Page 35 of Her Sort of Scoundrel
He was on his feet, and a moment later, she was off hers as he lifted her in his arms.
“I may ask you again,” he said against her neck as he held her.
“Oh yes?”
“To convince myself that I’m not dreaming.”
Fiona found the edge of his jaw and drew his face down to hers. She took his lips, kissing him hungrily, letting him taste and tease and drive her mad with wanting him.
“Does that feel real?” she asked against his lips.
“You’d better kiss me again, just to be sure.”
And she did.
CHAPTER9
“You’recertain you wish to wait?” Dash asked Fiona.
His fiancée. His bride-to-be. Thank the heavens, Fiona was going to be his bride, by some miraculous turn of events that he still wasn’t sure he fully understood.
“I think so.” She stroked her hand up his arm where it was latched around hers. “Caro will see it, of course. Your sister knows me too well, and you too well, for us to hide anything from her. She’ll read it on our faces.”
That was incontrovertibly true. It was why he thought it best to simply break the news as soon as they crossed the threshold.
“We’ll tell them tomorrow,” she told him, though back at the folly, she’d suggested they might consider waiting until they all returned to London. She thought it best to tell Aurelia privately and before anyone else.
“That sounds perfect.” Dash lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers.
He wanted to tell everyone he knew. He wanted to climb to the top of St. Paul’s and shout it to the whole of London. Holding this sort of joy inside wouldn’t work for long.
Once they entered the house, Aurelia’s whole face lit up when she saw Fiona. She rushed forward, then hesitated, as if unsure exactly how exuberantly she should be when greeting a noblewoman of her stature.
Fiona made the decision for her and reached out to give Aurelia a hug.
Caro shot Dash a knowing look over the two ladies’ heads and then called out, “Shall we all go in to dinner?”
Maddeningly, his sister had seated Fiona across from him, but down a ways. His brother-in-law sat closest and tried to engage him in conversation about horse racing, farming, and a bill in Parliament. After half an hour, Dash wasn’t sure what he’d agreed to and could recall no real substance of the conversation that had passed between them. Half—no, more than half—his attention was fixed on Fiona. Truth be told, his body was still thrumming with so much astonishment and joy that he had no appetite for anything but her.
After dinner, they all retired to the family’s drawing room. Caro insisted they play a parlor game. Fiona took part in charades with the children and did a much better job than he could have managed.
Throughout every interaction he had, every moment of the evening, he was not fully present because his mind was busy churning through the last few hours.
And two words kept ringing in his head.Marriage. Wife. Marriage. Wife.
“I’m glad we came,” Aurelia told him as they all stood to bid each other goodnight. “You look much happier.”
“I am.” Vibrating with happiness, and he looked forward to explaining why.
She cast a glance across the room toward Fiona. That’s where Dash’s gaze already lingered.
“And it was such a lovely serendipity to find Lady Fiona visiting.” Aurelia tipped her head as she looked at him. “Did you know we’d find her here?”
“Not at all, but I’m glad we did.”
“Me too.” With that, she turned to find Hetty and Henry waiting to escort her up to her guest room. She took the hand of each child and let them lead the way.
Dash beelined for Fiona, but Caro beat him to it.
