“It seems to me,” she said, “that there are definite similarities between you and my brother. You have a man at Brierley? Spying, you mean? Do you really have a marriage license?”
“I do,” he said. “Do you still want to marry me?”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I do.”
If Avery had given his blessing, it would not be just because he had discovered that Gabriel was the Earl of Lyndale. Avery was certainly high in the instep, but he was not shallow. And if Mr. Goddard was at Brierley, trying, poor man, to look inconspicuous, Avery himself must have been very busy here. She was not surprised, however. It would always be a mistake to be taken in by Avery’s studied indolence.
Gabriel had come to stand in front of her. He held out one hand, and she put her own into it and allowed him to draw her to her feet.
“Now?” he asked her. “Or would you rather wait and allow your mother to arrange a family wedding?”
She could in all reality go and fetch her bonnet now and go and get married? She felt suddenly breathless. And very tempted.
“I believe,” she said, “it broke Mama’s heart when Avery thwarted the plans of the whole Westcott family and took Anna off to marry her privately. I think maybe the family wedding, then. But within the week. And not the grand event they will try to press on us. I do wish, however, you also had family.”
He looked at her rather wistfully, she thought, and she remembered that he did have family here in England. Family members who lied and committed rape and possibly murder and tried to blame an innocent man. Family members who would be far from happy to see him again.
“I do have Sir Trevor,” he said, “and Lady Vickers. They are in truth my godparents. And there is their son, who has become my friend in the past few weeks. Shall we decide upon Friday for our wedding, then? I would rather not wait longer than that.”
It was Tuesday already. By Friday she would be a married lady. She would be Lady Jessica Thorne, Countess of Lyndale.
“You would wait that long,” she asked, “just so that Mama—and doubtless Grandmama and the aunts—would have time to arrange some sort of family wedding? Because it is what I want?”
“Yes,” he said.
And she wondered. Oh, she wondered. Last evening he had admitted that he wished to marry her only because she had all the qualifications he felt he needed in a bride. He had also admitted that he wanted her. But wanting her did not necessarily mean he felt any tender emotion for her. Did he care for her? Just a little bit?
And did she care for him? Had she agreed to marry him just because she had decided she wanted to be married and because she wanted him? Was there anything else? It would be wise not even to think of the possibility.
“Thank you,” she said, and he drew her into his arms and kissed her. Slowly and thoroughly, holding her right against the full length of him, though the kiss was not as urgent as last night’s.
It was good even so. Better than good. He felt solid and dependable. Masculine. Desirable.
He already had a marriage license. Mama and Anna and all the other females in the family were about to be let loose upon wedding plans.
She was glad.
She was going to be married.
With her family about her.
She was going to be married.
And then she would have to face his family with him.
Fifteen
I wish to say something,” Lady Estelle Lamarr said to the roomful of ladies, none of whom were related to her by blood but all of whom had welcomed her into the Westcott family as one of their own when her father married the former Viola Westcott, Countess of Riverdale.
The chatter ceased abruptly, and everyone turned to listen to her with identical expressions of surprised inquiry. They were gathered in the drawing room of the dowager countess’s home, it being easier for all of them to travel there than to expect her to travel elsewhere.
“You are all tiptoeing about one point,” she said. “It is to spare my feelings, I know, and I do appreciate your kindness. It is, however, unnecessary. I like Mr. Thorne exceedingly well. I was never for one moment interested in marrying him, however, even though I know you all did your best to promote a match between us. He was