Page 60 of The Danger of Desire
“Of course he is,” Delia said under her breath. When he shot her a sharp glance, she added, “What? I’m just saying that you know everyone of note in society. I’m surprised you aren’t demanding to have the wedding in Westminster Abbey.”
“I’m afraid they reserve that for royal weddings and parishioners, my dear.” But her comment reminded him that none of them had yet asked her what she wanted. “You don’t mind having our wedding here, do you?”
Her quick look of gratitude told him that she appreciated his gesture. “Not in the least. I can’t imagine anything more marvelous than to be married in a beautiful house like this, among all the friends and family I have in the world.”
“Then it’s settled,” Lady Pensworth said. “Tomorrow morning we’ll have the wedding.”
All Delia’s pleasure seemed to vanish. “Tomorrow! So soon? Can’t I have another day or two to plan?”
“The sooner the better,” her aunt said grimly. “Before the gossip hits town. You should arrive there already wed, so that the worst they think is that you two got carried away by your romantic feelings and insisted upon marrying right away.”
“But it may take more than one day to procure the license and settle matters with our solicitors,” Warren said in a steely voice. If his future wife wanted a couple of days to plan, then she would have them, by God. “I don’t think waiting until day after tomorrow will hurt anything.”
“Oh, very well, if you insist,” Lady Pensworth said. “And now, my lord, we really must go.”
“Of course.” Though he wasn’t looking forward to an hour or more of being interrogated by the baroness in his carriage.
So he took one more moment to gaze down at his new fiancée and say, sotto voce, “Everything will be fine, dearling. I swear it.”
“You cannot guarantee that, my lord,” she said. “But if you’re willing to try to make it so, then I am, too.”
Then she surprised him by kissing his cheek. It touched him deeply. And made him wish they were alone.
He glanced around at the waiting company. To hell with that. In for a penny, in for a pound. Tugging her into his arms, he gave her a hearty buss on the lips.
“Now that, my dear, is more like it,” he murmured. Leaving her standing wide-eyed, he strode out the door.
Moments later, after he and Lady Pensworth were ensconced in his coach and headed to London, she said, “Nicely done, Knightford.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What part?”
“Getting past my niece’s silly objections to marriage.”
“Her objections? What about mine? You assume that I wished to marry. She wasn’t lying, you know. She really did happen upon me having a nightmare. I really did grab her thinking she was—”In my bed.He paused, figuring he’d best not tell that much of the truth. “Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly in my right mind at the time. And she was just trying to help me.”
“I know.”
He gaped at her. “You know?”
The harridan’s eyes twinkled. “It was hard not to notice the look of complete shock on your face when you realized what you’d done. Or the panic on hers.”
His temper flared. “But you chose to ignore the evidence of your eyes and force us into an untenable position. That is scheming of the worst kind, madam.”
“Is it?” Lady Pensworth didn’t look the least cowed by his accusation. “She likes you. You like her. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with you can tell that the two of you would make an excellent match. But you both would allow your foolish ideas about marriage to keep you from something that could be wonderful. So, yes, I interfered.”
She smirked at him. “It didn’t require much, given that you were entwined in each other’s arms when I found you. You will thank me later, I promise. Now be honest: Are you that unhappy about the situation?”
The question threw him off guard. In truth, he was not. He was worried about what might happen to them as a couple and whether Delia would eventually become content with their union. But he was rather looking forward to a lifetime of sparring with her. Which, in itself, alarmed him.
“That’s what I thought,” she said.
“It’s not me you should be worried about. It’s your niece. Delia deserves better than to be forced into marriage.”
“Forced?” She snorted. “That girl has never been forced into anything in her life. Don’t let her spin that line with you. Delia does as she pleases, and I can assure you she is well pleased to be marrying you. She just hasn’t acknowledged it to herself yet.”
“I hope you’re right. Because if you’re not, then we have a miserable future ahead of us.”
“I doubt that.” She leaned back against the squabs. “How about this? If you wish to stop this marriage now, then do. I will try to halt the gossip before it begins, and she can go on as she pleases. I daresay between you and me, we might be able to keep matters quiet. Is that what you want?”
