Philip's Rules (Bridal Discipline Book 1) Read online

  Philip’s Rules

  By Golden Angel

  Book 1 of the Bridal Discipline series

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  I have a lot of people to thank for helping me with this book. My Maries, my power houses! Marie for all her help with editing and the continuity issues that I occasionally struggle with (I swear, she remembers all the things that I can’t). Another Marie, for her incredibly close attention to detail, especially when it comes to commas, mixed-up words and my excessive use of the word “that”. Katherine, for her ever-lasting support, encouragement and suggestions. Michelle for her comments and suppositions, which sent me in a different direction several times for this story, creating a much better and more satisfying plot than I’d originally had, with much more interesting character development. Sir Nick, for providing the much-needed male perspective. And RaineyCloud9, for the gorgeous cover art and promotional posters that I’ve been sharing.

  As always, a big thank you to all my fans, for buying and reading my work… if you love it, please leave a review!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Listing of Characters, Titles and Relationships

  Philip Stanley the Marquess of Dunbury married Cordelia Astley, the Dowager-Baroness of Hastings

  Lady Gabrielle Astley – stepdaughter to Cordelia Astley, now ward of the Marquess of Dunbury

  Hugh Stanley, Viscount Petersham, married to Irene, cousin to Philip Stanley

  Edwin Villiers, Lord Hyde, married to Eleanor (sister to Hugh)

  Thomas Hood, eldest son of Viscount Hood

  Walter Hood, second son of Viscount Hood

  Felix Hood, youngest son of Viscount Hood

  Isaac Windham, Duke of Manchester

  Benedict Windham, brother to the Duke of Manchester

  Arabella Windham, sister to the Duke of Manchester

  Christopher Irving, Earl of Irving, married to Marjorie Irving

  Wesley Spencer, Earl of Spencer, married to Cynthia

  Alex Brooke, Lord Brook – heir to the Marquess of Warwick, married to Grace

  Chapter 1

  Happily married. The men at his club called the concept a myth perpetuated by the womenfolk, but Philip Stanley, the Marquess of Dunbury, thought he had a very good chance at just such a fantastical state of being. Of course, he was also privileged to know several couples whom were happily married - he was even related to two of them.

  The key, according to his cousin Hugh, was to marry a woman who fulfilled all one's needs, including those many of the ton considered more appropriate for a mistress than a wife. Philip knew Hugh had no current mistress, and hadn't had one, since he'd been married the year before. When Philip had visited his uncle and aunt last Christmas, he'd also met his cousins’ new spouses. Both Hugh and his sister, Eleanor, had been married within a month of each other last Season. Philip had met Eleanor's husband Edwin, one of Hugh's best friends, on multiple occasions, and he'd truthfully never thought the rakish man would settle down with a wife, much less happily.

  Even more shocking had been the news that their third friend, Wesley, had also married. Some part of Philip had still believed the announcement in the paper had been an elaborate ruse or a lame prank, until Hugh had confirmed the marriage and Wesley's infatuated adoration of his bride. Of course, Philip had wanted to know more about what could have possibly driven Edwin and Wesley to such a state. He'd known that Hugh had married for the coup of Irene's land, but he hadn't expected to see his cousin so contented in his marriage. The obvious conclusion was that Hugh’s advice was quite right.

  That had led to a rather revealing conversation, after a few drinks. Hugh had lauded his use of spanking, and occasionally harsher discipline, with Irene as being a large part of his happiness. A few more drinks later, and with Hugh determinedly pretending not to listen, Edwin had confirmed Hugh's statements with a few words of his own experience. Philip had certainly noticed a marked change in Eleanor's demeanor, but at the time he had put it down to her marriage and impending motherhood.

  Spanking a woman's curvy bottom had always been a particularly enjoyable past-time for Philip. He loved to see a woman's reddened bottom, listen to her delicious cries and pleas, and then cuddle and fuck her into delirium afterwards. The idea of engaging in such activities, in truth, as a punishment as well as a pleasure... well it had caught him immediately. Like most men of their standing, he'd always assumed such perverse activities would be confined to his mistresses' bedrooms after marriage. To see how fulfilled both his cousins were, on opposite sides of the equation, had sparked an envious desire in him.

  After all, his parents had both passed away several years ago, and, as their only child, he had a duty to them to continue his line. Going by the droves of females that had harried him the second the Season began, the women of Society agreed. Although, he didn't resent their constant pursuit; it was what had driven him to accept an invitation to the Countess of Irving's house party, which was where he had met his soon-to-be-bride.

  Cordelia Astley, the Dowager Baroness Hastings. The third wife of the late Baron, who had been quite elderly and quite desperate for a son when he'd married his young bride. She'd only been twenty-three when her husband had passed, leaving her and her step-daughter, Gabrielle, at the mercy of the new Baron. A man who had been all too eager to take advantage of their situation. A dark look crossed Philip's countenance, as it always did at the thought of the new Baron Hastings.

  A cad and a heartless social-climber, he'd made Cordelia's life quite difficult, and had actually cast her and Gabrielle off his properties when she'd refused to give in to his salacious offers. Just thinking about the bastard made Philip grit his teeth. What kind of man tried to push himself on a widow? No matter how young and beautiful she was.

  Quite beautiful too. A sweet, fragile, quiet beauty that had crept up on him at the house party, until his dreams had been wreathed with fantasies about her. He'd wanted to disperse the air of sadness that hung over her from the moment he'd met her, and during the house party, he'd only become more attracted. It had been his chance to play knight in shining armor when he'd asked about her circumstances and the Earl of Irving had relayed her story to him. The Countess was Cordelia's dear friend and had hoped she might catch some gentleman's eye during the house party.

  She'd certainly caught Philip's. He'd proposed by the end of the week, and she'd accepted. Of course, he knew she'd accepted because of the protection he'd offered, as well as her desire to unburden herself from her friends, but that didn't matter to him. From the moment she'd said yes, her face glowing with an inner light of relief, he'd known he would do whatever was necessary to keep her from ever having to worry again.

  During the few weeks between then and this morning, the morning of their wedding, they'd spent more
time getting to know each other, which had confirmed his choice. Cordelia was altogether too sweet and giving to be without someone watching over her best interests. Her stepdaughter took advantage of her kind nature on a regular basis - a more demanding and selfish creature he had yet to meet, and that was saying something within Society. That behavior was something that would stop as soon as they were living under his roof. The inherent submissiveness in Cordelia’s nature appealed to him on a baser level, while her quick mind and gentle wit kept him engaged on a personal one, and he would not allow anyone, not even her stepdaughter, to abuse that part of her. He would protect and cherish his wife for it, as such women should be protected and cherished.

  "Please be still, Sir," his valet admonished in a tone that indicated a demand more than request. Mouth quirking, Philip stopped fidgeting as Marshall concentrated on tying the perfect trone d'Amour knot in his cravat. On such an august day, Marshall was obviously feeling the pressure of sending his master out in sartorial splendor.

  And Philip had to admit, his valet was doing a remarkable job. The man had been with him for years now and had never let him down, although he could become remarkably stuffy when he was feeling anxious and didn't feel Philip was taking his appearance seriously enough.

  A knock at the door had Philip turning his head and Marshall growling under his breath as the stiffened fabric of the cravat was pulled in an incorrect manner.

  "Come in," Philip called.

  His butler opened the door and stepped inside. "Mr. Hood has arrived, my lord."

  A wave of relief flowed over Philip. "Well I suppose if you've already let him in the door..."

  With just a hint of a smile, the butler stepped to the side, allowing Felix to enter. Third son of the Viscount Hood, Felix had no honorary title and was a mere 'mister,' however thanks to his investments in the railways, he was also a very wealthy mister. His advice had also made Philip a tidy sum of money, which had saved the coffers of the Dunbury estates when he'd been new to the title. They were the best of friends, and Philip had begun to doubt that Felix would arrive in time to stand beside him.

  "Cutting it a bit fine, aren't you?" he asked his friend as Felix came in, standing and looking Philip over with a judgmental eye. Whereas Philip relied on Marshall to keep him in the current style, Felix was something of a clotheshorse and one of the trendsetters among the young men in their set. With his striking black hair and eyes so dark they looked black as well, not too many could pull off the same colors and styles Felix could, and many couldn't afford the level of his tailoring either.

  Felix snorted at Philip's admonishment. "Well, I could have done with more notice." He gave Philip a somewhat exasperated look. "I was in Scotland, you know, with no idea that you'd have some hare-brained idea about getting leg-shackled. As it was, I had to leave a whole set of baggage behind."

  "Oh the horror," Philip mocked, grinning. Felix always traveled with twice as many clothes as he needed anyway. Looking at him today, in his dark plum waistcoat, navy trousers and superfine jacket, no one would think he'd been rushed in his dressing. "I didn't know I'd be getting married when you left for Scotland or I would have told you."

  "So how'd she do it?" Felix asked, settling himself down in the chair across from Philip. Some men would sprawl comfortably in such a casual setting, but never Felix. He was never less than perfectly presentable.

  "Do what?"

  "Trick you into proposing, of course," Felix said, raising his eyebrow at Philip. "Unless, of course, you were caught in a compromising situation, although I hadn't heard anything to the effect. But I have been in Scotland."

  To Philip's amusement, Marshall shot Felix a dirty look. Most of the time his best friend and his valet got on admirably, but his staff had been quite entranced by Cordelia, and Felix's insinuations had apparently struck a defensive nerve in the man. Even more amusing, he felt quite pleased by it.

  "She didn't trick me, and she hasn't been the least bit compromised."

  Well. Mostly not compromised. There had been some very passionate kisses exchanged in the past few weeks, but Philip had conducted himself admirably, considering how easy it would have been to sweep her away and... Remembering where he was and seeing how closely Felix was watching him, Philip shut down that line of thought. Marshall gave Felix a superior kind of look as he finished off Philip's cravat and went to get his jacket.

  "Well, I did hear she was a widow, so it would be hard to compromise her."

  "A very respectable widow," Philip said. Almost too respectable. Keeping their encounters to kisses and caresses had done a number on his willpower, but it had been worth it. In some ways, Cordelia was quite skittish. While she wasn't an innocent, he didn't think she'd gotten much in the way of experience in the old Baron's marriage bed either. Open-mouthed kisses had shocked her the first time, but she was quite eager with them now. There was a passionate woman buried under her respectability, one which he was looking forward to unleashing tonight.

  "Dear god," Felix exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "You've become a romantic."

  A small smile curved Philip's face as he held out his arms so Marshall could help him into his jacket. "Perhaps a bit. You'll understand when you meet her."

  Although Felix made a derogatory noise, Philip could tell that his friend was highly intrigued. Despite the fact that Philip had shared his thoughts on marriage, after talking with Hugh and Edwin, Felix had remained unconvinced that Philip was serious - or that he would be able to find what he sought.

  "All ready, my lord," Marshall said, smoothing down the lapels of Philip's jacket and giving him a last once over. "May I extend the congratulations of the staff? We're very much looking forward to you and your ladyship's return this evening."

  "Very good, thank you, Marshall," Philip said with a nod of dismissal. The staff couldn't possibly be looking forward to their return more than he was. What had possessed him to agree to an afternoon wedding rather than a morning? There was still at least half an hour before it would be time to leave for the church. Ah yes... he'd been hoping to give the reprobate in front of him more time to arrive.

  Seeing Philip's gaze landing back on him, Felix grinned. "You're looking very good, old chap. I'm glad to see Marshall's keeping you in tip-top shape."

  "As if he would allow anything less," Philip said with a snort. He gave himself one last glance in the mirror before turning away. Although he knew he was good-looking, he wasn't given to Felix's kind of vanity. "I have a favor to ask of you."

  "Oh-ho," Felix said, his eyebrows rising. Philip was not the type to ask for favors, usually preferring to do things on his own. "And on your wedding day no less. How can I refuse?"

  Ignoring his friend's joking sarcasm, Philip pressed onward. Today was too important for Felix's levity, and he wanted to impress the seriousness of the situation on him. "I need you to keep an eye on Cordelia's stepdaughter, Gabrielle, today and keep her out of trouble."

  Felix groaned. "You want me to baby-sit some schoolroom miss? What, you couldn't employ a governess to mind her?"

  "Unfortunately, Miss Astley is too old for a governess," Philip said, a trifle grimly. "Gabrielle is nineteen and about to embark on her first Season. Cordelia and I will be postponing our honeymoon until Gabrielle receives an offer or the Season is over."

  "Hoping to get the stepdaughter leg-shackled so you can have some privacy with your bride?" Felix asked with amusement, but his curiosity was obviously piqued.

  Although Philip didn't want to denigrate his soon-to-be bride in anyway, even obliquely, he decided it was best to be entirely frank with Felix. The man couldn't be too prepared to deal with Gabrielle, as far as Philip was concerned. It was his private opinion that Gabrielle was the main reason that Cordelia hadn't received any offers of marriage before his, in the years since the Baron's death.

  The little hussy had even had the nerve to bat her eyes and imply that she would make him a better bride when they were introduced, despite the fact that she'd just b
een told that he and Cordelia were engaged. He could only count his blessings that she hadn't been at the house party where he'd met Cordelia and had been on a trip with a friend instead. Making Cordelia's life more difficult seemed to be Gabrielle's main pursuit in life, despite Cordelia doing everything she could to make Gabrielle's life easier.

  "If anyone will have her," Philip said. "She's quite beautiful, but she's a viper, and she's wretchedly jealous of Cordelia. It comes out at the worst times and in the worst ways."

  "Make her dowry high enough and there will be plenty who don't care how waspish her tongue is."

  "It's fit for a duke's daughter," Philip said quite seriously. Felix let out a low whistle, seeing the grave expression on Philip's face. "But for today, I just need to ensure she does not cause a scene and Cordelia has no reason for upset."

  "Then I'm your man," Felix said with a loose salute. Checking his fob watch, he got to his feet. "We should be off, since you're apparently in earnest over this woman."

  "Bloody right," Philip said with a grin, a little bubble of excitement filling him. All his life he'd thought he would be apprehensive over his marriage, but the truth was he couldn't wait to make Cordelia his.

  "How are you going to ensure the wicked step-daughter doesn’t do something to upset your bride before the wedding?" Felix asked curiously. "Do you have someone running interference right now?"

  "I sent Eleanor and Hugh's wife to help her get ready," Philip said. He grinned as Felix let out another low whistle. Although he'd never met Irene, Hugh's wife, Felix was acquainted with Eleanor and knew her as a waspish-tongued vixen when she wanted to be. If Philip had given her the same kind of warning about Gabrielle that he had Felix, there was no doubt that Eleanor would guard Cordelia's happiness like a hostile mama-bear.

  ******

  "You look lovely," Irene said, as Cordelia checked her visage in the mirror for the umpteenth time.

  Butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and every time she turned away from the mirror she was sure that her dress had wrinkled or her hair had fallen down or any number of other potential disasters. It didn't help that every time she glanced at Gabrielle, her stepdaughter was looking at her with a dismissive sneer on her face. She was so grateful Philip's cousins had come to keep company before the wedding. Eleanor and Irene were as sweet as could be and had kept up a supportive chatter the entire morning. When Marjorie Irving, the Countess of Irving and Cordelia’s bosom friend, had stepped out to go have a word with her husband, Cordelia had worried about being along with Gabrielle, but Eleanor and Irene had come bustling in the moment Marjorie had left. They were sweet and charming and thoroughly pleased to welcome her to the family.