A Stylish Marriage

by Patricia Waddell Narrated by Suzanne Toren

Overview

Known for her historical novels, Patricia Waddell is a favorite with romance readers. In A Stylish Marriage, Waddell delivers another moving tale of love and lust. Jonathan was looking for a marriage of convenience, but he has found more than he expected. Now the only thing on his mind is his love for Regina. Although she wants to resist, Regina finds herself being pulled in closer and closer. Nothing will keep Jonathan from getting what he wants.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170963331
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	12/05/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

One

New York State

Winter 1889

It was late afternoon when Regina Van Buren opened the door to find a stranger standing on her front porch. A threatening winter wind was blowing off the Hudson River, rattling the shutters of the large boardinghouse while snow swirled and danced through the air.

"Miss Van Buren?" the man inquired in a deep but pleasant voice. With the collar of his coat pulled up to protect him from the wind, and the brim of a snow-speckled hat pulled low over his eyes, she couldn't make out his features.

"Yes," Regina replied, shivering as a blast of arctic air swept into the foyer. She glanced past the stranger's wide shoulders toward the street. There was no carriage waiting, and she wondered if he'd walked from the train station at the south end of town. Surely not, considering the weather. Thinking that perhaps he'd come from the large brownstone across the street, she wondered if she was finally about to meet the mysterious Mr. Parker.

"May I come in?" he asked, stomping his feet to rid his boots of snow. "It's freezing out here."

"Oh ... of course," Regina said, stepping back. Since she wasn't alone in the house, she wasn't fearful that she might be opening her door to the devil. Mrs. Chalmers was in the kitchen, baking yeast rolls for supper. The stout cook could brandish a rolling pin better than most men could wield a sword. Besides, it wasn't in Regina's nature to be fearful of the unknown. Those who knew her could attest to her adventurous spirit.

Jonathan stepped into the house. Beneath the brim of his hat, his silvery eyes studied the young woman who had invited him in from the cold. He'd seen ReginaVan Buren before, albeit from a distance, and he was pleased to discover that her complexion was flawless and her features as classical as the profile etched into the cameo brooch pinned to the neckline of her lacy blouse. Her chestnut hair was swept away from her face and piled on top of her head in an artful array of curls. Jonathan's gaze moved over her, taking in the lush curves of her young breasts, lowering slowly to a narrow waist that he was willing to bet had nothing to do with a tightly laced corset, then lower still, to where a blue wool skirt flared over womanly hips. She barely reached his breastbone, but she stood tall and proud, her sapphire eyes bright and clear.

"I hope I'm not inconveniencing you," he said.

Regina caught her breath when the man removed his hat, revealing hair as black as Pennsylvania coal. He was tall with a military posture to his shoulders. His eyes were pale, a flashing silver-gray, cast into a ruggedly handsome face. His cheekbones were high, his nose straight, but it was the eyes that captured Regina's attention. They possessed a volatile quality that warned the world to keep its distance.

"It's no inconvenience, Mr. Parker," she replied, knowing that her visitor had to be the enigmatic man who had recently purchased the textile mill. When he didn't correct her, Regina knew she was standing face-to-face with the man the small hamlet of Merriam Falls had been gossiping about for several weeks.

She frowned as she turned to close the door. Normally, she didn't notice men, having little use for their arrogant ways and antiquated attitudes. But she couldn't help noticing this one. There was a compelling aura about him, an almost grim intensity, and she wondered if all the rumors she'd heard were true. The man was obviously wealthy. His clothing was well tailored, and his boots were made from expensive leather. He spoke like a gentleman and dressed liked a gentleman, but underneath the deceiving elegance of his attire, Regina sensed a dark side to his character.

She'd heard, as had most of Merriam Falls, that Jonathan Belmont Parker was a man whose wrath was to be avoided at all cost. It was said that he ran his businesses like a sea captain did his ship, demanding unwavering loyalty from those he employed. Seeing him now, standing tall and rigid before her, Regina suspected the rumors were more fact than fiction. The man exuded a predatory air of self-confidence.

"I was just about to have tea," she announced, smiling in spite of the fluttery sensation that had overtaken her stomach. "Would you care to join me?"

"Thank you," Jonathan replied, placing his hat and gloves on the marble-topped table just inside the foyer entrance. He didn't bother asking Regina how she knew his name. His reputation had apparently preceded him.

He followed her into the parlor, wondering how the vibrant young lady would react to a proposal of marriage.

Jonathan's decision to marry had been made with the same methodical precision he used in managing his numerous businesses. A few months shy of his thirty-sixth birthday, and bored with his bachelor life, he'd arrived at the conclusion that it was time to take a wife and begin a family.

Being a meticulous man, and having parted with a great deal of money to buy the textile mill, he'd had his manager make inquiries into the citizenry of Merriam Falls. To his amazement, Jonathan had discovered that the small town had one very respectable, very interesting young lady. Regina Van Buren.

Miss Van Buren had been born in Merriam Falls and raised in a manner befitting a lady. Her father had died in an accident on the Hudson River. Necessity had dictated that Sylvia Van Buren, Regina's mother, take in boarders. After her mother's death, Regina assumed responsibility for the boardinghouse on Whitley Street. She attended church regularly and paid her bills on time. Considered dependable and trustworthy, she was a straightforward young woman whose support of the suffrage movement was tolerated by the town's male hierarchy because she was soft-spoken and pleasing to the eye.

But it wasn't her political ideology that intrigued Jonathan. A lot of women supported the cause fostered by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone. What made Regina Van Buren intriguing was her hobby. The young lady was infatuated with astronomy.

Jonathan's private investigation had revealed that fact along with several others. Regina possessed an intensive scientific library, centered around the works of Sir Isaac Newton, Sir William Herschel, John Couch Adams, and the French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier.

It was said on a clear night, winter cold or summer warm, Regina Van Buren could be found atop her flat-roofed carriage house, gazing at stars through the lenses of an eight-foot telescope that had come all the way from Germany.

Regina poured tea while Jonathan sat down in a wing chair that faced the fireplace.

"Who is this?" he asked as a pair of emerald eyes surveyed him. The large tabby cat stretched leisurely before leaving the cozy comfort of the tiled hearth to rub against Jonathan's trouser leg.

"Bramwell," Regina introduced the resident feline. "He's extremely spoiled, terribly fussy about his diet, and utterly adorable only when he wants to be."

Jonathan's head was bent as he stroked Bramwell. The light from the fireplace made his hair take on the sheen of wet ink. He was a handsome man. Handsome indeed, and an uncontrollable shiver raced up and down Regina's spine. When he looked up, catching her gaze, she felt the shiver turn into an earthquake of sensations, starting in the center of her body and moving outward like ripples on a pond.

The man's presence was having a debilitating effect on her nervous system. Her hands were trembling, and she could feel her heart pounding. For a tense moment the only sound in the room was Bramwell's contented purring and the metallic ticking of the mantel clock. Giving herself a mental shake, Regina remembered her manners and the fact that Mr. Parker had arrived unannounced on her doorstep. Assuming that he'd come for a logical reason, she handed him a cup of tea.

"Since you recently purchased the house across the street, Mr. Parker, may I inquire as to what prompted this visit? Or may I assume that someone in your employ requires a room?"

Jonathan smiled, turning his handsome face into an irresistible one. "You may," he said with a light smile. "My manager will be needing a place to sleep and take his meals. Your establishment came highly recommended."

"I have a small suite on the second floor," Regina told him, delighted by the possibility of renting out the rooms. "A small parlor and a bedroom," she explained. "The rooms are available now, if your manager's need is an urgent one."

"I expect him by the end of the week," Jonathan told her. "His name is Richard Ferguson. He'll be overseeing the daily operation of the mill. I'm sure the rooms will be more than adequate. I'll have my secretary send over a check for the first month's rent."

"That isn't necessary," Regina replied. Most of her boarders paid on a weekly basis. "A week's rent in advance is all I require."

"A month's rent in advance," he countered in a voice laced with authority. "I insist."

Regina caught her breath, then smiled. She could certainly use the money. She'd just ordered a new tripod for her telescope. The advance rent would more than pay for the carpenter's work. "If you insist," she replied, coming to her feet. "I'll show you the rooms."

"That won't be necessary." Jonathan waved her offer aside. "My manager isn't hard to please."

Resuming her seat, Regina got the distinctive impression that the man's employer was just the opposite. It was easy to tell that Jonathan Belmont Parker was a gentleman accustomed to having his way. Especially with the ladies. Without glancing at him, she could feel his gaze. The room had become quiet again, while outside, the wind whistled through the trees, promising that the worst of the weather was still to come.

Jonathan sipped his tea, content for the moment to simply sit and observe Regina Van Buren. He wasn't sure what he'd expected when he finally met the young lady face-to-face, but it definitely wasn't an uncontrollable urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she lay limp in his embrace. But that's just what the lady provoked in him, an animalistic need to dominate, to govern her, body, mind, and soul.

Jonathan assumed his aroused body was reacting to the simple fact that he'd been too busy to visit his mistress in New York City. That and the presence of a pretty woman were no doubt the cause for his unexpected reaction to Miss Van Buren. She was by far the prettiest young lady in Merriam Falls, but he wasn't a stranger to beautiful women. Her virginity interested him because he was considering her for the position of his wife. Normally, he avoided virgins. They were a troublesome inconvenience, at best.

Of course, he expected his bride to be virginal. He looked over the rim of his cup. On the surface, Miss Van Buren appeared to meet all his requirements. She was pretty, intelligent, and graceful. Her defense of suffrage said that she was independent-minded and strong-willed. Her fascination with astronomy indicated that she had a well-educated but romantic mind. All in all, she had just enough spice to make the relationship interesting.

He glanced around the room, taking note of the suffrage flyers lying on the desk near the window. Deciding it would be as good a time as any to test her stubbornness on the issue, he used the pretense of the weather as a reason for leaving his chair and moving to the window. He glanced outside before commenting on the heavy snow clouds that were gathering to the north. Regina agreed that anyone venturing out in the morning would find themselves requiring the services of a sleigh rather than a carriage.

He picked up one of the pamphlets, eyeing it casually before turning to look at her again. "Do you support Wyoming's admission to the Union?" Jonathan asked, holding the leaflet in his hand.

Regina leveled her sapphire gaze in his direction. It was no secret that she did more than support Wyoming's entry, she'd written countless letters supporting the progressive thinking of the territory's current legislature. Wyoming's women had voted since 1870 under a bill passed by the first legislative council in the territory, and there was a desperate fear that the politicians in the nation's capital would require the right to be withdrawn before allowing Wyoming's request for admission to become a reality.

"Yes," Regina told him in a firm but polite voice. "I support Wyoming's admission with its current state constitution intact. Of course, I'm sure Senator Vest of Missouri would disagree with me. He's made it perfectly clear that he will never vote to admit any state into the Union that adopts woman suffrage. He considers suffrage not only a calamity but an absolute crime against the institutions of the people of this country," she finished, quoting the senator almost verbatim. She kept her gaze fixed on Jonathan, studying him closely as she asked, "Do you support Wyoming's admission, Mr. Parker?"

Jonathan looked up from the pamphlet. His gaze ran over Regina, taking particular interest in the way her silk blouse fit snugly across her young breasts, and the unconscious but telling habit she had of moistening her lips with the tip of her pink tongue. "I don't oppose Wyoming's entry into the Union," he said honestly. "As for suffrage, I'm not totally apathetic to the plight of women, Miss Van Buren."

"Then you agree that we should have a voice? A vote?" she prompted him, knowing men frequently hedged on committing themselves publicly to the cause of fairness.

She'd lost count of the number of men who had tried to woo her by seeming to believe in the legal and political equality of women. Time, however, revealed their true character, and Regina quickly let it be known that she could never hold real affection for a man who thought her nothing more than a female chattel.

Jonathan gave her a dark little smile. "I agree that women are intelligent and capable," he remarked. "However, I don't agree that they are, or ever will be, a man's equal."

She wasn't surprised by his response, having already gauged him to be an arrogant man. It was a pity, since she had to admit a certain attraction to the gentleman. Actually it was more than an attraction. Something about the man touched something inside her. It was more than the intimidating quality of his masculinity. When he looked at her, Regina felt his gaze the same way she could feel the heat of the fire warming her skin. It was an elusive touch, but that didn't make it any less real. Looking into his silvery eyes was very much like looking through the lens of her telescope. The sensation made her light-headed, as if she'd just discovered an unknown corner of heaven.

Taking a quick breath to calm her reaction, Regina gave her guest a brilliant smile. "I'm sure the majority of men agree with you, Mr. Parker, although I admit a reluctance in understanding why. Surely the male gender isn't insecure enough to believe that women want to become men. I assure you, we do not. Suffrage isn't a personal issue, it's a legal issue. Since this country's very beginning, women have been counted in matters of taxation and census, yet we become noncitizens on election day. A contradiction that demands correction."

The lady had a quick mind and a quick tongue, he'd give her that. Jonathan put down the printed leaflet that was being distributed throughout the eastern states, and moved toward the fire, closer to the woman who was the real issue. "Men have their insecurities," he confessed with a devilish smile. "We are, after all, human. I think our main difference is a philosophical one, Miss Van Buren. Even you can't argue the fact that men are bigger and stronger. While the disparity is a physical one, it creates a cultural gap between the genders that has existed since the beginning of time. Men are instinctively protective, while women are gifted with, shall we say, softer inclinations."

"You mean God created us to be wives and mothers," she countered without hesitation.

"I believe there is a biblical verse or two that supports the theory," he said, pleased by her personal convictions even if he didn't agree with them. Yes, she'd do nicely as his wife. If there was one thing Jonathan hated, it was complacency. Miss Van Buren might not be the most willing bride in history, but she'd certainly be a challenging one.

Regina scowled. "You sound like Reverend Hayes. He's a pious man who thinks suffrage is a spiritual abomination. He prefers women who appreciate the sphere to which God and the Bible have assigned them. Needless to say, I am not one of those women."

Jonathan smiled in spite of himself. The expression lasted for a brief moment. Then his eyes grew dark, and the intensity Regina had noticed earlier returned. When he spoke, his voice was almost a whisper. "If Reverend Hayes considers you an abomination, the man needs spectacles."

The fire crackled, sending a tiny flurry of sparks up the chimney. Jonathan watched as Regina's vibrant blue eyes opened wide and a blush of color reddened her cheeks. Her reaction made the urge to kiss her almost uncontrollable. Knowing women and appreciating their many talents, Jonathan realized his first taste of Regina wouldn't be enough to quench his appetite. In fact, he was almost certain he wouldn't be satisfied until their wedding night, when he could strip her naked and enjoy every inch of her luscious little body.

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