Bride By Mistake Read Free

is no time for teasing, Luke. Why have I not met her? Met her parents? And why such a hole-in-the-corner wedd—”
    “Her parents are dead. And you have not met her for the very good reason that she is still in Spain.” And he wasn’t teasing.
    “In Spain?” She frowned. “But it’s years since you were in Spain. I don’t understand. How can you have married a girl who is still in Spain?”
    Luke glanced away. “The marriage was some time ago.”
    She leaned forward, her face filled with foreboding. “How long ago?”
    “In the spring of 1811.”
    She did the sums. “Eight years ago? When you were
nineteen
?” She stared, her brow crumpled with bewilderment. “And all this time you never thought to tell me? Why, Luke? Why?”
    “It seemed the right thing to do at the time.” It was the only explanation he was prepared to give.
    Closing her eyes as if it was too much to bear, his mother leaned back in her chair and fanned herself, even though, being March, it wasn’t the least bit warm.
    “
Samplers?
” Her eyes flew open and she sat up with a jerk. “How old was this girl? In 1811, Molly was a child of—”
    “Thirteen. And yes, Isabella was almost thirteen when I married her.”
    “You married a
child
?” she almost shrieked. “Oh, the scandal when this gets out!”
    “I have no intention of letting it be known.”
    “But Luke… Thirteen! A mere child! How could you?” She looked at him with faint horror.
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Mama,” he said with asperity. “Ofcourse I never touched her. What do you take me for?” And because he could still see the confusion and anxiety in his mother’s eyes, he continued, “I married her to protect her, of course. And then I gave her into the care of her aunt, who is a nun.”
    His mother shook her head and said in a resigned voice, “Catholic as well. I might have known.” She swirled her sherry pensively for a few moments, drained her glass, and said decisively, “We shall have it annulled.”
    “No, we shall not.”
    “But you were not yet one-and-twenty, not of legal age to marry without parental permission. And if the girl is untouched, an annulment is—”
    “No.”
    “Of course you must. You simply apply to—”
    “Mother.”
    She bit her lip and subsided.
    Luke said, “I applied for an annulment. It was refused.”
    “On what grounds—”
    “The marriage is legal, Mother,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. Luke had no intention of explaining to his mother or anyone else why an annulment was not possible.
    She looked at him with dismay but read the resolution in his eyes. “So what will you do?”
    “Honor the marriage, of course. I have no other option.”
    “And the girl?”
    “She has no other option, either.”
    “So I collect, Luke, but what does she think? How does she feel?”
    He gave her a blank look. “I have no idea. It doesn’t matter what she thinks or feels—the marriage is legal and we’re both stuck with it—and I hope I don’t need to say, that’s for your ears only, Mama.”
    “Of course,” his mother murmured.
    “The Spanish are used to arranged marriages; this will be no different. Besides, she’s been raised in a convent.”
    His mother gave him a puzzled look. “What has that to do with it?”
    “She’ll have acquired the habit of obedience,” Luke explained. “Nuns devote their lives to poverty, chastity, and obedience.”
    His mother blinked. “I see,” she said faintly.
    “So, that’s that. I’ll be off then.” He stood to leave.
    “Luke Ripton, do not dare step a foot out of this room until you have finished explaining.”
    Luke raised a brow. “I’ve told you everything you need to know.”
    His mother rolled her eyes. “How like a man.”
    It seemed to be some sort of accusation, though what else he could be like was beyond him. But clearly his mother felt the need to hash over the thing some more. Luke reluctantly sat down again.
    “Why did you not tell me