The Marriage Contract

365 Pages·2001·0.78 MB·English

by  Cathy Maxwell

CATHY
MAXWELL
The Marriage
Contract
To Kevin Maxwell, with love
NLFL MFML
Contents
PROLOGUE
Anne Burnett held her breath as Lady Waldo
signed her… 1
Chapter 1
It rained almost every day of the trip from
London… 11
Chapter 2
Hugh and Deacon gathered around for a look.
Hugh made… 27
Chapter 3
Anne couldn’t relax. Her husband’s body
surrounded hers. The horse… 45
Chapter 4
In the ensuing dead silence, Anne reflected that
perhaps her… 56
Chapter 5
Aidan marched downstairs, followed by Deacon,
straight for the ale… 74
Chapter 6
Anne searched for what few hair pins she’d
owned but… 94
Chapter 7
The trip to McKenzie’s to buy sheep was a hard… 111
Chapter 8
Anne stood in her yellow Kashmir shawl and fine
periwinkle… 134
Chapter 9
Anne spent the afternoon detailing to Cora what
would be… 151
Chapter 10
Anne stared into his intent eyes and closed her
mouth. 174
Chapter 11
Anne heard the door shut. 198
Chapter 12
Hugh, Deacon, and Mrs. MacEwan waited for
Aidan in the… 217
Chapter 13
Anne knew Aidan would be right behind her. He
caught… 230
Chapter 14
“We are surrounded by British soldiers,” Anne
reminded Aidan as… 251
Chapter 15
Aidan didn’t dare tell Anne the details of his plan. 268
Chapter 16
“The devil you say,” the colonel snapped. Aidan
pulled Anne… 287
Chapter 17
Aidan’s laughter enraged Major Lambert. He
charged again. Aidan neatly… 307
Chapter 18
Anne’s ears rang with the force of the explosion.
The… 323
Epilogue
Being a politician’s wife was not easy for
someone who… 341
Afterword
About the Author
Other Books by Cathy Maxwell
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher

Prologue
London, 1815
Anne Burnett held her breath as Lady Waldo signed
her brother’s bold, singular title “Tiebauld” to the proxy
marriage contract. The scratch of the sharp quill across
parchment resounded in the sudden quiet of the law-
yer’s office.
Finished, Lady Waldo handed the pen to Sir Rupert,
who officiously sanded the signature before turning
the document on his desk toward Anne. “Your turn,
Miss Burnett.” He dipped the pen in ink and offered it
to her with a slight flourish.
Anne stared at the writing instrument as if she’d
never seen one before. A bead of ink formed on the
nub’s tip. If she didn’t take it quickly, the ink would
fall onto the desk and make a splatter. But she couldn’t
breathe, let alone move.
“It is your turn to sign, Miss Burnett,” Sir Rupert
prompted again.
1
2 / Cathy Maxwell
“Yes, Anne,” Aunt Maeve said, sitting in the hardback
chair beside her niece’s. She gave Anne’s elbow a little
wake-up pinch. “This is no time for missish airs. It’s
as good as you could ever hope for. Better, in fact.”
Anne could only agree, but the minuscule writing of
terms and agreements her aunt and uncle had spent
hours negotiating leered up at her. No one had asked
her opinion. Not once. After all, this marriage was
considered the best an orphan with a disgraced past
could achieve.
Of course, in fairness, she’d had her chances. Uncle
Robert and Aunt Maeve had sponsored her for two
Seasons. However, the consensus was her looks, while
pleasant—straight brown hair, serious gray eyes, and
a mouth too generous for beauty—were not spectacular
enough to overcome her lack of fortune or social con-
nections.
No man wanted her save one. Lord Tiebauld, Lady
Waldo’s brother. The man whose very name made
every eligible debutante shudder.
Bitter disappointment replaced fear. Anne had
dreamed of marriage, of being loved for herself, and
of finally having a place where she was wanted and
belonged…
Instead, she was to be shipped off to the wilds of
Scotland. Dismissed, was more like it. Her relatives
couldn’t wait to be rid of her.
She reached for the pen and angled the contract on
the polished wood desk in front of her. Her fingers
tightened on the stylus—and suddenly she couldn’t do
it.
THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT / 3
Not until she asked the question burning in her
mind, “How mad is he?”
For a heartbeat, everyone stared as if Anne had
spoken in tongues. Politically powerful, socially adept,
Lady Waldo appeared most disconcerted of all. Then
chaos erupted.
Uncle Robert rose to his feet with a soft oath while
Aunt Maeve cried out, “Anne!”
Sir Rupert leaned across the desk, frowning at her
uncle. “I thought you said the girl was agreeable to the
match?”
“She is,” Uncle Robert answered. He placed a
warning hand on Anne’s shoulder. “She will sign.”
“It’s nerves,” Aunt Maeve assured everyone. “Her
father was just as high-strung. She’ll calm down.”
“Maeve, shut up,” Uncle Robert growled, but it was
too late. Sir Rupert grasped at the possible implica-
tions.
“You told me she was healthy!”
“She is,” Aunt Maeve shot back. “Didn’t your doctor
tell you so? He even verified her virginity.”
Hot color flooded Anne’s cheeks at the reminder of
the invasive and too personal examination the doctor
had given her. She started to rise, feeling an urge to
run, to hide—but Uncle Robert’s hand shoved back
down in the chair.
Besides, where would she go?
Sir Rupert turned to Lady Waldo. “I can’t let you
continue with this endeavor, my lady. Not until we are
completely sure of the girl’s mental soundness.”