kissing along her neck. She turned her head and our lips met in a sweet kiss.

  "You have not had your pleasure yet, Callie."

  "Oh, I have had ample pleasure, William," she assured me.

  "But you did not climax, did you?"

  "Not yet," she said with a wink. "What are you going to do about it?"

  "My apologies for rushing through the deed, my dear. I seem to have little self-control when I am with you."

  "Would you like me to take care of this matter myself?" she asked, a sly look in her eye as she stood and turned toward me, reaching beneath her skirts to reveal her luscious cunny. While I watched, she fingered the hard nub of her clit until it was swollen, and she moaned with pleasure.

  "That is my job," I said, pulling her hand away and licking her essence from her fingers before taking over the task which she had started. I covered her mouth with my own and swallowed her cries of ecstasy as she reached her climax.

  We were in the process of righting ourselves and enjoying those languid moments which follow lovemaking when the door to the room flew open again with a bang.

  Expecting more canine intruders, I braced for an onslaught of fur and tails. Instead, a dark-haired gentleman stormed into the room, eyes blazing.

  "Jimmy!" Calliope stepped forward, arms outstretched as if to greet him but halted when he turned his glare to her.

  It was then I noticed the newspaper clutched in his hand. While his mother stood motionless, he read from it.

  What dog loving member of London society has recently wed in haste a man reputed to be a traitor to the crown?

  Calliope gasped, her eyes going wide in shock. "No," she said. "Jimmy, it is not true."

  He gazed upon her and I detected a faint look of affection in his eyes, though it was barely discernible amidst the anger emanating from his body. "Mother," he said, his shoulders tight with tension, "I do not believe everything I read in the gossip columns. However, before I even saw this bit in the paper, I had made some inquiries about Colonel St. Clair." He glared at me for a moment before addressing his mother again. "I have it on good authority this man you have married," his lips puckered as though his mouth was full of vinegar, "this man whom you have chosen to replace my own good father, is nothing more than a treasonous bastard."

  Well, I could not allow that to go unchallenged. Stepping forward, I put my arm around Callie’s waist and extended my right hand to him. "Lord Knox, I am Colonel William St. Clair." He stared at my hand but refused to take it. Eventually, I lowered it to my side.

  "James Harley." Callie’s body stiffened next to me. "How dare you treat any guest in this house so rudely. He is my husband and you must trust my judgment on this matter."

  "Your judgment?" he scoffed. "I have spent the better part of the last several years correcting your errors in judgment, though it appears you have now entered into an arrangement even I cannot remedy."

  "Enough," I said, stepping between them. "Say what you will about me. I care not. But no one speaks to my wife in such an insolent manner. I’ve a mind to take you outside and teach you some manners."

  "James." An attractive woman with arresting red hair entered the room, alarm etched across her face. "What is the meaning of this?"

  "My mother has married a traitor," he spat the words out and the woman, whom I assumed to be his wife, gasped and stared at me.

  "It is not true." Callie jumped to my defense.

  I found myself in the midst of a sticky wicket. I was sworn not to reveal the truth of my assignment to anyone. I had already broken that rule when I told Callie. I dared not allow the information to go any further for the safety of myself, Callie, and others who were working to stop this band of insurgents. My reputation might be restored at some later date, but death was permanent.

  I took my wife by the arm. "Things are not always as they appear," I said. "I believe it is best if we leave now."

  "Leave and never return."

  Calliope turned. "James, you are not in earnest."

  "I most certainly am." He turned and left the room before we had a chance to cross the threshold. His wife followed behind, but not without a worried glance over her shoulder at Callie.

  William

  The boys seemed to have picked up on Callie’s mood for they rode in the carriage quite somberly, only occasionally alarmed when their mistress drew in a ragged breath while attempting to contain her weeping.

  "Oh, William," she said, gazing up at me forlornly. "Whatever shall I do? James and I have had our spats over the years, but never anything like this. And what of the baby? How can he keep me from my grandchild?"

  A fresh round of sobs tore through her and her anguish became my own. I held her close and did what I could to be comforting.

  I had not been pleased in the slightest when General Fitzwilliam announced rumors had already been spread about me in order to facilitate the plan for me to infiltrate this ring of unpatriotic despots, but never would I have imagined the depth of trouble it would cause.

  There could be no retraction once a rumor had taken on a life of its own. Capture, arrest and conviction were my only path to restoring my good name and thereby returning my Callie to the warm bosom of her family.

  The honeymoon really was over.

  As soon as we arrived at my home, I tucked Callie up into bed with a fresh pot of tea and a cold compress for her head, then held a private meeting with Gibson.

  We were in my study, which was now in use as the headquarters for my mission to ferret out the group who were plotting against the king.

  "There is a dinner tonight at the home of Lord and Lady Freebush to which you and Lady Calliope have been invited."

  My curiosity piqued, I asked, "Is this a friendly call or do we suspect them of nefarious activities?"

  "We have limited information about them, sir. Lord Freebush is an active member of the Fink Club which, as you are aware, is known to be a haven for those who oppose the current monarch and believe him to be an unfit man to lead the country."

  "Hmm. Have you any intelligence on his direct involvement?"

  "No, sir. He does not appear to be a man of much action or initiative. More of a follower, I assume."

  "I see, and what of his wife?"

  "Sir?"

  "Cannot a woman be as dangerous as a man? Perhaps more so for the fact no one would suspect her?"

  "I know very little about the wife, but I shall endeavor to learn more."

  "Very good."

  Gibson exited the room and I paused for a moment realizing soon my service with the army would be concluded. Much as I had looked forward to concluding my time in the army, particularly now that I had a wife with whom to enjoy my days, and nights, I realized I would miss the army too. It had given my life purpose. I considered my host for the evening. Lord Freebush and others of his ilk, those with inherited money and too much time on their hands. Rarely did they toil or spend their wealth in any manner which would benefit those around them or those less fortunate.

  I had been raised and educated among them and though I originally felt some affinity for my class long ago, after seeing more of the world and the way things really worked, I lost any admiration I might have had for those who lived off the money left to them by family long ago and did nothing with it other than collect it for their own vanity and use.

  Before I could infiltrate and study this group of people, I had to rid myself of my prejudices against them. There was no place for passion or emotion in this type of work.

  Callie

  The home of the Freebushes was nice enough. Nothing to Primrose Park, the Knox family home or even compared to William's townhome, but I am always glad to meet new people and looked upon the evening as an opportunity to expand my circle of friends.

  I had spent the afternoon abed, wailing and bemoaning my situation but finally de
cided there was nothing to be gained by my hysteria and even though William offered to attend dinner alone and make my excuses for me, I decided the only way to put my family back together was to get this situation resolved and if dinner with some suspected ne’er do wells was required, then I would do it.

  William had been pleased when I agreed to accompany him, but he had also been adamant I was to do nothing more than to be a ladylike guest. Any type of sleuthing on my part would be met with swift and sure punishment. He said it was for my own safety.

  At the party, William was quite attentive, which I appreciated. Much as I enjoy talking, I sometimes get nervous in a new crowd. Fortunately, I spied Lady Hortense Hamberly across the room. She and I had been friends for many years and when I found myself alone while William got a drink for me, I made my way over to Lady Hortense.

  If this gathering was made up of those who opposed the crown, I was surprised to see Lady Hortense there. There might be much for me to learn.

  "Lady Calliope!" she exclaimed over me. "Who is that handsome man I saw you with? What scandalous things are you up to?"

  I blushed but also puffed up with pride. "He is my husband."

  "No!" she said, her voice loud enough it attracted the attention of several people nearby.

  "Yes," said I. "We have been married but a handful of days."

  "But, I had no idea. Was there no reading of the banns? Nothing in the paper? I have never seen the two of you out before."

  "It was all very sudden, I can assure you." I pulled Lady Hortense away from prying ears and gave her the short version of events.

  "A matchmaker?" she gasped when I mentioned Lady Ambrosia.

  "Long lost love? How romantic," she said when I told her about being reunited with William. It seems everyone loves a story about second chances.

  "What can you tell me about our hosts?" I asked, knowing full well Lady Hortense was an invaluable source of information, both flattering and less so. "I was rather surprised when Colonel St. Clair informed me of the invitation as I have never met the couple and neither has he."

  "Well," Lady Hortense said, pulling me further away from the others in the room. "They are notorious pinch-pennies, but they have a daughter who is out now, and they have been making a splash on the social scene in an effort to secure a proper husband for her." She tipped her head and indicated a young lady in the center of the room who was engaged in conversation with a couple of very handsome gentlemen. She was not an unattractive girl, but something in her manner did not sit well with me.

  "And there," Lady Hortense nodded toward the other side of the room at a couple with too wide smiles and vacant eyes, "are Lord and Lady Freebush themselves."

  "They do not look one bit interesting, do they?" I said, though I ought not have.

  Lady Hortense snickered. "You are as sharp witted as ever. I have spoken briefly with all members of the household and find them to be a tedious lot. But, had I not attended this evening, I would not have seen you here and learned of your great good fortune."

  Lady Hortense squeezed my arm. "I am extremely happy for you, my friend. I wish you many years of happiness."

  At that moment, William found me in the crowd and handed me a beverage. I introduced him to Lady Hamberly who was suitably impressed by his manner and good looks.

  We separated from my friend as the dinner gong had sounded. I had not expected such a large crowd, but given my impression our hosts were likely to be exceptionally dull, I was glad for the extra personages to offer some hope of entertainment.

  To my surprise, William and I were seated next to our host and hostess. I had not expected such an honor and had no idea why we had been singled out for their attention. William and I exchanged a look as we took our seats but said nothing.

  Lord Freebush was seated at the head of the table and I was seated to his right. His daughter took her place across from me and I learned her name was Lady Audra.

  Lady Freebush anchored the foot of the table and William took his position to her right. Though we had only been married a few days and I had attended many meals without a spouse over the past few years, it suddenly felt very lonely to be without him. Or perhaps the prospect of making conversation with Lord Freebush and his daughter had me feeling desolate.

  The meal itself was more than adequate, though not sumptuous. I remembered Lady Hortense's comment about the Freebushes being pinch-pennies. I also noted a deplorable shortage of footmen to the service of such a large dinner. Was there a shortage of good help?

  "Please, Lady Calliope, will you not tell us about yourself?" Lady Audra asked.

  "I do not know where I would begin," I said. "I will tell you Colonel St. Clair and I are recently married."

  Lord Freebush then took the opportunity to study me closely and even had the audacity to scrutinize my face, as though he were trying to determine my age. "Extraordinary," he said, before turning to his daughter. "You see, Audra, there is hope for every woman no matter her age, to find a husband."

  The daughter's eyebrows went up in surprise and she gave her head a haughty tilt before replying, "How encouraging, Papa."

  "Oh," I said, in an effort to ease the tension surrounding our end of the dining table, "I married long ago but was widowed several years ago."

  "How nice," Lady Audra said. She spoke rather automatically, much like a parrot.

  "I see your husband is a colonel in the army," Lord Freebush said. "How does he feel about risking his life in service to a monarch who is foolish and does not bring credit to our nation?"

  I nearly dribbled soup down my chin at his audacious comment. For a dull appearing man, Lord Freebush had some strong opinions, it seemed.

  Reminding myself my attendance at this dinner was for the purpose of gaining entrance to the group of anti-royalists, I squelched my instinctive response, though swallowing the words I wished to say burned my throat.

  "He is no longer in the army," I said. I cursed myself for not being more adept at fabricating a story and hopefully drawing out some information, but Jimmy’s sharp rebuke from earlier in the day still hung over me like a dark cloud.

  I glanced down the table to see if William had done any better with Lady Freebush. Based upon the stony set of his jaw, I would have to say he had not.

  We were only on the soup course, with the prospect for a lengthy dinner I racked my brain for some conversational topics that would not involve such strong topics.

  "Lady Audra, do you have any brothers or sisters?" That seemed a safe enough topic.

  "No," she said, rather more strongly than necessary. "I am the only young lady in this house."

  "Oh," I said, her tone making any sort of easy response impossible. "Did you ever wish for siblings? I always wished for a sister."

  "I did, but then when my cousin came to live with us, she was nothing but a disappointment."

  I looked around the room. "I am sorry to hear that. Is your cousin here tonight?"

  "Thankfully not," she said. "Father took her to a matchmaker weeks ago and married her off. I cannot believe that crazy woman found a wealthy lord for her," Audra sniffed.

  I sipped my wine and pondered what she said. Part of this story seemed familiar. A matchmaker? I wondered if it had been Lady Ambrosia. Before I could inquire further, Lord Freebush stood and gave a lengthy toast in which he condemned the Prince Regent in language which I dare not repeat. All around the table, people lifted their glasses and murmured their agreement with their host’s sentiments.

  I could hardly believe my ears. Were these the traitors for whom William was searching? Could this family be the masterminds behind a sinister plot to undermine our king?

  I am not prone to being critical of others nor am I a particularly good judge of character, at least not upon first meeting, in the same way others are able to discern the thoughts of others almost instantaneously. However, even I could see this Freebush family was hardly the type of people who seemed clever or wily enough to carry out an elaborate
plot.

  Or maybe that was exactly what they wanted everyone to think. They were hiding in plain sight behind their own mask of stupidity.

  Intrigued, I endeavored to elicit more information from them. I glanced down the table at William and smiled. He would be so proud when I shared with him what I had learned. I wondered if he was having similar good fortune at his end of the table.

  I took a long surreptitious glance of both my host and his daughter. Yes, they were just the type of people who would be perfect for espionage. Who would ever suspect the two of them and the equally uninteresting Lady Freebush, of being anything other than dullards?

  I racked my brain for the right questions to ask to ferret out the information I needed without looking like I was trying too hard. I needed to think carefully and not blow my cover.

  Or maybe I had read too many serialized detective novels of late.

  "You appear to have strong opinions about our king, Lord Freebush. Do you not fear the consequences of speaking so boldly?"

  "That is precisely why this king ought to be out on his ear," Lord Freebush said and several who heard him murmured their assent. Encouraged, he continued. "The king is profligate. We pay our taxes and he spends them on his foolish whims. Just look at that monstrosity Brighton Pavilion. What is the point of that other than to spend money for his own aggrandizement?"

  "Hear, hear," someone a few seats away from me said.

  I was in no position to take on the defense of the crown, nor did I wish to draw undue attention to myself and my opinions on the matter. This did not appear to be a gathering open to discussion of all sides of a matter.

  "That is interesting, my lord," I said, favoring him with my best and most disarming smile. "I think it is better to leave those deep thoughts to men, do you not agree Lady Audra?" I turned to the young woman seated across from me.

  Her face turned a deep pink from the base of her throat to the fringe of her bangs. She glanced at her father then back to me. "I believe you are correct, my lady. Such serious thoughts are hardly the purview of a lady."