Read Andrews Brothers 01 - The Ruse for Free Online Page A

threw her hands out to her sides. She was destined to live like a prisoner.
Accepting Chadwick’s proposal had been a colossal mistake. Would she not be
better off in the village? Working in a factory or washing laundry offered a
scarcity of food, but at least she would be free in movement.
    “Letta, you’re dismissed.”
    The maid bowed and scurried from
the room as Brigitta plopped into the chair and cradled her face. What did she
expect after only a few days of wooing? Apparently, respect from one’s husband
was too much.
    It seemed her only hope was to
pray for a clandestine meeting, and then perhaps she could request at least a
modicum of freedom.

Chapter Six
    “Do you mean to say that when the
tours go through the estate, they are seeing a counterfeit me quarreling with
my fabricated wife?”
    “Yes, your lordship,” answered
Jarvis.
    “Whose idea was this? I’ll have
their head.”
    Jarvis shrank and said, “I
believe it was Chadwick and Roland, your lordship.”
    Luke punched his fist into his
palm. He should have known Chadwick was the instigator. He drew in a calming
breath. “I have another question. You said they’re merely performing, creating
a ruse. However, I got the distinct impression the woman didn’t know she was
acting.”
    Again Jarvis scraped his toe
against the floor and nudged the now wrinkled rug.
    “Jarvis, you will answer me or I
will release you from my employ and send you and your family off my land.”
    The valet cringed and puckered
his lip, and Luke felt immediate regret. Before he could apologize, Jarvis
said, “Very well, your lordship, as you wish. Chadwick, of course, knows he is
acting. He performs his part then goes about his daily business. But the woman,
Brigitta, believes she has truly married the baron.”
    “And why does she believe this?”
asked Luke, crossing his arms over his chest. He tapped his foot upon the
floor, and his heart thumped in a similar rhythm. In all his days, he would
never have conceived of Chadwick devising such a stunt of duplicity.
    “There was a ceremony, your
lordship.”
    “A ceremony…” He drew out the
last word and dropped his arms to his sides. “Chadwick faked a wedding
ceremony? But how is that possible? What about reading the banns o-or acquiring
a special license? I’ve not been gone so long.”
    “From what I can gather, your
lordship, the banns were read, but only in certain places. And the paperwork
was falsified by someone in the village.”
    “I see. And the vicar? Was he
involved in Chadwick’s deceit?”
    “I’m uncertain, your lordship.
Roland and perhaps one to two others attended the ceremony, which occurred in
the parish church.”
    Luke rubbed his chin, his mind
awhirl with fantasies. “A-and what of the consummation?”
    Jarvis shook his head. “Oh, no,
your lordship. That was one reason the young lady was chosen. You see, she has
a hard time holding her tongue.”
    “I don’t understand. What has her
temper to do with consummating the marriage?”
    “You misunderstand me, your
lordship. I do not speak of the consummation for I have no knowledge of that,
but rather that her short temper allows the ruse to work so well. Chadwick
stirs the young lady and sends her back to her room before she reaches the
ground floor.” Jarvis smiled. “It is always the same.”
    “Brigitta, you say?” asked Luke.
    “Yes, my lord.”
    “So this Brigitta is forced to
stay in her room, thinking her husband is mad at her.”
    “Precisely,” Jarvis answered,
seemingly proud of himself.
    Luke cradled his aching head. “Is
this completely necessary?”
    “The forged marriage, your
lordship?”
    “Yes, the forged marriage,
keeping a lady locked in her room, the phony quarreling, all of it.”
    “Chadwick seems to think so. He
explained that our area is so poor, the rents are not enough to run the estate.
The only way to keep the estate going is to charge wealthy tourists to stop and
see the show. The current staff