Page 71 of The Vagabond Viscount
The mention of her brother had Augusta pondering Flynn’s chances of success of getting Gideon’s agreement to him remaining in Rome without her. Without his wife.
Slim to none would be my guess.
If she was going to support Flynn, then some hard choices were going to fall at her feet. “You said Father Morris can marry us today, so why don’t we do that now? Let’s go and find him and ask him to come with us to All Saints.”
Flynn rose from the bed. “Alright. But don’t you want to wait until Gideon and your mother can attend?”
“No. I don’t want any of my family knowing. Not until you arrive in London.” Augusta got to her feet. “You have your reasons for wishing to spend a little more time in Rome, while I have mine for not telling my family.”
She held up one finger. “One. If Gideon knows we are married, he will force you to come home with us. That won’t help with your plans for de Luca Shipping and our future financial situation. Two. If my mother knows, then it will give her one less reason to come home. I can let it slip at some point that you and I might marry when we are back in England. Hopefully, the prospect of missing the wedding of her eldest daughter might help to get the duchess to change her mind.”
Augusta added a third finger to the two already raised. “And truth be told, I don’t want Mama at our wedding. She has lied to me. She has abandoned our family. And at the moment, I can’t stand the idea of being in the same room as her, let alone having her witness our marriage.”
She had finally given a voice to her pain. To the deep sense of betrayal she felt over her mother’s decision to leave.
“Are you sure? This is not something you can take back. The duchess will eventually find out.”
Augusta bit down on her bottom lip, nodding as she did. There was a degree of spite in her decision, and she hated herself for allowing it, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny it.
“When you get back to London, we will tell my father about our marriage. Until then, only you, me, and the people who are witnesses to our vows will know that we are man and wife.”
Her mother would be hundreds of miles away when she eventually discovered the truth of Augusta’s deception. The duchess might finally come to realize the cost of what she had done. Of how deeply she had hurt her daughter.
ChapterForty-Two
“Idon’t normally get to marry two couples in a week, let alone two nobles. I have to say this is quite an honor.”
Augusta glanced at her hands, where they were joined with Flynn’s. To the ring which now sat on her left hand. He was her husband. They were married. And while she would agree not to use the title Viscountess Cadnam, in her heart that was who she was—she was his wife. Someday, she would be his countess, and the whole of London would know.
Today, however, only Father Morris, the owner of the nearby café and his wife, along with Michael Cooper, knew that Augusta and Flynn were married. She had wanted it this way. In time, when Flynn returned to England, they would tell the duke of their happy news. They would have a formal celebration. Notices would be published in the newspaper.
And Earl Bramshaw would finally realize that Flynn and his new bride were forever out of his reach.
After adjourning to the café, where they shared a glass of wine with their wedding guests, the Cadnam’s returned to the hotel. In the privacy of Augusta’s room, Flynn drew her into his embrace. “My wife. I can’t believe we are here. At last. It feels like we have journeyed around the world and back again.”
“I think to hell and back is probably closer to what we have both been through. But yes… husband.”
She wouldn’t ever tire of saying that word. Flynn was hers. To have and to hold.
“Are you certain that you don’t want to tell the rest of your family that we are now married? I will understand if you have a change of heart,” he offered.
Augusta’s head was still shaking as she reached for the first button on Flynn’s trousers. She didn’t want to think of her family or anyone else. The only thought on her mind was of getting her husband naked and into her bed.
Our bed.
Fortunately for her, Flynn was an intelligent man. He stopped talking and kissed her. She happily sighed into his mouth; longing and lust coursed through her body. When her husband pushed the top of her gown down, Augusta groaned.
To her delight, he didn’t linger to admire his handiwork. Instead, his nimble fingers were on the front laces of her short stays, which soon found their way to the floor.
Only then did Flynn pause.
He appeared to be in two minds as to what he should do next. Which piece of clothing should hit the elegant woolen rug. Augusta reached for the second of Flynn’s buttons, but he beat her to it. His hard erection popped free as the placket fell open. She licked her lips at the sight.
When Flynn brushed his hand over the front of her thin slip, Augusta’s nipples peaked. He hummed with satisfaction.
“I have long dreamt of this moment. And while we may have already shared our bodies a number of times over the past two days, this coupling will be our first time as husband and wife.”
Hunger burned in his eyes, along with a glint of wicked intent.
