The Lady’s Dangerous Love Read online

  Jonathan was immediately impressed. He didn’t take his eyes from it, even as he held out his hand to help Bella down from the carriage. He made sounds of admiration as they went through the small iron gate and made their way up the path to the tree.

  “The Tree of Life. Why do you call it that?”

  “It has always been the Tree of Life.” Bella said as they went up the path. “Look how it is perfectly shaped...how its branches reach out in a perfect circle around it. See how the trunk has no marks, it has not been carved and no one has attempted to chop it down. The bark is perfectly healthy. Why it looks as though this tree could live for another several thousand years.”

  “How could anyone know though?” Jonathan stopped when they were several yards from the tree and stared up into the uniquely formed branches. “Who is an expert on trees?”

  “We have had experts come through town before who have analyzed and assessed the tree’s condition. They have all said that this tree is the oldest they have ever seen and that it is very healthy. Look.” Belle reached up and grasped one of the leaves from the tree, plucking it off and holding it in front of her. “It is massive, is it not?”

  “It certainly is. If I had known it was this beautiful here, I would have had someone pack up a picnic basket. We could have enjoyed a fine lunch.”

  Bella had forgotten how hungry she was. She had not taken tea or biscuits with the Ellingham's as she had planned. Her hunger came back with a vengeance.

  “Oh dear,” she said, placing one hand over her grumbling stomach, afraid that it would make noises and embarrass her.

  “You are very hungry, my darling?”

  “I forgot to get something to eat at the Fordham Hotel. I do wish I had.”

  “You have had a lot on your mind as of late. Are you feeling all right?”

  Bella hesitated before answering. She wondered if he knew just how much she had been pondering lately. She gazed at him, trying to assess what he was thinking. The look on his face was one of pure adoration. He suspected nothing.

  This made Bella feel even worse. She tried to hide her dismay from her face, but Jonathan spotted it. His look of love turned to concern and he came toward her, his arms outstretched. She moved into them comfortably, wishing she could confide in him, but knowing that she couldn’t. And she shouldn’t. This was a battle she would have to deal with on her own.

  “My dear, you know that I love you very much. If there is anything you need to unburden yourself with, please know that I will listen. I don’t want the hassle of planning a wedding to give you pain and stress. I only want you to be happy.”

  His words resonated in her mind. She wanted to be happy. However, she wanted him to be happy, too. She wanted to love him with all of her heart, not just part of it. She felt like the worst woman on the face of the planet, having her heart ripped in two by unsuspecting men with only good intentions toward her in their minds.

  “I adore you, Jonathan. I… I am not too burdened by the wedding planning. My mother will take charge of most of that, anyway.” She pressed her cheek against his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. It was rapid and strong. He was warm. His arms around her made her feel safe from all harm.

  “Let us go back down, darling. I will take you home so that you can get your cook to make you something special to eat. I believe we have both missed our lunch, haven’t we?”

  “I suppose so. We have been caught up in the excitement here in Bainbridge. Nothing ever happens here, so it is not a surprise that we would be interested by it.”

  “It is a very peaceful village. It is nothing like London, I must say.”

  “Do you like it peaceful? Or do you prefer the action of the bigger cities?”

  They walked down the hill together, with Bella’s hands wrapped around his strong arm.

  “I can settle comfortably in both places. I have lived in London most of my life, if you do not consider the traveling I have done. But I could live in a small village like this if the desire took me.” He looked down at her. “Is this a way for you to ask me if I want to move my businesses to Bainbridge and stay here? You do know that I cannot do that. My business in London is too large for a small town like this.”

  Bella nodded. “Yes, I know. But I wonder if it would not be possible to live here some of the time? Perhaps part of the year? I would so miss it. I would miss my family and friends. I know of nothing in London that appeals to me and I do not have friends and family that live there.”

  Jonathan looked thoughtful, his brown eyes gazing down to the carriage as they approached. “I do not see why it cannot be considered. I like it here, too. I can understand why you would want to be here. We are not far from London. It is a simple day’s commute. Perhaps we can work something out.”

  Bella sighed, a smile covering her face. She squeezed Jonathan’s arm. He returned her smile as he pulled open the waist-high iron gate and allowed her to pass through before him.

  “I am very hungry, Jonathan,” Bella said. “Would you mind if we stopped at the Fordham Hotel again? I know they will feed my hungry stomach. I am beginning to feel slightly weak.”

  Jonathan frowned. “Oh yes, we will stop there first. I do not want you feeling faint.” He told their driver to hurry back to the Fordham Hotel and the man set the horses to a fast gait. Jonathan wrapped one strong arm around Bella’s petite shoulders and held her close to him as they went.

  Before she knew it, they were passing the debris from the flower shop. As they passed, Bella saw the Huntington children running up and down the sidewalk in a merry game of tag. They were screaming like banshees and laughing hysterically. She smiled.

  They pulled up in front of the Fordham Hotel and she got down with the assistance of her fiancé. Jonathan continued to hold on to her as they went in, opening the door for her and ushering her in, holding her up as though she might fall down at any moment.

  Bella did feel weak and was grateful for his assistance. She hadn’t felt fatigued all day. She ate a good breakfast and had felt strong until only ten minutes before. Her head swirled with dizziness as they passed through the front door of the hotel.

  “Mrs. Ellingham!” Jonathan’s voice boomed above her and she wondered why he was yelling. “Mrs. Ellingham, I need your assistance!”

  Suddenly, people surrounded Bella. She saw her brothers coming toward her, along with James and Katrina, deep concern covering their faces. She felt her knees give way and she slipped through Jonathan’s hands, almost falling to the ground before he caught her up once again. She felt herself being lifted into the air, her head flopping back.

  Moments later, she was lowered onto the heavily cushioned settee. A pillow was propped under her head. She could hear Jonathan saying she needed food and drink immediately and asking her family and friends to step back and give her some room to breathe.

  Before she lost consciousness, she looked through the slits in her eyes and would have sworn she saw Joshua’s face hovering in front of her. Her eyes snapped open.

  It was him. Why was he here? How did he know she would need him?

  She felt herself trying to reach out to him but she didn’t think her arms were moving. She could not feel him. She tried to lift herself from the settee but he stopped her, resting one hand on her shoulder and pushing her back down.

  “Do not get up, Miss Bella.” He said. “You must rest. You have fainted. You will be all right in a moment. Stay right there. Lord Humbridge will be back in a moment with some food for you.”

  “Jo…Joshua…” she said breathlessly. “Joshua, what… what are you doing here? How… how did you know…?” She lost her breath and could not speak any more. Her stomach was churning and her head was spinning.

  What was wrong with her? Worry passed through her mind. Could it simply have been from lack of nutrition? Could not eating possibly make something like that happen?

  Or was she getting sick? Was there a disease being spread around?

  Fear lit throug
h her and her eyes snapped open again. She tried to sit up. “I… I have to…”

  Joshua pushed her gently back down into a horizontal position. “No, Miss Bella.” He leaned in very close, so close that she could feel his breath on her ear. “You must lie down and rest. You will have nutrition soon. You will be given something to eat and drink. You must rest.”

  Bella wanted to refuse him, she wanted to get up and speak and ask questions and be active again. She tossed her head from side to side fretfully.

  “Calm yourself, my dear.” Now she heard the voice of Jonathan in her ear. Joshua had disappeared. She tried to fight for consciousness. Where had Joshua gone? Had he ever been there at all? Was her reality skewed by her condition? What exactly was that condition?

  “Jonathan,” she whispered. She nearly asked him where Joshua had gone but prevented herself from asking it.

  “Here you go, my dear, drink this. It will make you feel better.” He pushed one hand behind her head and lifted so that her lips could circle around the cup he was holding in front of her. The smell of the coffee went up her nose and she breathed it in deeply. She was immediately refreshed by it and took several sips before taking the cup in her own hands and raising just enough to finish off the contents. It settled in her stomach, making her feel warm all over.

  She pulled in a deep breath and sat up all the way, hanging her head for a moment. She lifted it and breathed in deep, looking at the circle of people around her, searching for Joshua. She didn’t see him.

  Jonathan put several large pillows behind her on the couch and she leaned back against them.

  “Are you feeling better, my dear?” Jonathan asked. He held out a tray of sweet smelling biscuits filled with a berry mixture. “Take one of these. We don’t want that to happen again. You must eat something.”

  “I don’t… understand it.” Bella shook her head, trying to recover from the fainting spell. “That has… never happened to me before.”

  “You are too stressed. It is too worrisome for you. We must decide how to prevent this from happening again. Perhaps you should stay in bed for a while. I will take you home.”

  “If you’d like, sir,” Bella heard the voice she had been longing for come through the small crowd around her. Everyone turned and moved out of the way and she saw Joshua standing in the back. “I can take her home. That is, if you have business to discuss here in town.”

  He looked at Bella directly. The look on his face revealed his true feelings for her, at least to Bella. Her heart nearly stopped.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  BELLA AND JOSHUA GET CLOSE

  BELLA AND JOSHUA GET CLOSE

  “If you would like to stay and go over to the flower shop to help us search for clues as to who this vandal might be, Lord Humbridge, you are welcome to do so.”

  Jonathan looked doubtful, turning his gaze to Bella. “I feel as though I should stay with you, Bella.”

  Bella tore her eyes away from Joshua to look at Jonathan. She felt like crying. “You may do whatever you choose, Jonathan. I do not want to dictate your actions. I will only be going home to rest anyway. There will be nothing you can do but sit around and wait for me. That would be highly boring, I would think.”

  Jonathan looked back at Joshua. “You are the gardener, are you not?”

  “I am, sir, at your service. Joshua Foster is my name.”

  “Mr. Foster, if you would be so kind as to see that Bella gets home safely, I will stay here with her brothers and we will return home later this evening.” He turned back to Bella. “Are you sure you will be all right without me?”

  Bella pressed her lips together before taking another bite of the biscuit and nodding in silence. Jonathan sighed.

  “All right then. You go with Mr. Foster. You are acquainted with him?”

  Bella nodded, again not responding verbally. She was afraid of what her voice would sound like. It might wobble. It might squeak. It might give her away.

  Jonathan stood up and held out his arms to her. She lifted up from the couch, pulling on his arm. To her immense surprise and pleasure, Joshua came to the other side of her and stooped to put one of her arms around his shoulders.

  The two men she loved helped her through the door and to the carriage once again. Jonathan gave instructions to the driver to get her back to Bellhouse as quickly as possible. Joshua climbed in after her and watched her closely as they drove away. She had her eyes closed, only hearing Jonathan telling Joshua to keep a close watch on her and to send a messenger to him if he was needed. Joshua agreed to do so. The next thing Bella knew, she felt the breeze blowing on her face and the carriage jostling into motion below her.

  “Bella, what happened?”

  After they were a safe distance away from the hotel and watching eyes, Joshua gathered Bella in his arms and whispered in her ear.

  She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in his manly scent. It set her thighs on fire. Chills ran up her body. She wished she could make it stop, even though she knew she didn’t really want it to. The feeling was too pleasurable to deny.

  “I was feeling faint. I did not eat any lunch. I should have.”

  “That is all? Are you sure it is because you didn’t eat lunch? I don’t want there to be anything else wrong with you. I don’t want any harm to come to you, Bella. You are… very special to me.”

  Bella couldn’t say anything in response. She pressed her cheek closer to him, feeling the muscles in his arm tense up. He lifted his hand and brushed her cheek with his fingers, pushing aside the long hair that had come loose from her bonnet. His light touch sent more chills coursing over her body.

  Jonathan flashed through her mind and she tensed up. As much as she wanted Joshua to touch her and comfort her, she couldn’t allow her feelings to go any further. She pushed herself up, forcing her mind to steady itself. The food and drink she had consumed at the Fordham Hotel had given her more energy. She could feel herself livening up as the moments passed.

  “Are you all right?” Joshua asked when she pulled away from him. She nodded, not daring to look at him.

  “Why were you at Fordham Hotel?” She asked, her voice quiet and soft. He leaned toward her.

  “I was there to deliver a message that was sent to Bellhouse. Your mother asked me to bring it to him.” He looked out over the road in front of them before he continued. His voice had dropped to a low level but Bella could still hear him. “I volunteered if I am honest with you. I knew that you would be with him and I had not had the chance to meet him or to see you with him.”

  “What did the message say?”

  “I did not read it.”

  Bella looked over at him. The sun was shining on his handsome face, making him squint. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. Even looking tired, the man made her heart pound. She reached up instinctively and brushed her fingers against his cheek. He turned his head to her, surprise written all over his face.

  “Jonathan has been to Bellhouse many times over the past year,” she said, keeping her voice low. “You have not seen him before?”

  “I have seen him. I have not seen him with you. I did not know… how he treated you.”

  “Why does it matter to you how he treats me?” She asked the question, though she knew the answer.

  He bit his upper lip and moved his eyes away from her face. “I told you, Bella. You are special to me.”

  She nodded. “I am like a sister to you, am I not? A good friend.”

  He shook his head, daring to look down at her again. “You are not like a sister to me. You are a good friend, yes. But I do not think of you as a sister.”

  She let her mind dwell on that as they rode along in comfortable silence.

  Joshua swallowed hard and tried to calm his beating heart. Seeing Bella in such a state had solidified his feeling that he was, in fact, in love with her. He’d known it already, but was in denial. He knew there was no way he would be able to stand watching her with another man, which presented yet
another problem for him. He’d been working at Bellhouse since he was 15 years old. He would need to go somewhere else if they planned to stay at Bellhouse.

  He didn’t want to leave his home. He didn’t want to leave Bella. Nevertheless, it looked as though he would be left with no choice.

  She had gone quiet after he admitted he did not think of her as a sister. What did that mean? Did she understand what he meant by the statement? Even if she did and she felt the same way he did, there was nothing she could do now. She was betrothed and had agreed to marry Jonathan. That had to mean she loved him or she would not have said yes. Her parents would feel betrayed if she went back on her word.

  It appeared to Joshua when he had seen Jonathan caring for Bella at Fordham Hotel that the man had genuine love for her. Who was he to stand in the way of that?

  He regretted having brought the message to Jonathan, only because it meant he had ended up sitting so close to the woman he loved and could not have. He had his arms around her. He had touched her face and she had touched his. Her skin was so soft, her fingers so gentle. He glanced at her and their eyes met. He had the sudden urge to lean down and press his lips against hers. He wanted to feel her close to him, wanted to touch every part of her slender body.

  The thoughts were driving him insane.

  “Joshua.” When she said his name, he thought he might faint himself. He looked at her, doing his best to remain steadfast and calm. He did not want his true feelings showing on his face. “I do not think of you as a brother, either.” She murmured.

  They gazed into each others' eyes for what seemed like an eternity. When he could stand it no longer, he reached up and lifted her chin with his fingers. He leaned down to her and pressed his lips against hers.

  She didn’t immediately pull away. She was overcome by the soft fullness of his lips on hers. She reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him closer to her so that their lips pressed together with a tight firmness. It sent shocks through her.

  Finally, he was the one who pulled away, leaving her breathless.