The Countess Page 0,68

opened the door to the guest room across from the master bedroom.

"A room for me?" he asked with surprise as she ushered the younger girls inside.

"Yes. You cannot sleep in the master bedroom until the bed is repaired," she said sensibly.

"No, but there is no need to go to this trouble, I wil just sleep - "

"In the spare room until a certain situation is made legal," Grace said firmly. She gave him a hard smile and added, "Lady Christiana asked me to see to it, and so I am."

Richard gaped after the woman as she slipped into the bedroom and closed the door.

"Hmm. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised," Daniel said, not hiding his amusement. Langley was no better, chuckling openly without even bothering to try to cover it behind a cough.

Richard scowled at them both. "I think we should head for Gretna Green this afternoon. There is real y no need to wait."

"Er . . ." Daniel glanced to Langley and then urged Richard a few feet away to say quietly, "What about the business with George's murder? Do you not think we should try to sort out who kil ed him before we do anything else?"

"Langley knows everything, Daniel," Richard said quietly. "You can speak in front of him."

"He does?"

"I do," Langley assured him closing the distance between them.

"Oh, wel ," he frowned and then repeated, "As I was saying, do you not think we should resolve that matter before we - "

"No," Richard interrupted firmly. "You are the one who pointed out that the kil er would now think he'd failed and may try again. I think the most important thing is to ensure Christiana is legal y wed to me in case a second attempt is successful."

"You may be right," Daniel murmured.

Richard relaxed a little, glad he didn't have an argument on his hands, and then added, "Langley suggested stopping off at the family vault on the way and dropping off George there. I think that may be a good idea."

"I suppose it's better than leaving him here unguarded for days," Daniel said dryly.

Richard nodded.

"Wel then, al we have to do is convince the girls to go," Langley said dryly.

"Oh, I'm sure that wil not be a problem," Richard assured him, quite certain the women would be as eager to get to Gretna Green and get married as he and Daniel were.

Langley snorted at the suggestion and started toward the stairs commenting,

"You have a lot to learn about women, my friend."

Richard frowned after him and then glanced to Daniel, who shrugged.

"Suzette is definitely eager to be wed, I do not think she wil be a problem.

However, Christiana may fuss a bit."

"Nay." Richard shook his head. Christiana had been like wildfire in his arms last night, she too would be eager to be wedded and bedded. At least he hoped she was.

It hadn't even occurred to him that she might frown on the idea of sleeping together again before they ensured their marriage was al legal and proper. But if that was the case, he wanted it done with quickly so that he could have her in his arms again. Surely she would feel the same way?

"Are you two coming?" Langley asked, pausing at the top of the stairs to glance back at them. Richard and Daniel started forth at once, Richard marshaling his arguments in his head as he went. They needed to ensure their marriage was legal in case anything happened to him. She could be pregnant after al . The other reason for the rush was that they needed to then get back and look into who could have poisoned George. Of course, he hadn't yet told her that George had been poisoned, Richard realized and didn't suppose now was the time to do it. Suzette and Lisa weren't even aware that the Dicky of the last year had been his brother George who was now dead, and that he himself was the true Richard Fairgrave, newly returned from America.

"Good luck."

The words, accompanied by a pat on the back from Langley, drew Richard's attention to the fact that they'd arrived at the parlor door. Glancing to the man, he noted the pitying look he was giving him and frowned, but merely led the way inside the parlor, where Christiana, Suzette and Lisa were al chattering cheerful y away.

Approaching the sofa and chairs around the tea tray, he cleared his throat and started. "Ladies, I - "

"Oh, Richard, Suzette was just tel ing us