“The sooner the better, Mrs. Ainsworth.”
Lizzy watched as her mother and Ian shared a conspiratorial look of mutual amusement.
“Very good. Lizzy, your father will be home soon. Perhaps it is best if he learns of your betrothal tomorrow, when Inspector Reed is not here and you are less...tousled.”
Mother was right, though the notion of letting go of Ian’s hand was distinctly unappealing. But she let him go, retrieved his jacket and overcoat, and watched as he settled into both.
He bid her mother good evening and rather than nod or wish him well as she usually did, her mother stretched up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.
It seemed only fair she should be accorded the same pleasure and drew close to him as he stepped into the entry hall.
Leaning in, she took a deep breath, savoring his scent, before she kissed his cheek. She lingered there, at the curve of his ear and whispered. “There is one last thing I must say to you before you go.”
He smelled delicious and the heat of his skin was too enticing to resist another kiss against the light stubble on his cheek before she continued.
“I meant to say so before, but we were interrupted.”
Apparently deciding they had stood too close for too long, Lizzy’s mother cleared her throat, loudly enough to be heard through the drawing room door.
Before they could be interrupted again, Lizzy said the words that had been in her heart long before she had changed her mind about matrimony.
“I love you, Ian Reed.”
About the Author
Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance, usually set in the Victorian era or Regency period. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines that are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there is nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with her diehard belief in happy endings.
Want to keep up with what’s coming next in the Whitechapel Wagers Series? Follow Christy Carlyle at her Romancing the Victorians blog or join her email newsletter.
You can also find Christy on the web, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Scandalous Wager: A Whitechapel Wagers Novella Page 6