Page 92 of A Most Unlikely Lady
The ghost of a smile tilted Edwards firm lips into a crescent. ‘Really? And what would the other reasons be? Shall we write a list?’
Ivy couldn’t stop her grin as her cheeks heated. ‘Will you marry me, Edward?’
He pulled her back into his arms, pressing a sweet kiss against her lips. ‘It would be my greatest honour, Ivy.’
‘Oh, one more thing.’
Edward nuzzled her neck. ‘Yes?’
‘I wish to adopt Sarah and Henry.’
Edward froze and Ivy’s heart stalled right along with him. If he refused her this, she wasn’t sure how they would move forward. ‘You mean we.’
Ivy frowned. ‘What?’
‘I’m not sure you understood what you were proposing earlier. If we marry, then we agree to make our decisions together. You are not adopting Sarah and Henry.’
‘Why ever not?’ Her newly awakened anger bubbled forth. She would fight him on this point if she must.
‘Becauseweare adopting them. Together.’
She took a moment to absorb the details of his face, the scent of the stables, even the sound of Smithwick weeping at her feet. Because this wasthemoment when everything changed. The quintessential strike in her timeline of before and after. ‘Truly?’ Joy could sometimes hurt like the sweetest ache.
Edward nodded, tugging her back to him for a searing kiss.
Smithwick’s desperate sobs ruined the moment. Ivy reluctantly pulled away. ‘I suppose we should deal with him. And find Philippa and Olivia.’ She still hadn’t processed her friend’s betrayal.
‘I suppose we should. But later. Later, we will celebrate. I can get a special licence. We can be married by next week if you wish.’
Ifshewished. What a marvellous thought. After everything her father told her, all the ways marriage would ensure her captivity, her subservience, her forced submission, to know this union would be based on her wishes was miraculous. But still, not quite right.
‘Ifwewish. Didn’t you just say? We make our decisions together.’
‘What a lucky man I am to have such a brilliant fiancée. Let me try again. Do we wish to marry next week?’
Ivy’s heart overflowed. ‘We do.’
* * *
Three weeks later
‘I cannot believe no one can locate Olivia. Do you think she left England entirely? Maybe returned to Europe, or took a vessel to the Americas?’ Ivy had been Lady Ivy Worthington for two weeks, but still, it felt like a dream. She stretched in Edward’s large bed,our large bed,not missing her narrow mattress in the orphanage one tiny bit.
‘I have no idea.’ Edward lay next to her with the sheet barely covering his very aroused appendage. Flipping her over so she was on her belly, he pulled her nightgown up and began trailing kisses along her spine.
‘I am worried about Philippa.’ Ivy tried to keep her focus on the conversation, but whirls of sweet ecstasy were spinning over her skin from the centre of each hot kiss.
‘So am I. But I was rather hoping we could discuss this later.’ Edward palmed her bare arse and squeezed hard enough to make Ivy moan.
‘It’s just, no one has ever knocked Philippa out, have they?’
‘No one except Olivia,’ Edward agreed, his teeth scraping over her shoulder blade before he bit hard enough to make her desperate for more.
‘I still can’t credit it.’ Ivy’s words were rather breathless, but she pushed forward. ‘Philippa raced after her in the stables, came around a corner, and wham! Olivia hit her with my gun. Knocked Philippa out cold. It’s hard to know if her obsession with finding Olivia is due to Philippa’s passion for justice, or a very bruised ego.’
Edward slapped her arse with the flat of his palm. The sting resonated in her nipples. ‘You know the children will be banging on our door soon, wanting to break our fast together. And we promised Sarah we would let her try riding the new pony after that. We have a very limited moment to engage in all manner of delightful wickedness and you want to ruin that with conversations we could have any. Other. Time.’
Ivy arched her back, knowing the move would lift her buttocks. Edward growled as she smiled into the pillow. ‘Of course, my love. We can discuss this later.’
