Page 42 of Let Me Be Your Hero
“Damn right, you do.” Jack crossed to the washstand and made a show of filling the basin. “There’s some nicecoldwater for you, as I’m sure you’ll want to be saving that”—he casta significant look toward Archibald’s groin—“for your wedding night.”
Archibald doubted it would be an issue. He didn’t think he was going to have any trouble maintaining a cock-stand so long as Izzie was in his bed.
Getting his prick to go down for two fucking minutes when it came time to take a piss, that was going to be the trick.
Jack was bustling around the room. “Well? You still haven’t told me how you convinced her.”
“She was desperate,” Archibald muttered.
“She certainly soundeddesperate,” Jack retorted.
“You are speaking about my future wife!” Archibald snapped. “Leave, before I dismiss you.”
Jack drew himself up, feigning outrage as he headed toward the door. “Look who’s in a foul mood! Can’t say that I blame you. I wager you’ll be in amuchbetter mood by this time tomorrow.”
As eager as he was to rid himself of his valet’s unwanted commentary, something occurred to Archibald. “Jack. Wait.”
His valet paused in the doorframe. If he had been expecting an apology, he was doomed to disappointment. Archibald was still trying to tamp down the urge to throw the bowl that held his shaving soap at Jack’s head.
“I need a ring to give Izzie tomorrow, but I don’t want to leave her alone in the house. Go down to Rundell and Bridge and arrange for them to send someone over with a few choices.”
Jack huffed. “Oh, I see. Now you want me to be your errand boy.”
“What do you think I’m paying you for?” Archibald snapped. “Believe me, it’s not for the conversation.”
Jack muttered the rest of the way out the door. But at last, the bloody man was gone.
Archibald glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was a few minutes to five. The wedding would take place tomorrow atten, so he only had seventeen hours before Izzie would become his wife.
He was fairly certain they were going to be the longest seventeen hours of his life.
CHAPTER 21
Archibald rose the following morning at six o’clock, having tossed and turned imagining Izzie beside him in his bed and managed little in the way of sleep.
Jack was already bustling around the room. “You’re up early.”
“Thought I might as well get up,” Archibald mumbled. “I wasn’t getting much sleep, anyway.”
“Well, now, don’t worry. I’ll wager tonight, your new bride will have you sleeping like a baby.”
Archibald ran a hand over his face. “One of these days I’m going to strangle you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes. Most probably, I’ll deserve it,” Jack agreed.
Seeing the plain grey suit Jack had laid out for him, Archibald frowned. “Is this what Bastian says I’m to wear at my wedding?”
Jack snorted. “Don’t be daft. This is what you’re wearing to breakfast. Bastian is coming over personally to get you ready for the wedding.”
Archibald groaned. “Delightful.”
A half-hour later, Archibald made his way down to breakfast. He was surprised to see his parents up and about, as they usually didn’t rise until noon.
He sniffed the air tentatively. The smell he detected was definitely new. It didn’t smell bad, precisely. It was clearly some sort of flower.
But whatever it was, it wasextremelystrong.
He wandered over to the parlor where his parents had determined the ceremony would take place. The smell grew stronger with each passing step.
