Blind Man's Bluff (Ace Of Spades Book 1), page 3
“Then you know the man?” She leaned in with curiosity and her family followed.
“Why yes, Ma’am, quite well in fact.” The judge backed away slightly when he saw the hungry curiosity in the family’s eyes. “Perhaps we should adjourn to the breakfast room,” He said, and it struck a chord in Gwen’s head.
“Yes, of course.” In a matter of a few minutes she had been elevated to lady of the house but was a complete stranger to her surroundings. Turning to the butler who was standing at the base of the stairs she silently pleaded with him where to show her the way to go and he replied with a slight smile while pointing to his right.
The small party adjourned to the breakfast room, where a maid was standing beside the door waiting for them, curtsying to everyone, and offering up a congratulatory greeting to Gwen who blushed under the heat of the attention. Had she not been distracted by her own nerves, she would have noticed the overpowering aroma of flowers before she entered the room. Every countertop and pedestal was ordained with bouquets of hot house flowers painting over the room with spring. Both Sara and Bethany plucked up a small bouquet that had been placed at their place settings, giggling and twirling with delight over the smell of the roses and lilies. Giving her sisters a brief moment to appreciate their own delight Gwen walked to the chair that the butler had pulled out for her. She was not accustomed to sitting at the head of the table, and shied away at first, only to have Hamish clear his throat with an underlined insistence.
“Thank you,” she told him, taking her seat and looking down the table at her sisters surprised faces, it had not gone unnoticed that her father was put out at how he had been overlooked at every turn since they’d arrived, but there was nothing that could be done about it at the moment.
A feast was paraded in by the two footmen and two maids laying out platters of fish, fruit, curried meat, cheeses, and an assortment of pastries that made the ladies mouths water. Sara and Bethany were eager to serve themselves, but Gwen put a quick stop to it turning to Hamish.
“When will Mr.…” she was at a loss for words, his name had fled her mind, leaving her struggling to escape her shame in the moment, “When can we expect your master to join us?” She had been left with no alternative, but to surrender to the formal address and hope no one was the wiser for her lack of familiarity with the man she would soon call husband.
“The master is eating above stairs and will see you at the ceremony.” He tuned to everyone at the table asking if there were anything else he could do to be of assistance to them and then politely nodded before he turned and left.
“Rather odd, here, having the wedding feast before the vows are taken,” Richard cut into a slice of roast, stuffing the bite into his mouth, “I don’t know how I feel about all of this.”
“Well, that is Caspian for you, he is a secular man, never one to be a slave to tradition and willing to dismiss custom over comfort.” The warm endearment in Judge Harkens voice did not go unnoticed and Gwen paused to ask him about her husband to be. “Well, I don’t know where to begin, he came down to the territory nearly eight years ago, bought up a small plot of land where he struck oil. He is not only the hardest working man I have ever known, but he’s also the luckiest one.”
“Oil?” Richard said with sparked interest, which concerned Gwen.
“Yes, Kern county is known for its oil, but we thought most of the wells had been tapped until Caspian came along and started digging.” He leaned back in his seat and took a drink of his coffee, “The man has a gift.”
“You don’t say.” There was a low menacing tone to her father’s voice, and she could see in his eyes that he was calculating something which she should be leery of.
“What can you say about his appearance?” Bethany jumped in with a giggling eagerness.
“Is he handsome?” Sara added with a romantic twinkle in her eye.
The judge looked to Gwen for understanding, but she shied away, it was a humiliating detail that she was about marry a man she had never even met. She didn’t wish for this day to be tainted with the greedy truth of her father and the path that he had forced her to take, though he wouldn’t admit it, she was certain that her hand had been sold to Caspian rather than won.
“Well, I can think of many young ladies who would think so, but I would leave that detail for your sister to confirm.” The Judge spoke with a friendliness and openness that she wished she could return.
“Oh, but she hasn’t-” Sara’s reply was cut off by a kick under the table. “Ouch!” she looked to her right at Bethany who was giving her a warning look and the young lady slouched in her seat in a pout.
They made their way through the meal with gusto, Richard, Bethany and Sara eating with an appetite that Gwen was not able to muster. Whether it could have been blamed on nerves or fear of her impending vows, she shied away at any food for the time, settling on a sip of her creamy rich chocolate. In a brief moment of whimsical thinking she took note that she intended to ask for this same chocolate to be served to her the next time she broke her fast. The realization that this was to be her new home was beginning to settle in and soon she would be free of her father’s rule. One long look to her sisters reminded her that she was subjecting her sisters to his frivolous ways and that her sacrifice may save him this time from whatever trouble he had gotten himself in, but would she be able to still be there when he eventually turned to her sisters in the same way. She had been the constant voice of reason in the home, discouraging frivolous spending while maintaining order at the mill. But how would they fair without her there? Would they be capable of rising to the challenge?
Bite by bite the small party had made it through to the end of the wedding feast without a groom present and without a wedding up until that moment. When their plates were bare and the guest’s stomachs filled with satisfaction, Gwen summoned Cardiff and asked if they would be joined by the master of the house, but she did not receive the answer she had been expecting
I am under strict instructions to see to your guests’ comfort until you deem it time for the ceremony and the family is set to board the carriage home,” he replied without a flinch to the odd instructions.
“Then, I am to understand that my family will not be present during the ceremony?” Something was not right with this.
“That is correct Madame, the ceremony is to be shared only between you and the master.”
“Without a witness?”
“I will be serving as your witness,” the butler explained.
“This is an outrage,” Richard protested throwing his napkin on the table and marching up to Cardiff, a drop of gravy at the corner of his mouth, “What kind of wedding do you call this?”
“A private one.” A haunting voice echoed through the room, and everyone looked for the person it had emitted from, but there was no one else in the room. “Mr. Collins, if you will be so kind as to return your other two daughters’ home, the carriage is waiting for you outside.” The voice continued.
“What the hell is this!” Richard yelled up at the chandelier hanging over the table, Gwen, however, looked to the Judge and noticed that he was unmoved by the mysterious presence of the voice.
“If you will be so kind as to leave, Cardiff will see you and your two, daughters to the waiting carriage. And ladies, I do hope you enjoy your posies,” The voice added with an uptick in charm.
Sara and Bethany both clung to their father’s side, frightened by the phantom voice, but it took little effort for Gwen to take notice of the voice box inserted in the wall beside the door. It shouldn’t surprise her that with a house so large that there would be some kind of communication device distributed from room to room. The box there, there was no telling where he may be hiding. With authority she rose from her seat and walked to the door where she took a look at the brass grill decorated with filigree, is was attached to a metal box inserted in the wall. She brushed her fingers over the brass plate and then walked them up the wall, to a small painting that hung there, though it was positioned to hang a few inches from the wall. Quickly Gwen discovered that the painting was hung on a hinge which she swung to one side revealing the funnel end of a hose that was coming out of the wall.
“They will be leaving shortly, thank you,” she said into the funnel end and could hear her own voice feel like a minor echo played out by the local amusement-minded folks.
“Gwen… Gwendolyn, I presume,” the voice began with a questioning tone, which quickly served as a reminder that this man was very much a stranger.
“Yes,” she replied in short, speaking into the funnel, but when there was no reply and she added a little bit more force to her answer, “Yes.”
“Welcome Miss Collins.” There was a hesitance that had not gone unnoticed, “I look forward to seeing you soon.” There was an uncomfortable pause. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you,” she replied and closed the picture over the speaking device before turning to her family. “I guess this is goodbye for now,” she said, surprised by the sudden feeling of loss. Warmth and bonded love had never been strong for her since her mother’s passing, but suddenly she realized that once they left, she would be missing them terribly.
“Goodbye sister, we look forward to visiting soon,” Bethany told her pulling her in for a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“There will be a lot left on your shoulders now that you will be the lady of the house, I left you lists to go by and if you have any questions please let me know how I can help.”
“You needn’t concern yourself.” She tried to reassure her sister, but then was distracted by her surroundings, looking over the room with wide-eyed wonder. “Besides, I think you will have your hands full with your new home.”
Bethany stepped to the side, turning her head to avoid showing Gwen the tears welling up in her eyes.
Sara was the next in line to say farewell. She was a spoiled girl, who rarely took notice of other people’s problems and often dismissed them with a frivolous lack of interest, but behind all of her faults, Gwen could see an innocent girl who desperately missed her mother and loved her family. She hugged her close, giving a little giggle when Sara was worried about mussing her dress and the small bought of flowers clenched in her hand.
“Well, farewell.” Her father was of few words when he was sober, and this moment was no exception. They stood there for a moment, Richard rocking on his heels and sheepishly avoiding eye contact. “It looks like I made the right decision for you,” he boasted, but without knowing the details she knew that he was hiding more than he was willing to tell her.
“Um… be sure that your new foreman has the ledgers I left on your desk and I already went over the menu with Melony for the next couple of weeks and the household accounts will be covered provided there are no added expenses.” She kept rambling unwilling to let her father leave just yet, for fear of what she was about to face alone.
“Thank you.” Was all he managed to say giving her a disconnected hug as he left the room to join his daughters outside at the waiting carriage.
Gwen stood in the hallway watching Cardiff close the door behind her family, sealing her in with a click of the doorknob.
“Shall we?” Judge Harkens extended a hand to direct Gwen down the hallway.
They walked into a dimly lit room with the heavy velvet curtains drawn and a fire burning with fury. The smell of flowers was almost dizzying, just as it had been in the breakfast room, but there was something different in that room, something almost haunting. In the breakfast room she had been greeted with the warmth of family, a coming together that spoke of ceremony, but here there was something different. The amber light flickered on the walls, the shadows from the flowers grew high into the ceiling and Cardiff stood by the fire, holding a bouquet of flowers that were bundled in strips of satin and lace.
“Welcome to your wedding,” the judge walked up beside her, “Will you do me the honor?” he offered her his arm which she accepted with a smile.
The judge guided Gwen across the room and she took her place in front of the fireplace.
“This is for you ma’am,” Cardiff placed the bouquet in her waiting arms and she looked down to find a magical arrangement of lilies, orchids and Queen Anne’s lace. She cradled the floral masterpiece in her arms and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.
“Thank you,” she told the butler.
“The master assembled it himself,” Cardiff said with the spark of a smile that was quickly dismissed when someone cleared their throat behind her.
Gwen tried to turn around, realizing that her husband to be had entered the room, but Cardiff asked her to face the fireplace and the judge stood beside her, preventing her from turning around. There was something that they were not telling her.
“Ma’am?” Cardiff caught her attention and when she turned around, he was standing In front of her holding a small silver tray with a coiled strip of white silk that matched the fabric of her dress.
The Judge picked up one end of the silk from the tray, letting the tail end fall in a flowing strip. She felt as if she were standing outside of herself watching events playing out rather than experiencing them. She sensed heat feeding into the back of her gown, when two hands reached over her shoulder, she knew that he was behind her. The judge placed the strip of silk in the phantom hands and she held her breath in anticipation.
“I give you the chance to take a journey with me,” his voice was deep and melodic, something that she had not heard through the voice box, “Will you take that journey with me?”
“Yes,” she replied without giving it a moment of thought.
“I promise to adore you, to worship you, to and grant whatever wishes you desire.” Suddenly it felt as though there was no one else in the room, as if they were the only two people on earth, “But there is only one thing I ask.”
“And what is that?” her voice was heated, breathless, as she sensed his closeness.
“You may touch me, kiss, feel, and smell me, but as long as we are married, I ask only that you never look upon me.” He spoke in a slow sensual tone and every word made her heart leap with excitement.
Gwen licked her lips and tried to think despite the echoing sound of her heart beating. She felt the tender touch of a pair of lips at the base of her neck and then the side of her cheek. The masculine scent of sandalwood filled her head and sent a tingling rush through her body and intoxicated her with a desire that she had never known.
“Can you make that one promise to me?” He kissed her neck again, just above the collar. “If so, I shall deny you nothing, but if you break your promise you will also be breaking your vows to me as well and I will be forced to leave you without another thought.”
It was frightfully mysterious, and she was overwhelmed by the challenge he lay before her. Despite her father’s manipulation she had made the decision on her own, to come to him of her own free will and she had done so, but now he asked for blind loyalty with no explanation why.
“Can you make this promise to me?” he asked again.
“Yes,” she breathed from her lips like a solemn prayer, and he raised the white silk up to her eyes, blocking the firelight in the room and sealing her in darkness. He tied the fabric in a bow and kissed the top of her head.
She knew the moment he stepped away his body abandoned her to a cold chill, despite the warm fire burning. He placed a finger under her chin, bent and lifted her head up opening her to him so that he could kiss her blindfolded eyes and then her lips. Her lips tingled from his touch and when he pulled away, she wanted to call him back, but the judge stepped in.
“I believe that you are skipping a few steps,” the judge said with a humorous tone and she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks in a blush.
“Forgive me,” the man told him, “Please proceed.”
“Dearly beloved…”
Chapter Three
The Wedding Night
The ceremony concluded with a spirited congratulation which rang in Gwen’s ears. Her husband’s hand was securely placed on her lower back for support as he shook both the Judge’s and Cardiff’s hands. The men offered her a polite congratulations and Cardiff took her bouquet from her to pass on to a maid with the promise that it would be placed in water and in her room waiting for her. In the rush of the day Gwen realized that she had yet to even see her room or know where it was, other than being above stairs.
“Shall we adjourn?” Caspian asked her, taking her hand and placing it on his arm. She was still confused over the necessity of being blindfolded and it only left her to ponder, was it his looks. Was he scarred? Disfigured? Was there something that he was protecting her from? In her father’s accounts of his brief moment in the man’s presence there was no mention of anything frightful or disheartening regarding his appearance and she was certain that no matter what it might be she would be able to look beyond it, but he had demanded a promise from her and she was sworn to keep it.
He guided her out of the room and to, what she sensed to be, the foot of the grand staircase. It was an odd sensation to be blind and rely solely on another person, whom she didn’t know, but there was emotion in his touch and the sound of his voice that put her nerves at ease. She didn’t know this man, but something inside her assured her it was safe to trust him.
Brought to a stop, she blindly tuned her head, instinctively wanting to look for a reason and where she was, but all she could do was sense light through the satin blindfold. He retracted his arm from hers and holding her wrists draped her arms around the back of his neck, he stood nearly a head taller than her, so she had to stretch and raise up on her tiptoes, doing her best to comply with his guidance. In one swooping motion, he bent down and swept her up, cradling her in his arms. Gwen gave out a slight startled scream that sounded close to a chirp and he lowered his head to kiss the top of her brow, she could feel his smile from the imprint of his lips and felt warmed by the sincerity of his attentions.
One step at a time, he climbed the stairs up to the second floor, his breath always steady, but she could feel the rapid beat of his heart against the side of her face. The sound of his footsteps changed and she knew that they had walked into a room with a healthy burning fire. Every movement he made was translated to her though the sounds surrounding her and the motion of his muscular body against her. She may have been blindfolded, but she was quickly adjusting to the movement. He lowered her down to her feet until she was able to stand on her own and then placed both hands on her shoulders, to turn her to face the heat from the fireplace. There was a glow coming through the blindfold that told her she was surrounded by windows with curtains drawn back and she could hear the constant tinkling beat of raindrops hitting the windowpanes. From the sound of it the storm had worsened since she’d arrived and she worried that her family would not return home safely, but then she felt the touch of his fingers at the back of her neck and all of those fears vanished from her mind.
