a watery chuckle. "I'll take care of it-She look his frail hand, and they lay there in companionable silence. "Do you think Rohan and Charlotte could possibly be happy? He's a rake and a libertine."
"His father managed to reform with the love of a good woman. Adrian's the man his father is, despite his current shortcomings. I expect he and Charlotte will end up disgustingly happy, doting on each other into old age." He shook his head. "There's nothing worse than a reformed rake. Just look at Simon. He'll probably end up the same. It quite breaks my heart," he said cheerfully.
Lina laughed. "I promise I'll be wicked till the end of my days, Monty."
He lifted her hand to his and kissed it lightly. "We shall see, my precious."
Charlotte rolled over, stretching. Sunlight was coming in through the shuttered windows of the old nursery, and dust motes danced in the air. Adrian lay beside her, sound asleep, naked and beautiful, and she lay back, cradling her head in her arms, and watched him, her eyes sliding over all the mysterious parts of his body that were so different from hers. She felt wonderful, full of life and energy, as if she could dance and fly and sing.
"'Go back to sleep," he muttered, not bothering to open his eyes.
"I can't. I'm too happy."
At that he did open one eye to survey her. "Delighted I could help... If you let me sleep I can do it again and you'll be even happier"
"I can't..." His arm shot out and caught her around the waist, pulling her back against his body. He was cool, lovely, all that flesh against hers, and she could feel his penis begin to stir at her backside, and instinctively her nipples hardened.
He felt them against his arm, having positioned himself deliberately. "Then again, now's as good a time as any," he said in her ear.
She pulled away, and he let her go, reluctantly. She sat up on the bed, looking down at him for a long moment. “Lina’s going to raise a fuss.”
"Then we avoid Lina. She doesn't need to know until it's too late."
"Too late for what?" she asked, confused.
"We'll get married, of course. It's not the best possible solution—I certainly had no intention of marrying anyone, but there doesn't seem to be any help for it. I don't seem to be able to get you out of my system. It requires long familiarity for that to happen—I was enchanted with my favorite mistress for more than two years before I finally tired of her. I fully expect it to take that long with you."
She stared at him, her face expressionless. "And what happens then? If we're married you can't pen-sion me off with a diamond brooch."
He laughed. "It costs a lot more than a diamond brooch to dispense with those kinds of entanglements, my sweet Charlotte. No, we should do fairly well together once society recovers from the shock. Even when desire fades and we move on to other partners I imagine we'll still be friends."
Her skin was like ice. "I would get to move on to other partners as well...?"
"Of course. Would you think I would be so unfair?" He frowned. "Though I must admit that right now the idea makes me furious. But I'll change my mind, of course. I always do."
"You always do," she echoed.
"In fact, that's why it took me so long to get here. I was able to obtain a special license from my godfather, who happens to be the bishop of London. I imagine we could prevail upon Pagett to marry
"I don't think so," she said in her sweetest, softest voice.
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't him to marry us?”
"No, my lord. I don't wish to marry you"
His expression was almost comical. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course you do."
"No," she said calmly. "I do not. You're a cold-hearted, arrogant son of a bitch, and I deserve better."
He just looked at her in astonishment, as if she'd suddenly grown a second head. "I beg your She rose, ignoring her own nudity, and grabbed the Holland cover off the adjoining bed, wrapping it around her with great dignity. "I'm smart, I'm talented, I'm essentially kindhearted and I'm not a complete antidote. I shouldn't have to settle for the kind of cold-blooded union you're suggesting. It's so kind of you to condescend to offer for me, but you can take your proposal, if that's what it was, and stuff it up your bum. I'm