Page 42 of Avoiding the Merry Viscount
“If my daughter wishes to marry you, I have no objection to the match,” Lord Cary said, having kept his focus fixed on Lydia.
“I do, Papa,” Lydia said, clasping Elias’s empty hand. “He’s theman I love.”
“Welcome to the family, my boy,” Lord Cary said, patting Elias on the back.
Elias removed the ring from the box and took Lydia’s left hand in his to slip it on her finger. “This was my mother’s,” he whispered.
Her eyes welled with tears as she glanced up at Elias and then she caught his father’s gaze. “I am honored to wear her ring.”
The elder Lord Snowdon stepped forward and scooped her into a hug. “I am honored to call you my daughter, dear girl.” He pulled back and clasped her chin. “It just might be the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. Nowyou’llhave the tough job of keeping this son of mine in line.”
Elias playfully nudged his father’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him, Beautiful.”
Lord Cary chuckled as he watched the scene unfold. “I believe we have a betrothal to announce this evening.”
“That we do,” Elias’s father said proudly. “But first, let’s ensure we rid the house of all the unwanted parties.”
“Lead the way,” Lord Cary said. Elias was certain that the man would throw a couple of punches of his own at Durham.
Both of their fathers departed the room to take over the handling of Durham and Lady Billings.
Lydia eyed the ring on her finger and then looked up at Elias with so much love shining in her eyes—it took Elias’s breath away.
He pulled her to him and feathered several kisses along her jaw. “How soon can we wed, Beautiful?”
*
Christmas Eve hadbeen a true joyous affair for the first time since Elias’s mother had passed. His sisters had jumped up and down, practically screaming, when they learned that Lydia would becometheir sister. Lady Cary cried and hugged both of them so hard. It would appear that their two families would get on well together over the years.
Hudson wasn’t all that surprised, given what he had walked in on. But Jude and Matt’s jaws had both dropped when they made their announcement. But both had given Elias sincere hugs and welcomed Lydia into their group. Of all four of them, they all assumed Matt would be the first to take a wife, but fate had a plan of its own.
The four men stepped aside to have a drink together and toast to Elias’s happiness.
“Who is going to join me for the fun of bachelorhood now?” Jude asked, slapping Elias on the back.
“You still have Matt and Hud,” Elias said. “Surely you can drag one of them with you.”
“It won’t be the same,” Jude said, giving him a momentary small frown. “But I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Elias said. “Perhaps you gents might give love a chance?”
Hudson scoffed. “Who in the hell are you, and what did you do with my best friend?”
Elias shrugged. His friends wouldn’t understand until they met the woman who would capture their heart and become the object of their every dream. “Your time will come.”
Elias left them to their banter and returned to Lydia’s side, who was chatting away with his sisters.
“I knew she would be our sister,” Grace said as soon as Elias approached.
“How could you possibly know that, Grace?” Elias asked.
“She doesn’t care if your cravat is mussed,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it should have been obvious to all of them. “She had already told me so.”
Elias and his sisters erupted into laughter.
“I am clearly missing something,” Lydia said, obviously confused by the display.
Leaning close to her and brushing his lips against her ear, “I’ll tell you later.”
