Their Bridgewater Brides Boxed Set

Chapter 3

3

EMMA

Hours later, I stood before a group of men in just my shift, the new one I'd purchased with such eagerness earlier in the week. Mrs. Pratt, while seemingly kind, felt it prudent to let the bidders see more of me than what my dress exposed. Now, I was berating the very feature I'd so admired, as the material was so fine as to be translucent. I couldn't look at any of the men, seeing the looks on their faces as they looked at my body as if inspecting a horse for purchase. I kept my focus lowered to the floor.

Looking down, it prompted me to what they could see of me. The color of my n*****s was plainly visible, the tight tips poking out. My shift fell to the middle of my thighs and I was sure the dark color of the hair between my legs was clearly discernible. The fine embroidery detail along the hem only drew the men's eyes to the short length. It had been pleasurable to me to wear such decadence beneath my modest dresses, with secret knowledge of what was beneath, but to be exposed in such a way to a roomful of men was mortifying. Humiliating. Downright scary.

It was almost impossible not to cover myself with my arms, to tug on the hem with trembling fingers, but Mrs. Pratt had made it clear that my future husband wanted a good glimpse of what he would purchase. If this were the case, I should be naked, however I most certainly wasn't going to suggest such an idea. Fortunately, the small room wasn't overly bright, only lit by a few lamps, which cast a muted yellow glow. It wasn't cold, but goose flesh rose on my arms nonetheless. The slight odor of kerosene combined with tobacco filled the air.

And so I stood, hands by my side, fingertips rubbing together, eyes averted from all of the men as murmurs filled the air. Mrs. Pratt was the only other person in the room and I knew all eyes were on me, the men sitting in chairs in a semicircle around me. They could have any woman below stairs, so why me? Why an inexperienced virgin when a veritable courtesan could meet their every need without the burden of wedlock? Clearly, with that option available and not taken, these men were serious about their intentions. I'd briefly glimpsed four men as I entered, but refused to meet any of their eyes. It wasn't as if I was afraid I'd be an acquaintance of any of the men – the chances were remarkably slim being in Simms, and not Helena – but I didn't want to see their looks as they took in my dishabillé. I didn't want to see their expressions as they gazed upon me.

"She is a virgin?" a man asked to my right.

Mrs. Pratt, who stood behind me, spoke, her words clipped and surprisingly sharp. "Do not question the integrity of my auctions, Mr. Pierce."

The man made a sound in his throat of dissatisfaction, but did not reply.

"I want her naked," another man added.

"Emma," Mrs. Pratt addressed me instead of responding to the request. "What has a man seen of your body?"

I turned my head toward her voice, looked up at her through lowered lashes. "Ma'am?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Has a man ever seen your ankles?"

I flushed hotly at the very idea. "No." I dropped my gaze and concentrated on the carpet beneath my feet.

"A wrist?"

I shook my head. "No."

"This is the first time a man has seen you in just a shift?"

Why did she have to point out the extent of my innocence? I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. It felt as if it would beat right out of my chest. Licking my lips, I responded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Then, Mr. Rivers, to witness her reaction to being naked with a man will be saved solely for her husband. Bid the highest and that man will be you."

A voice spoke from my left. "She has been trained to meet her husband's needs?"

"Of course not, Mr. Potter. Her training is her husband's responsibility."

"And pleasure." This man's voice came from directly in front of me. It was deep in timbre, rough, yet assured. I saw only his feet and lower legs. Leather boots, black pants. I refused to look higher. Pleasure, he'd said? This man would find pleasure in training me to meet his needs? A vision of Clara, her legs spread wide and being pleasured by Allen, came to mind. Had the maid been doing what the man wanted?

"Precisely," Mrs. Pratt added, her words returning me to the present. "Shall we begin? The bidding starts at one thousand dollars."

The price made me gasp. That much? No wonder Mrs. Pratt wanted to sell me to the highest bidder. She easily recouped her losses and would make a tidy profit.

The price climbed readily enough. I didn't dare to look up and see who bid. The weight of the situation was not lost on me. These voices were of men who wanted to marry me. Marry. And they were willing to offer a small fortune to do so. There was no courtship, no dinners, walks, or chaperoned outings. No whispered confidences, flirty smiles, stolen kisses. The men were bidding on me because of my purity, my looks and Mrs. Pratt's assurance that I would meet their s****l needs. I ran my fingers over my shift at my sides as I continued to study the paisley pattern in the carpet, willing my breath to even. This was stripping my ideals of marrying for love and replacing them with something seedy, something tawdry.

"Sold!" Mrs. Pratt said with finality, making me jump. It was over? It had happened so quickly, perhaps only a minute or two, yet my life had changed irrevocably. I was too frightened to look up and see the man who'd bid the highest. In fact, I wasn't sure who had won. Seeing his face would make it all the more real. "Mr. Kane, Mr. Monroe, congratulations. Please follow me. The doctor and Justice Of The Peace are waiting in my office."

Did she mention two men? That couldn't be. The woman took my arm and led me from the room. As we walked down the hallway I noticed the man with the boots and dark pants following. He was Mr. Kane? He was to be my husband? When we turned a corner I observed a second man following a little further behind. It was all so overwhelming, confusing. Quick. It seemed we were to wed immediately. Mrs. Pratt was a shrewd businesswoman and most certainly didn't want any chance of this man, Mr. Kane, backing out of the arrangement. Most assuredly wedding vows would see to that.

The Justice Of The Peace was a short, rotund man with a thin mustache. He had more hair above his lip than on his head. Bible in hand, he stood at our appearance. So did the doctor, or so I assumed. He was tall and trim, lanky in build, yet attractive in his dark suit. I glanced past the man with dark pants and boots, afraid that if I looked at him, all this would become real. The man who followed moved to stand unassuming in the corner. His clothes were less formal; dark pants, white shirt. His hair was longer than de rigeur and his skin was tanned as if he spent ample time outdoors. The color of his hair reminded me of a wheat field, where the locks were lightened by the summer sun. With his piercing green eyes focused directly on me, I felt exposed, a reminder I wore solely my shift. It was as if he could see through the fabric to my untouched skin. When his gaze held mine, I felt he could see into me, to read my very thoughts. I couldn't help but cross my arms over my chest in an attempt at modesty.

I felt my cheeks heat, my n*****s tighten at the knowledge he was looking me over. When I glimpsed, from my periphery, the corner of his mouth tilting up, I knew he would not be my savior in this farce of a marriage.

"Doctor Carmichael, we will start with your examination," Mrs. Pratt said, and my gaze darted to hers.

I froze in place. Examination? Here? With these men? Curling up my shoulders, I tried to shield myself as much as possible. The doctor took a step toward me and I jumped back.

"Wait," Mr. Kane interrupted, holding up his hand, halting the other man's steps. I recognized his voice from the auction. "Don't you want to see the man you're marrying?" The man's voice was deep and stern and I realized he was speaking to me. A British accent laced his words, the vowels short and clipped. What was an Englishman doing so far from home, and in a brothel and wedding a complete stranger? The way he'd ignored not only Mrs. Pratt but the doctor as well, was indicative of his power, which had me curious about the man and fearful at the same time.

I shut my eyes briefly and swallowed. I couldn't avoid him any longer. Turning, I looked forward, but only looked upon the buttons of his white shirt. Tilting my chin up, I took the first glimpse of my groom, and sucked in a breath. The first thing I observed was his eyes. Dark, so dark as to be black, with a strong brow. He looked upon me with such intensity, such possession, that it was hard to even glance away. His hair was equally dark, so black as almost to have a blue cast. It was close cut on the sides, longer on top to fall over his forehead. His nose was narrow, but had a slight crook in it, as if being broken at some point. His jaw was wide, angular with a hint of dark whiskers. His lips were full and the corner tipped up as if he knew I was impressed by what I saw.

He was handsome, so very handsome. And tall – well over six feet – and also quite large. His shoulders were wide and defined beneath his white shirt, his chest broad, tapering to a narrow waist. His legs were long and blatantly muscular, something I hadn't noticed in the other room. If he hadn't spoken, I would not have known he was a foreigner.

In comparison to his large size, I was small, dainty even. This man, my groom, could hurt me easily if that was his desire, however the smoldering look in his eyes told me he wanted to fulfill other desires. With me. I gulped.

"There now. I can see your face. For such dark hair, your eyes are a surprising blue."

His cultured voice, although rough and a deep baritone, had an undercurrent of something – tenderness, perhaps – which was unexpected. His lip turned up at the corner and a dimple formed in his cheek.

"What is your name?" he queried.

"Emma. Emma James," I replied, his soft tone compelling it from me.

"I am Whitmore Kane, but everyone calls me Kane."

Kane. My groom's name was Kane and he was English. Would he take me off to England to live? The idea struck fear in me. I knew nothing about England, nothing about life outside of the Montana Territory.

"Ian," he said. The man in the corner stepped forward, pulled a folded stack of bills from his pants pocket, counted out an outlandish sum, then handed it to Mrs. Pratt. Was this man Kane's secretary just like Allen was for Thomas?

"We will not require the doctor's services," the man called Ian said to Mrs. Pratt once the transaction was complete. He was tall and broad as well, with light hair and serious eyes.

"You do not wish for me examine her to verify her virginity?" the doctor asked, as if I weren't even in the room. "It is a simple task. She will lie upon the chaise holding her knees up to her chest. I will put my fingers within to feel for the barrier. Surely you'll want proof after the tidy sum you've paid."

I blanched at the very idea the doctor presented. He wanted to touch me with three other men looking on, plus Mrs. Pratt? I took a step back and bumped into Ian. Thankfully, he was the one who'd said that unpleasant task was not necessary. Even so, I gasped at the contact and moved away. The room was too small!

"I assure you I can examine her myself," Kane countered.

The doctor did not look bothered by the response, only nodded his head in understanding. "Certainly."

"Let me get the door for ye, Doctor, so ye can be on yer way," Ian said congenially, his brogue thick.

Dr. Carmichael took a black satchel from Mrs. Pratt's desk and exited the door that Ian held open for him, then closed it firmly behind him.

I exhaled a pent up breath. Just having that man from the room eased some of my tension.

Mrs. Pratt turned to the Justice Of The Peace. "It appears we are ready for you, Mr. Molesly."

No, the tension had not diminished after all. I was going to marry a strange Englishman.

"After, I'd be happy to take you downstairs to avail yourself of one of my girls."

"Is Rachelle available?" he asked, his eyes bright with eagerness.

Mrs. Pratt nodded. "Most assuredly. She has been asking after you."

The man puffed up like a peacock at the flattering, yet most likely false, words. It did make the man eager to complete his task, however. It only led me to question to depth of his calling. He cleared his throat and began. "Dearly beloved...."

This morning I was an heiress eating her breakfast. And now, I stood in nothing but my shift and married a handsome stranger who had bought me at auction in the upstairs of a brothel.