hold a low-voiced conversation with young Ames, and Juliet was asking her mother if she could not stay at Myerly until tomorrow, if his lordship did not object.
“Stay as long as you like,” Myerly said expansively, merely to stir the pot, Barden was sure. “You cheer up these tired old eyes.”
Barden had had enough. The whole ridiculous situation was beginning to spread out of control once more. He dragged it back to heel.
“I expect you are wondering why I chose to accompany your father upon the visit,” he said loudly to Lady Juliet. “The truth is, I have arranged for us to be married right away.”
Her eyes widened with undisguised horror, and in spite of everything, all that beauty afraid of him was both gratifying and arousing.
“Don’t be ridiculous, man!” Catesby exclaimed. “You cannot rush the lady into something of that nature.”
“As you would know, having so markedly dragged your heels,” Barden snapped. “Lady Juliet knows all the advantages she and her family will receive from marriage with me.” He smirked. “And the pariah she would remain with you.”
“Rubbish!” Catesby blustered. “Juliet and I understand each other very well. Tell me now, Juliet, that you forgive me and accept me, and I promise I will make all this go away.”
Everyone gazed at Juliet, who looked at first desperate and hunted. And then, to Barden’s surprise, her lip twitched, and a spark of humor gleamed in her eyes. “Actually, I think Lord Myerly is the one to do that.”
“In the meantime,” Dan Stewart said, easing the dog carefully away from the tea table, “I’m afraid Lady Juliet will not be marrying either of you today or any other day. She is, in fact, engaged to me.”
“For God’s sake, Daniel!” Cornwell exploded.
Lord Myerly snickered.
Barden wanted to throw something.
Juliet, however, cast a sudden, brilliant smile at the shabby young man, whose lips quirked upward. “If she still wants to be.”
Unexpectedly, Juliet dashed to his side, snatched the leash from his fingers, and handed it to Mrs. Stewart. “If you please, just for a moment,” she said breathlessly, and seizing Stewart by the arm, she dragged him out of the door.
Instinctively, Barden started after them. So did Catesby, Lord and Lady Cosland, and Cornwell.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As soon as they were out of the room, Dan pulled the door shut and held onto the handle.
Juliet hung onto his free arm, giving it a little shake to get his attention, for someone was clearly trying to open the door from the other side, and Dan was exerting considerable strength to keep it shut.
“Thank you for saying that,” she said in a rush. “But before we go back, I want you to know that I’ll never hold you to it. As soon as this nonsense is done, I’ll jilt you quite heartlessly. If that’s what you want. But Dan?”
His eyes had never left her face, even when the door rattled and pulled behind him. “Mmm?”
“Before… I didn’t ask you then just to get me out of trouble. I won’t ever want to marry anyone except you. But I would die rather than make you marry me from some kind of false responsibility.”
“I have no responsibility,” he said.
She smiled, “Yes, you do, Dan. Sometimes you hide it, but it’s there, behind the fun. It’s one reason I love you so much.”
“Love?” He swallowed. “You…love me?”
“Oh, Dan, of course I love you! But if you don’t l—”
The rest of her speech was lost in his mouth as he kissed her. With a sob of joy, she flung both arms around his neck and abandoned herself to the wild, hard kiss.
His arm dragged her against him, so closely, they could have been one.
“Of course I love you,” he muttered against her lips. “How could I not, you—”
And the words vanished again into another deep, wondrous kiss.
He loved her. Dan loved her, and now, now, everything would be not just fine, but wonderful. Joy stretched out before her.
At some point, it seemed, Dan forgot about the door, for both his arms were around her. And people, including her parents, spilled out the room in shock.
Juliet gasped and whisked herself out of Dan’s arms, though she seized one of them back again before anyone could separate them. “I’m going to marry Dan,” she said happily.
Her father groaned. Barden looked furious enough to be dangerous. Jeremy, oddly, looked devastated.
“Come back inside,” her mother instructed.
Juliet obeyed, but she realized, suddenly, she was not afraid, and she would not run. Because Dan stood by her side,