Worth the Risk: Marriage by Obligation Series, #4

By Ruth Ann Nordin

He's been a recluse his entire life...

 

All of his life, Mr. Reuben St. George has been sickly. His older brother has done everything he could to keep him safe and healthy, so for all of Reuben's life, he's been forced to stay in the country. When he's allowed to go to London to attend a Season, he finds the perfect lady to marry: Miss Amelia Carnel.

 

And has been forced back to his country estate...

 

London is a big place with a lot of people, and all it does is make him sick. As a result, he's unable to attend quite a few social activities. The most frustrating part is that Amelia has other suitors. Healthy suitors who can give her a normal life. As much as he hates to admit it, his brother is right. He needs to return to the country and let Amelia stay in London so she can marry someone who can give her the kind of life she deserves.

 

But he never bothered to ask Amelia what she wants, and she isn't going to let him get away so easily.

 

*This is a steamy regency romance that features a virgin hero and a virgin heroine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Ann Nordin
• Release date: Apr 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224343461

Ruth Ann Nordin

Ruth Ann Nordin has written over 100 books, most of them being Regencies and historical western romances. As fun as writing is, she has also learned that time with family and friends is just as important. She has also learned that writing for passion is the best reason to write since it is what sustains an author's work for the long haul. That's why she's been able to keep writing for as long as she had. It's hard to believe she started out in ebooks back in 2009. How time flies.

Book preview

Marriage by Obligation: Book 4

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Worth the

Risk

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Ruth Ann Nordin

This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and also represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

Worth the Risk

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2024 Ruth Ann Nordin

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Design Credit should state: Images and Cover Art Illustration by Period Images, Pi Creative Lab and RubisArt19. Cover Text, Logo and Branding by Ruth Ann Nordin.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

Other Regencies

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

Chapter One

Early May 1830

You’re going to the estate, Corin St. George, the Earl of Durrant, said as he paced the bedchamber. You’re sick. You can’t handle being in London.

Reuben St. George started to answer his older brother, but he ended up in a coughing fit. He had to drink the glass of water that was next to his bed in order to satisfy the incessant tickle in the back of his throat. He placed the nearly empty glass back on the table and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief.

It’s a common illness, Reuben argued. I’ve had this many times while growing up. I get a fever, have some aches and pains, get a stuffy head, and cough. I’ll be fine in a few days.

Corin poured more water into his glass. Back then, you had Mother to take care of you. Things are different now. I’m responsible for you. Unfortunately, I can’t be here all the time to make sure the servants are doing their due diligence.

Reuben groaned. I just turned twenty, Corin. I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

You can do that better in the country. This is the fourth time you’ve been sick since we came to London. He shot Reuben a pointed look. And you’ve only been in London for seven months.

Reuben didn’t know how to answer that. Even for him, fighting off this illness a third time was a lot. He usually only got sick twice a year. But he had to stay here. He couldn’t go back to the estate. Not when things were going so well with Miss Carnel. I’ll be fine. The fever already broke. The fever is the worst part. I’m starting to get my strength back.

You’ll get your strength back and get sick within the next two months. I worried London would be too much for you. There are far too many people. Despite my complaints, those in charge still won’t clean the streets and alleys like they should.

London isn’t filthy.

I saw rubbish on the street on my way to see how you were doing today. It’s not that clean. The doctor thought you’d be better off staying in the country, and he was right.

But I can’t find a wife in the country, Corin.

What good is a wife if you’re dead?

Reuben’s stomach tensed into a knot. He was afraid his brother would say that. He shook his head. He wasn’t the only suitor Miss Carnel had. The fact that he was missing out on this week of seeing her was already hindering his chances of marrying her. He’d never have a chance if he left London. I’m not leaving. I’m staying. The tickle in the back of his throat returned, so he drank more water.

Corin frowned. Do I need to remind you of the two times when you claimed you were fine and had a relapse? Your fever returned, and you were so hot that even the snow didn’t cool you down. Mother and I both thought we were going to lose you.

Reuben winced as a stab of pain clenched his gut. Don’t do this to me, Corin. I don’t want to be stuck all alone in the country.

You won’t be all alone. Candace and I will bring our children for a visit. We’ll stay there all summer. You can teach Judith how to draw. That’ll be fun. You can even go fishing with her. And I’ll join you. We’ll catch so many fish that you’ll have fish for every dinner.

Reuben set his glass down. He enjoyed spending time with his eight-year-old niece. He enjoyed spending time with his one-year-old niece. He even loved fishing with his brother. But what he really wanted was to start having a family of his own. Judith and Minerva ran over to Corin every time he entered the room. It would be nice if Reuben knew what it was like for his own child to run over to him. Uncles were fine, but no one took a father’s place. Reuben also wanted to have a lady look at him the way Candace looked at Corin.

Ignoring the nausea in his stomach, Reuben said, I want what you have. I want a family.

Corin offered him a sympathetic gaze. I know you do. That’s why I brought you to London. But Reuben, this isn’t working for you. You’re always sick. I’m sorry, but I can’t keep going through this. If you died, I don’t know what I’d do. He winced. It’s not fair to ask a lady to take the risk of being a young widow or to ask children to live without their father, is it? I’m sorry, Reuben, but London isn’t good for you. Your health holds up much better in the country. It’s my job to look after you. I need to know you’re going to be all right. Sometimes that means doing what you don’t want. I’m going to make arrangements for us to go to Wellington.

Though Corin spoke softly, the words pierced through Reuben like a sword. He had done his best to hide his illnesses from Corin, but every time, Corin had caught onto his ploy. Shoulders slumped in defeat, Reuben slumped against his pillows. Why did he have to be born with a fragile body? No matter how much he tried to take care of his health, he seemed to get sick.

If you need to write to any ladies to let them know you can’t keep courting them, I’ll make sure those missives are delivered, Corin added.

Reuben let out a resigned nod but closed his eyes so Corin wouldn’t see the tears that stung them. Corin was fifteen years older than him. He’d lived longer. He’d been all over the country. He’d met a lot more people. He had taken a financially unstable estate and created a firm foundation that would protect the entire family for generations. He had more experience than Reuben did. He was probably right. Reuben was probably better off in the country. He was probably better off not getting married. Candace loved Corin. She would be devastated if he died. Corin’s children would be devastated without him, too.

Reuben would be selfish to ask a lady to take the risk of marrying someone who might not be able to give her a lifetime. Nor would it be fair to ask her to raise his children without him. Some things were beyond a person’s control, and health was one of them. If he’d been born with a strong constitution, things could be different. But, as it was, he was stuck with a frail human body. For Miss Carnel’s sake, it was best he let one of her other suitors marry her. Then she could spend the rest of her life with someone who could love her for a lifetime.

The pain in his stomach eased. He swallowed the lump in his throat and sat back up in the bed. Corin had left the room, but Reuben could hear him talking to the maid in the hallway. He was telling her that she needed to start packing for the upcoming trip after dinner. The maid came into the room shortly afterward and placed a fresh pitcher of water and a wash basin on the dresser. With a greeting at Reuben, she took the old ones away.

Reuben waited until she shut the door before he got out of the bed and lumbered to the desk off to the side of the room. From the sound of it, Corin would have him leave within the next couple of days, if not tomorrow. Now that Reuben was on the mend, he could handle the journey to the estate. Reuben stared at the parchment in front of him for almost an hour before he started to pen the missive to Miss Carnel.

***

Two days later, Miss Amelia Carnel stared at the missive in shock while she sat on the settee in the drawing room. Mr. Reuben St. George wasn’t coming by for visits all the time like Lord Compton did, and he didn’t attend almost every single social function like Mr. Everson did. But Mr. St. George was the most attentive suitor she’d ever had.

When she happened to see him, he showed a sincere interest in her, and it was easy to lose track of time since they never ran out of things to say. He had even snuck in a kiss at her brother’s dinner party when no one was looking. That kiss had bordered on the scandalous, but it had thrilled her to no end. And it showed her that he had a playful side to him. She couldn’t help but be attracted to that. She had been certain he was going to propose to her.

She placed the missive in her lap. He had written that he regretted ending the courtship but had no choice due to his health. He was leaving for his country estate, and he didn’t think he’d ever be back in London. He commented on his affections for her and how he wished he was healthy enough to marry her and have a family. He considered their times together to be the best thing that had ever happened to him and that he would always cherish those memories. He ended the missive with the wish that her future would be a happy one.

She didn’t see how she could be happy if she didn’t marry him. She stared at the window but didn’t really see the clear blue sky. Her mind went over the evening of the dinner party when she met him. He hadn’t originally been her escort, but the gentleman who was supposed to escort her had an irrational fear of her cameo and had insisted on escorting another lady. After some ado, Mr. St. George had been paired up with her.

At once, she had been attracted to him. His dark hair complemented his deep brown eyes, and his smile made her feel warm all over. The rest of the dinner party only made him all the more appealing. He told the most entertaining stories about his childhood at his country estate, and when they played cards, he’d been a gracious loser. Granted, losing wasn’t fun, but when he congratulated the winner, she realized he had more grace in his personality than most people did.

After that evening, he sent her a calling card, and he would come by for a visit every other week, entertaining her with more stories of his childhood or sharing a joke he’d recently heard. If they happened to be at the same ball, he asked to dance with her twice. If they came across each other in public, they would converse for a couple of minutes. She had been sure a proposal was coming. They got along so well.

So what changed things? He claimed it had to do with his health, but could it be her other two suitors had dissuaded him from asking if he could marry her? She had worried about keeping the other two suitors around. If her brother hadn’t been so insistent on keeping them, she would have dismissed them a lot sooner.

She couldn’t fault her brother. Given his past, it was natural