Page 55 of The Lady's Companion
“Speak for yourself, Edward,” she said. “I will not have busy-bodies in England saying I was romping about while my mother- in-law—a national treasure, I will remind you—was under the dubious care of a sergeant and a... a Hampton! No, you will marry at once, or this is off.”
The bailiff blinked. “I can purchase a license in our parish after we return, and...”
“No, not soon enough,” the woman insisted. “I want to see you two leg-shackled before another day passes!”
It was the bailiff’s turn to blush. “My lady, I cannot begin to afford a special license. We’ll return to Quilling and get a regular license. It’ll just be a matter of a week...”
“No,” she said, sounding remarkably like her mother-in-law.
The colonel coughed to attract her attention. “My dear, I think we could make a wedding present of a special license to these two.” He touched his pocket again. “I know all about getting these things now, and if the sergeant will come with me, I am certain we can accomplish this. Of course, as it is already nearly noon, we will have to defer the actual event until tomorrow morning. What do you say, Sergeant?” he asked, turning to the bailiff.
If you’re going to back out, now is the time, Susan thought. I know I am not. Let us see if you really meant that proposal two months ago.
“Very well, sir,” the bailiff said. “I’ll do it on the condition that we can be allowed to pay you back someday when we can afford it.”
“Agreed,” the colonel said. “Wait here while I steer my dear Lady Bushnell past the hornet’s nest outside this door.”
The door closed behind them. There was a momentary increase in the volume of misery in the hall, which was stopped by a few emphatic words from the colonel. The voices ceased, and the room was quiet again.
The bailiff remained with his back to her for a few moments. “Collecting our thoughts, are we?” Susan asked finally when the humor of the whole thing grew too piquant to resist.
He laughed then, turned around, his eyes bright, and came toward her. She thought he would kiss her, but instead, he took her by the elbow and walked her to the window, where they both stood, looking out. His arm went around her waist, and he tucked his hand familiarly into her waistband, as though afraid she would try to get away.
“You must tell me something, Susan,” he said after a longish time regarding a gardener pruning an elm across the street.
“Anything, David,” she said, putting her arm around him. “There’s nothing you can’t ask me.”
“I know, and that’s the beauty of it,” he said. “Did you do this because you want to help Lady Bushnell to an extreme degree unimaginable, or because you really mean it?”
She let go of him and stepped away, and he was forced to relinquish his grip on her waistband. Pushing against his arms, she backed him up to the wall as he grinned and let her lead him around. “You are dense, David, so dense. Lady Bushnell has only recently reminded me that I am a Hampton,” she said, her touch gentle on his arms. “I will remind you that Hamptons only do things to suit themselves, and not to smooth the path for others.”
He considered her words. “So I take it to mean that you have every intention of marrying me for yourself and no one else?”
“I do.”
“When did you decide on this somewhat surprising course?” he asked, then put his forehead against hers. “I’ve been on battlefields all over Europe, and I swear I never came as close to fainting as I did five minutes ago!”
She laughed and cupped his face in her hands. “Oh, I wish I had a painting of your expression! How I would love to show it to our children in twenty years or so.”
His arms went around her then, and he held her as close as he could, with a sigh that made her heart flop. “I think I first admitted it to myself this morning,” she whispered into his ear, “when Mr. Steinman gave me that silly metronome.”
“Well, it made me jealous,” he grumbled. “I mean, I’d like to be able to give you things.”
“You will.” She kissed his ear. “Now tell me truthfully how long you’ve been really serious about that proposal.”
He held her off from him then, with another look of real surprise, then pulled her against him so firmly that she knew she should be blushing. “Ever since right before I asked, Suzie, and don’t ask me how I knew I loved you. I just did.”
It would have been a much longer kiss—her brains were starting to sauté—except that Colonel March came back into the room and harrumphed a few times to get their attention.
“David, I am even now fighting a rearguard action with the housekeeper and the pastry chef, plus an irritating fellow who speaks only French,” he said. “Save that for tomorrow and accompany me to Doctors’ Commons.”
“Yes, sir,” the bailiff said, releasing his grip on her. “Can we drop Suzie off at the Steinman Employment Agency on the way?”
“Certainly, lad, but only if you’re sure she won’t accept another position while you’re gone,” the colonel joked. “I’m depending on you two to marry and put my fiancée out of her misery.”
Susan smiled weakly at him. My stars, Colonel, she thought, I can’t even get my lips to work right now. How could I manage a coherent employment interview? She nodded to the colonel and searched about the room for her cloak, which was draped over a chair in plain sight. And now my eyes aren’t even working, she thought as she accepted the cloak from David, who was looking much too self-satisfied for her own peace of mind.
“Doctors’ Commons, is it, sir?” the bailiff asked.
