Page 21 of His Unforgettable Bride (Bride Ships: New Voyages #4)

Twenty-One

Let me recommend, therefore, far beyond all the rules ever penned by teachers of etiquette, the cultivation

of kind and loving feelings.

H e could not kiss Juliet tonight.

At least not until he had the chance to talk to her about everything on his mind since he had learned he was not Alex Sherwood.

But heaven, blessed heaven. He wanted to kiss her desperately. He had longed to pull her into his arms from the moment he had stepped out of the house and witnessed her talking to Reverend Channing. Her beauty had taken his breath away, and he still was not sure he had recovered it fully.

“So…” She leaned against the back of the tearoom beside him. Sparse starlight filtered through the long-limbed branches draped overhead. Even though the December night was cool, the air was refreshing after the stuffiness inside and after all the dancing.

“So…” He imitated her posture and tone.

“Are you thinking the same thing I am?”

“I highly doubt it.” All he thought about was her. Dancing with her had been a form of sweet torture, holding her near but having to restrain himself. Even talking and bantering over the past week had been more difficult than usual as he tried to pretend that their kiss had not altered his world. It had rattled him to his bones.

He slid a sideways glance at her.

She cocked one elegant brow at him. Even in the dim lighting, her face was as expressive as always. A face that meant more to him than anything else. She meant more to him than anything else.

But was that true by default because he had lost everything else he esteemed? Or would he feel as strongly about her even if he had met her at another time and place when his life was normal and full?

He suspected the man he had once been would not have cherished her as she deserved. But did his past mistakes matter anymore? He was becoming a better man. At least, he hoped he was.

Yet, how did a man without a past make his way into the future? Stumbling, no doubt.

He had pondered his identity daily since learning he was not a Sherwood. On the one hand, he was relieved he had not committed the crimes in Barkerville. On the other hand, he was back to knowing almost nothing about himself except for the few sparse feelings and memories that had come to mind.

All week, he had wrestled with the fact that he might never recall his actual name, his birth family, or any of the years of his life up to this point. Indeed, it was a dreadful thought with the power to plague him forever.

Yet he had no means to restore his memories. Was it finally time to dedicate his life to living in the present? And was the first step establishing himself as a carpenter under the name Gray…whomever?

Evidently, he would need a new last name sooner rather than later.

At the movement of an embracing couple within the shadows of the nearby trees, he stood taller. They were likely just another pair who had stepped out for air…or more.

Beside him, Juliet locked in on the couple too. She stiffened briefly, then released a soft chuckle as she leaned against the tearoom again. “Fancy that. Livy and Cy canoodling.”

Gray peered through the darkness and tried to see the pair more closely, this time catching sight of Livy’s feathery white gown, which was difficult to miss. “I saw Cy leading Livy away earlier. And now I know why.”

“Do they need chaperones?” Juliet’s voice held teasing. “Shall we go over and offer our services?”

“Maybe we should,” he teased back, although he was happy for the two and would never begrudge them a moment of privacy. “The other day, I returned a book to the library and caught them reciting poetry to one another while Tabitha read silently in the room’s corner.”

“Dreamy poetry, I assume.”

“Shakespeare.”

“Snakes alive, of course it was.”

He smirked, suspecting no amount of etiquette lessons could thoroughly shake free all of Juliet’s unvarnished tendencies. Thank goodness, since she constantly charmed him. “Tell the truth. I expect you are pleased the pair are fond of each other.”

“Thrilled, actually. Since I deem them a sweet couple, does that make me a romantic?”

“Yes, and I am happy to hear it.” He shifted to face her and drew her long hair behind her ear before running a silky lock between his finger and thumb.

“Is that so?” She met his gaze with an unflinching stare as the moonlight’s glow captured her delicate face like a picture frame. Her blue eyes matched the African violets in the library’s window. He desperately longed to trace her perfect jawline with his finger, yet reluctantly refrained.

He paused for a heartbeat, knowing he needed to say something about their relationship. From the beginning of his amnesia, her presence had anchored him amidst all the tumult. She may not have been a part of his past, but she had been there for him when he needed someone the most. She was here with him now, and he wanted her in his future. But was it too soon to tell her such a thing?

He expelled a tense breath, rousing a round of frosty air to swirl between them. “I have had much on my mind this week.”

“I figured so.” She lifted a hand to his arm and squeezed. “I’m always here if you want to talk. I hope you know that by now.”

“I do.” He loved that about her, that she listened so well and understood him. “Now that we know I am not the sisters’ nephew, I am simply a nobody with nothing to offer anyone.”

She released a huff of protest. “You’re not a nobody and have plenty to offer.”

“You know what I mean.”

She grasped his arm more firmly. “All I know is that you are among the most charming and giving men I have ever met. You aided the sisters in completing the tearoom, though you had nothing to gain.”

“Even so, I do not know if I can ask any woman to be a part of my life when I have nothing but who I am here and now to give her.” He could not keep his breath from snagging in his chest as he waited for her response.

“What if a woman didn’t care about anything except who you are here and now?”

He attempted to read the emotions playing across her lovely face in the faint light. “Does such a woman exist?”

“I believe she does.”

Staring at Juliet, with her close enough to kiss, a memory jabbed into his brain—more words than images. Never kiss anyone unless your intentions are pure and honorable. Who had spoken the sage advice? A parent? A grandparent? An older sibling? A sense of yearning swelled inside him as his hand grazed her waist, igniting a current too powerful to ignore.

She softly gasped, her eyes now on his mouth.

Gray leaned forward. He met her warm, willing lips as a bonfire burned in his middle, rapidly spreading. He drew her into an embrace, her body pressed snugly against his. Merciful heavens.

Slowly, his hands roamed her back, up and over her shoulders, to finally delve into her loose hair. Soft, lush, and as irresistible as expected. The pad of her thumb caressed his neck, shooting dizzying energy through his veins. All the while, her lips teased, tantalized, and clung to his like snow on a mountaintop in spring.

He tightened his grip, his breaths short and rapid, and they kissed like it might be their last opportunity. But it was not, was it?

Even though he had no direction or compass pointing him toward a specific future, all he knew was he craved Juliet’s smiles, her excellent opinion, and their conversations. Was he falling in love with her?

The first church bell chimed for the town’s weekly musical show, a reminder to slow his ardor. Yet he clutched her a minute longer, hating to return to reality. Using all the self-control he could muster, he transferred his lips to her cheek, then trailed kisses to her temple. He held her close until she raised her head to peer at his face.

“I forgot it was time for the town’s musical show.” Her voice had become airy, and her eyes were darker than before.

“Kissing you made me forget everything but you, even my name.” He smiled. “I suppose that is a falsehood. I have not known my name for weeks.”

A grin curved her lips in the most becoming fashion. “I’m glad you can joke.”

“As am I. The more I contemplate the future, the more committed I am to change my mindset. I cannot waste my life waiting for memories to return. It may take forever.”

“A big decision, indeed. I’m proud of you.” She rose onto her tiptoes, captured his cheeks with cold hands, and softly kissed his lips much too briefly before pulling back.

Barely trusting his voice, Gray reached for her hands, cupping them between his. “Will you dance with me the rest of the night?”

“A lady never dances with the same man more than twice in a row.” Her voice sounded like Livy’s when quoting from the etiquette book. “And she must sit out every other number, or she’ll grow weary.”

He laughed, the sound echoing in the trees. “Sayeth Livy, the Queen of Etiquette.”

“It took a while, but I like that about her.” Juliet shivered and then wrapped her arms around her chest.

“You are cold.” What had he been thinking, staying outside until she developed a chill? He quickly started to shed his suit coat.

She shook her head and began to walk away, the music from inside faint but beckoning them. “We’ve been gone long enough and should return to the dance. I don’t want to worry Tabitha or cause a scandal. Not tonight.” He trailed after her, still attempting to shrug out of his coat. He should have been paying better attention to her needs and how cold it was.

As Juliet turned the corner, she stiffened.

What was it? He hastened his steps and stepped out from behind the tearoom’s wall to find an incredibly tall man and a petite woman peering into the tearoom’s large window. Why did they not join the party inside?

“Ruby.” Despair laced Juliet’s voice.

When she turned toward them, the short woman’s dark cape hid every part of her except for her small, round face. “There you be, Juliet.”

The unsmiling and bewhiskered man wore a too-tight dusty gray sack suit that showed his muscular build.

Gray braced himself for a confrontation. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Juliet from Ruby and this man. Even so, he needed to send Cy or Icala after the constable.

The lawman and his wife had attended the tea party but departed before the dancing. If only the fellow had stayed longer. He might not have been able to arrest Ruby based on her previous threats alone, but his presence may have frightened her and, at the very least, dissuaded her from causing problems.

Juliet raised her chin and glared at Ruby. “Go away.”

“I ain’t here for the reason you think.” Ruby’s narrowed eyes scrutinized Gray, traveling from his shoes to the top of his head. “I came because of your fellow and his past.”

“Mine?” Gray stepped forward. How could Ruby know anything about his past? Nobody else did.

“His?” Juliet asked.

Ruby retrieved a wrinkled, tattered paper from her pocket, unfolded it, and stabbed an image with her finger. “Seems a Mister Henry Graighton disappeared from Victoria a month or so ago. After staring at your face during my last visit and then seeing this here notice tacked up to a building in Victoria, I snapped the puzzle together.”

Henry Graighton. Gray’s mind raced. Was that why the name Gray had resonated?

Ruby scrutinized his face in the light from the tearoom window and then glanced at a picture on the sheet. She grinned, looking proud of herself. “Yep. Just like I thought. You’re Henry Graighton. Me and my man have come to haul you back to your royal ship in Victoria.”

Juliet sputtered. “Royal…ship?”

Ruby’s cohort nodded.

Gray longed to grab Juliet’s hand and leave Ruby far behind. After their kiss, one that held the promise of a future together, he hated the idea of anything upsetting the start of something new between them.

But his heart was pounding hard and demanding that he discover exactly what Ruby was talking about. He strode toward the young woman and snatched the tattered paper from her hands. Then he held it up in the light, turning the sheet so Juliet could view the grainy image that filled it. One big-lettered word stood out: Missing .

For a long moment, he and Juliet studied the picture. A man with an angular, cleanly shaven face peered back. One with similar features and the same eyes, although the hair was neater and shorter and the clothing far fancier.

“I can admit I resemble the photograph, though the man’s name stirs no distinct memories.”

Ruby raised her chin to a haughty tilt. “That’s because your noggin ain’t working right.”

“I am uncertain what to think.” Gray examined the sheet again and read the few sentences this time:

Prince Henry Graighton of Bascandy went missing on November 7th. He is six feet one inch tall, narrow in build, with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. Any information regarding his whereabouts will be generously rewarded.

The description fit him perfectly. And the timing for early November when he’d arrived at the sisters’ home was also perfect. How could this not be him?

But a prince? Of Bascandy? That was absurd, was it not?

Wordlessly, Juliet continued to stare at the picture, her eyes wide.

“The thing is,” Ruby said, “Henry Graighton is a genuine prince, and there’s reward money for the taking. I’m guessing it’s a heap of cash. As soon as I haul you to Victoria, it’ll be mine.”

“I shall go nowhere with you.” Gray folded and stuffed the picture into his pocket, then reached for Juliet’s hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm.

Ruby widened her feet as though to block him, and the fellow at her side regarded him with narrowed, serious eyes.

At the same time, the reverend and another man stepped out of the tearoom. Surely Ruby and her burly companion would not try to abduct him with witnesses present. If they did, it would be a mistake.

“You’re the missing prince.” The music inside had ceased, and Ruby’s declaration rang out in the now-quiet night. “And I aim to get my reward for finding you.”

Reverend Channing and his companion started toward them. “Is everything all right here?”

Before Gray found the right words to explain the bizarre unfolding—something he did not fully understand himself—Ruby and her fellow darted toward the woods.

Juliet watched their departure, then stared at him as if he were a stranger.

“Miss Dash?” The reverend drew nearer, his voice filled with concern as he gazed at the two disappearing into the dark woodland. “Are you fine?”

“Yes.” She kept her eyes on Gray. “Please tell me everything is all right, Gray.”

He wanted to offer reassurance that Ruby had only spouted falsehoods. But he could not. Deep in his soul, something told him she may have spoken the truth.