Page 24 of Beyond Scandal and Desire
“Marvelous.” He rose, dipped his head. She closed her eyes, waited—
“Oh, my word! Kipwick, did we just see you down on bended knee?” a lady called out.
Her eyes flew open as Lady Lavinia and her escort, the Duke of Thornley, neared. Blast it all! She didn’t mind that they’d seen the proposal, but couldn’t the lady have held her tongue until after she’d been kissed?
“You did say yes, didn’t you, Lady Aslyn?” Lady Lavinia asked.
“Naturally.”
“I daresay it’s about time you two got on with things and at my family’s ball, no less. You will allow me to make the announcement once we return to the salon, won’t you? I won’t take no for an answer.”
Raising a brow, Kip looked at her. “I see no harm in that. We’re moving forward, after all.”
She felt her face grow warm. This was truly happening. The fanfare was about to begin, and once the announcement was made, there would be no turning back, no changing of minds for either of them. “Shouldn’t we wait until we’ve told your parents?”
Grinning, he tweaked her nose. “They know, silly girl. My father is your guardian, and I had to get his blessing first.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” When had that happened? Shouldn’t she have been consulted? No, it had always been assumed—
“Congratulations, old chap,” Thornley said, holding out his hand. “Even if it did cost me five hundred pounds.”
He was no doubt referring to the stupid wager made at White’s regarding when Kip would ask for her hand. She felt distant, separated from herself as she watched her betrothed shake the duke’s hand. Now that the moment was actually here, it didn’t feel real.
“My luck is much better than yours,” Kip said. “I shall soon have the lovely Lady Aslyn as my wife.”
“Let’s go announce it, then,” Lady Lavinia said, “as I can hardly wait to make a splash.”
As she wound her arm around Aslyn’s and began leading her back to the house, Aslyn couldn’t help but think that this moment wasn’t about Lady Lavinia at all—and yet the girl was going to make it so.
“I’m so excited for you,” Lady Lavinia said. “Kipwick is quite the catch. I know a few ladies who are going to be disappointed. Even though we all expected him to marry you, some were foolish enough to hold out hope.”
She wondered if any gentlemen had held out hope for her, if Mick Trewlove’s recent attentiveness had been more than kindness. What did it matter? She’d been traveling this path for most of her life. It was reassuring to see the destination on the horizon—at long last. Still, it seemed she should have been experiencing a measure of excitement rather than simple relief.
“Oh my dear, we could not be happier,” the duchess said, as she enveloped Aslyn in a warm hug.
The duke and duchess had been waiting for them when they returned from the ball. She’d barely handed her wrap over to a footman before Kip announced that he’d proposed and she’d accepted. It was an announcement she’d been expecting for a long time, and yet it seemed odd having it associated with her.
“This calls for a drink,” the duke said, and she found herself whisked into the parlor where a decanter of brandy and four snifters were waiting on a low table.
They’d known the proposal was coming tonight. She shouldn’t have been surprised, as Kip had told her he’d spoken with the duke, and yet she couldn’t help but feel as though everything was moving far too quickly.
“Your parents would be delighted,” the duchess said while the duke poured the brandy.
“I’m sure they would.” Although she wasn’t sure at all. Her memories of them were faint and distant, and recently she’d found herself mourning their absence as much as she’d mourned the loss of her parents. She took the snifter the duke offered her.
He lifted his. “If you love each other half as much as Bella and I love each other, then you’ll be richer than most. To a long, happy and fruitful marriage.”
She felt her cheeks warming with the reference to fruitful. Children. They would have lots of children.
“Hear, hear!” Kip said, before tossing back a good portion of his drink, while she rather wished he’d claimed to love her more than his parents loved each other. She was horrid to want some reassurance regarding the strength of his feelings for her.
She took a sip, not understanding all these doubts suddenly plaguing her.
The duchess sat on the sofa and patted the cushion beside her. “Sit, tell me everything. Where did it happen?”
Aslyn eased herself down. “In the gardens.”
“How romantic.”
