Page 143 of His Grace, the Duke
“But your reputation must and will come first, Rosalie,” James pressed. “We must all keep this quiet for your sake. Nothing can be amiss as thetondescends on us. We survive the wedding, the party, and then we are free.”
“It’s just two days,” Tom said, curling his large frame tighter against her. “We can all behave ourselves, surely.”
“Speak for yourself,” Burke muttered. “Now that I know what sex with the three of you is like, I intend to ravage you separately and together every hour of the day until my cock falls off.”
“Ignore him,” said James, his warm breath fanning over her ear.
She fought a smile as Burke gave her hand another squeeze.
Behind her, Tom let out a yawn, his voice heavy with sleep. “I have a feeling it’s all going to be fine.”
66
Rosalie
The morning ofthe wedding arrived, and Rosalie awoke feeling like everything was just as it should be. She was curled up in James’ arms, Burke at her back, Tom on his other side. Her men loved her. They loved each other. They were content. George would marry Piety and they would take off for adventures in Lisbon and Greece for the next four months. Meanwhile, Rosalie would go home... to Alcott. The dream of calling a place home had never been so tantalizingly close.
It was a beautiful, crisp morning, and Rosalie and several of the others opted to walk the few blocks to the church, rather than ride in the carriage processional following the duke and Piety. She paired her favorite green and pink morning dress, layered with a blue pelisse and the navy blue bonnet with golden satin ribbons. She strode out on Tom’s arm, Burke following behind escorting Mariah.
As James hinted, that was another benefit to this wedding business finally coming to a close: All the house guests would leave. It was quite the boon to learn even the duchess wasopting to stay in Town, citing her strong dislike of the bitter cold of long winter carriage rides. The only people returning to Alcott would be James, Rosalie, Burke, and Tom.
Rosalie couldn’t hardly wait.
“Oh, look at all the ribbons,” cooed Blanche.
The streets leading from Corbin House to St. George’s at Hanover Square were draped with colorful ribbon garlands that fluttered in the breeze. Society weddings were quite the draw, and the mood was festive. Eager spectators were already milling about, ready to see the duke and Piety pass by in their carriages. Even more exciting than seeing a duke and his bride was the chance to see the Queen. Rosalie wasn’t too shy to admit she was giddy with anticipation.
“Why do you smile?” Tom said in her ear.
“I’m happy,” she replied.
“We have plans for you tonight,” he teased, mirroring her smile. “Burke has put together something special.”
“Oh, yes?” A flutter in her chest had her smiling wider. “Can you give me a hint?”
“Not a chance,” he replied, placing a hand at the small of her back to guide her up the stairs and into the church. The noise of the crowd quieted once they were inside.
“Let’s find our seats,” said Burke, leading the way down the side aisle towards the front.
***
Within the hour, the church was fit to burst. Outside, the crowd squealed, announcing the arrival of someone important. A few minutes later, the duchess floated down the mainaisle, a vision in burgundy and pearls. She nodded to various assembled guests before taking her place in the pew in front of Burke, Tom, and Rosalie.
“Stop fidgeting.” Tom placed a hand over Rosalie’s. She’d been twisting her program into a tight coil, ruining it and getting ink on her glove.
“I’ve never seen her before,” she whispered. “Not up close, at least.”
On her other side, Burke gave her hand a squeeze. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped.
“What is it?” said Tom, turning his head.
“Don’t look,” she hissed, facing back towards the front with a little smile.
“Rose, what—”
“Hartington just arrived,” she whispered. “He just wedged himself onto the pew next to Olivia. I saiddon’tlook—” She groaned as both her men turned their heads.
Tom turned back with a chuckle, while Burke narrowed his eyes with interest. “She looks miserable.”
