“Mr. Gryphon must be a great deal better if you’ve come here!”
Juliet managed to smile. “Yes, he’s on the mend, I think. I hope you don’t mind if I spend the night? I’m going home tomorrow.”
“You are?” Kitty’s eyebrows rose. “You really wish to leave before Mr. Gryphon is on his feet?”
“He’s in very good hands, I assure you, and I seem to have developed an advanced case of homesickness.” She picked Robin Hood up in her arms so she could stroke his fur. “How has the puppy been getting along in my absence?”
Her sister gave the dog a fond glance. “He’s quite the most winsome creature. I’m surprised he and I have got on so well.”
“Keep him, if you like.” Although she was dying inside, Juliet forced her tone to remain lighthearted. “I daresay Mama and Papa will be glad when I arrive home tomorrow without him.” She put the dog down.
Kitty frowned. “Is everything all right? You seem strained.”
“I’m a bit worn out, actually. If you don’t mind, I’d like to lie down.”
Her sister rang for a maid to escort Juliet to her room. There, she sat down at the desk and wrote Lady Lovejoy a note, thanking her for her gracious hospitality during the recent crisis involving Mr. Gryphon. She also wished her every happiness on her engagement, and closed with a mention of her leaving town. Thereafter, she wrote a short missive to Stephanie regarding her departure, giving her the same excuse of homesickness she’d given Kitty. When the letters were sealed, she gave them to a servant to deliver the following day, and asked not to be disturbed until morning.
Those tasks completed, Juliet closed the drapes, threw herself down on the bed, and let the storm of sorrow envelope her completely.
When Cody opened his eyes, he felt significantly better and far more focused than he had in a long while. He began to move parts of his body, trying to assess the damage. Two fingers on his left hand were terribly sore, but he didn’t think they were broken. He couldn’t say the same for his ribs, however, but that particular injury seemed to be the worst. Fortunately, his headache had finally disappeared, and he felt relatively human. He vaguely remembered having a conversation with Zachary, but he had difficulty deciding if it was two hours ago, or yesterday. Somewhere along the line, he’d heard Stephanie and Juliet talking, but he couldn’t recall if he’d managed to speak with them at all.
Although it took him several tries, he managed to sit up and put his legs over the side of the bed. As he did so, he suddenly felt ravenously hungry. How long had it been since he’d eaten anything? Gingerly, he got his feet on the floor, rang for a servant, and sank into a chair to wait.
At length, a footman appeared. “How are you feeling, sir?”
“Rather the worse for wear. Might I have something to eat…preferably something soft?”
“Yes, Mr. Gryphon. Breakfast will be served soon. I’ll bring you up a tray.”
“On second thought, I think I’d like to go down. Will you help me dress?”
“Of course, sir.”
Twenty agonizing minutes later, Cody was dressed, but his clothes felt terribly loose. Worse, his reflection in the mirror struck him as exceedingly grotesque. He only hoped he’d managed to do some damage to his assailants before he’d been knocked unconscious. From the bruises on his knuckles, it seemed as if he had meted out a fair bit of punishment.
The footman prepared to leave. “Is there anything else, Mr. Gryphon?”
“Ask my sister to pop in before she goes down to breakfast, will you? I’ll wait here.”
“Yes, sir.”
The fierce growl of Cody’s stomach was apparently audible even to the servant.
“Er…there’s a biscuit jar on the dresser table, Mr. Gryphon. The biscuits were baked yesterday.”
“I could eat the jar whole.” Cody chuckled. “You might have just saved my life.”
He’d wolfed down two biscuits and was nibbling on a third when Stephanie hastened into the room. “You’re finally awake! I must say, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Please, don’t mention the word sore right now. How long have I been out?”
“Let’s see…this is the fourth morning since I arrived, and I think you were unconscious for two days prior.”
His jaw dropped. “Are you joking? No wonder my pants are so loose!”
“I’d never joke about something like that. We’ve all been horribly worried, especially—” She broke off. “Would you like me to help you downstairs?”
“I’m not sure. Now that I’ve had a look at myself, perhaps I’m not fit to be seen. I wouldn’t want Juliet to recoil in horror.”
“She’s not here.”
“Oh? I thought I heard her voice while I was in bed.”
“Juliet left yesterday, actually. She’s staying with Kitty and Philip, at Augustus’s house.”
“I confess, I’m a little disappointed. I’d hoped to speak with her today.”
Stephanie’s shoulders moved up and down in an awkward shrug. “I think you already said too much, Cody. I know she wouldn’t want me to tell you, but she’s heartbroken.”
He shook his head, bewildered. “What did I say? If I babbled on about another woman or something, it was because I was out of my mind.”
“You don’t remember, then.” She sighed. “Juliet was telling me she’d changed her mind about going with you to Texas, and you interrupted to say she was too late.”
“I did? Well, it is too late. After Zachary returns from marrying Miss Haver, I’ve promised to sign the deed to my ranch over to him. He and his wife are going to Texas and I’m staying here to marry Juliet.”
She inhaled sharply. “Is that what you meant? Oh, Cody, it sounded as if you were saying it was over between you. Her face went white and I thought she would faint!”
Cody groaned. The notion that he’d caused Juliet pain—however inadvertently—made him recoil inside.
“Help me downstairs, please, so I can beg the use of Lady Lovejoy’s carriage. I’ll visit Juliet this morning and make things right.”
Once he and Stephanie had reached the ground floor, however, the butler presented her with a letter.
She bit her lip. “It’s from Juliet.” She slit open the envelope and read the missive. “She’s leaving for her parents’ home in the country this morning.”
“I can’t let her leave town thinking I’ve thrown her over.” He frowned. “There’s no time to waste. I’ll take a cab and catch her before she leaves.”
“But you haven’t had breakfast and you can barely move!”
“Food isn’t important right now, and as long as my lips can move, that’s all that matters.”
The ravages of Juliet’s crying jag made her cringe away from the mirror. She’d no desire to eat breakfast, but if she didn’t make an appearance, Kitty, Philip, and Augustus would worry. Of course, as soon as they saw her swollen face, red nose, and bleary eyes, they would know something was horribly wrong. She sighed and buried her face in a moist washcloth in an attempt to ameliorate the damage. If only she could go to breakfast wearing a heavy veil!
When a maid came to help her dress, Juliet asked for a traveling suit in bottle green—hoping the color might counteract the pink of her face.
“Oh, and I’ll like to wear a hat with a veil on the train.”
She couldn’t wear the hat to breakfast, unfortunately, but at least the veil would allow her to travel without suffering the indignity of curious glances. Just as the maid was pinning her hair into a simple chignon, there came a knock on the door. When Kitty appeared, Juliet forced a smile to her lips.
“Am I running late? I’m awfully sorry.”
But Kitty wore worried expression. “No, you’re not late, but Mr. Gryphon is in the drawing room. The poor man can barely walk and he can scarcely breathe. I nearly burst into tears at the sight of him.”
Stricken, Juliet stared at her sister. “Why is he out of bed?”
“I don’t know, but he wi
shes to speak with you badly enough to drag himself here.” Kitty peered at her. “I don’t know what disagreement has passed between the two of you, but I beg you to settle it. You both look as if you’ve passed into purgatory without any hope.”
When Juliet entered into the drawing room, Cody was sitting on a sofa, in obvious pain.
“For mercy’s sake, Cody, what are you doing here? You’re not well enough to be moving around this way.”
“There’s been a horrible misunderstanding between us, and I can’t let it go on. I’ve given my Texas property to Zachary, and I’m staying in England—if you’ll marry me, that is.”
Juliet peered at him. “That’s what you meant before?” As she realized the extent of her mistake, her knees gave way and she sank onto the sofa next to him. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
“I didn’t plan to propose to you looking like I was dragged down ten flights of stairs by my face. Nevertheless, you should know I adore you, mi querido amor, and I desperately want you to be my wife.”
She shook her head and laughed. “This is impossible.”
“What?”
“You said before that love should be impossible, unforgettable, and maybe even a little dangerous, and that’s exactly what we have. You just asked me to marry you, but in your current condition, we can’t even kiss.”
He scratched his head. “That wasn’t what I meant at the time, but I quite completely agree. Definitely impossible.”
“Absolutely unforgettable.”
“And terribly, terribly dangerous.” Cody gave her a sidelong glance. “You could, however, say you’ll be my bride.”
He reached out his hand, palm up, and she rested her hand in his.
“I will.”
His swollen lips formed the semblance of a smile. “Now that we have that settled, there’s one more thing you could do for me.”
“Anything.”
“Feed me breakfast.”
Chapter Sixteen
Two out of Three
Five months later…
THE BALLROOM AT LADY LOVEJOY’S residence was filling rapidly with guests arriving for the wedding breakfast. Since the church could only accommodate a certain number of people, not everyone at the breakfast had been at the wedding ceremony itself. Any invitation to one of Lady Lovejoy’s events was cause for elation, however, and few people felt slighted.
As Juliet sat at a table with her friends and family, she surveyed the crowds with amazement. “I can’t believe Lady Lovejoy convinced so many of her friends to return to London for a wedding in the dead of winter.”
Stephanie laughed. “An intimate affair for two hundred fifty of her closest acquaintances.”
“It’s a testament to her social clout,” Kitty said. “The countess has always been a force to be reckoned with.”
“Cody and I have been given permission to call her Adriana. I did offer to call her Stepmother, but she refused.” Stephanie giggled. “She said the name of stepmother made her feel like a wicked old crone.”
Her brother smiled. “Since Adriana makes Father happy, I’ll call her anything she wishes.”
Kitty glanced at Prudence, whose hands were folded over her burgeoning stomach. “Are you entirely comfortable?”
An expression of concern crossed Kirkham’s face as he regarded his wife. “Yes, dearest. We can have a servant bring you a pillow, if you like.”
“No, that’s not necessary.” Prudence waved aside their concerns. “I’m feeling perfectly marvelous, I assure you. Actually, I wish to hear the news from overseas. I understand Juliet has had a letter from Lady Gryphon.”
“Yes, indeed.” Juliet nodded. “Lord and Lady Gryphon have had a healthy baby girl, and are settling into their new home fairly well. Violet writes that she had a little trouble understanding the local accent at first, but she’s doing better now.”
“No doubt Lady Gryphon will soon learn to ride astride.” Augustus gave Stephanie a wink.
“Hush!” She glanced around to make sure nobody but the guests at their table had overheard him. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”
“No.” The earl grinned. “The thought still intrigues me.”
“Let’s just call it a youthful indiscretion and leave it at that, shall we?” Stephanie gave him a level look. “A countess would never do such a thing, or so I’m told.”
“We’ll find out in April, after we’re wed.” Augustus’s expression reflected the joy he felt inside.
“You must promise Cody and me faithfully you’ll be back from your honeymoon in time for our wedding,” Juliet said. “I wouldn’t want you to fall in love with Europe and forget to come home.”
Augustus chuckled. “There’s absolutely no chance of that.”
“I quite agree.” Stephanie gave the earl a fond glance. “Augustus and I wouldn’t miss your wedding for anything.”
Liveried servants began to wheel food-laden carts into the room as they prepared to serve the first course.
Kitty frowned. “Where can Philip have gone? He said he wished to speak with one of the guests, but he should have been back by now.”
Kirkham glanced around. “There he is now, walking this way alongside an older gentleman.” His lips parted in surprise. “Oh, my.” He lurched to his feet.
Puzzled, Prudence followed her husband’s gaze. “Why, it’s Papa! Why didn’t Mama tell me he’d come with her?”
Everyone at the table stood as Philip approached with Lord Trestlebury at his side. The older man nodded his acknowledgment to one and all, but he crossed to Kirkham and sketched a bow. “You look well, Frederick.”
“I’ve never been better, sir.” As the viscount returned the bow, Kirkham wore a barely concealed expression of astonishment at his father-in-law’s newfound cordiality. “As you may have been told, Prudence and I have every reason for good cheer.”
“So my wife said.” Trestlebury regarded his daughter for several moments before bending forward to deposit a kiss on her cheek. “I confess, when your mother told me that I was to become a grandfather, I was terribly proud.”
Her eyes shone with emotion. “I’m so glad, Papa.”
“I’d best return to my own table for now, but perhaps you might reserve a dance for your stubborn father later on?”
Prudence’s happiness lent her countenance a serene beauty. “Of course.”
Lord Trestlebury nodded one last time before he strode off in between the rows of tables.
After he left, Augustus stared at Philip in shock. “You must have said something very clever to have him come to his senses in this fashion.”
“You’ve worked a miracle,” Prudence added as she exchanged a tender glance with her husband. “Our baby will come to know his grandfather, and that means everything to me.”
“Indeed, Philip, we can’t thank you enough,” Kirkham said.
“I wish I could take the credit, but I can’t. Trestlebury approached me to apologize for his bad-tempered response to the elopement. Then, he insisted on accompanying me to my table so he could make amends to Kirkham and Prudence.” Philip shook his head. “I don’t know why he changed his mind, but I had nothing to do with it.”
“Then it was the baby who worked the miracle.” Prudence smiled. “The least among us was the most powerful.”
Kitty lifted her water glass. “I propose a toast to babies. Two in this year alone.”
Juliet frowned. “Technically, Violet’s baby came last year. New Year’s Eve, actually.”
“I’m not referring to Lady Gryphon’s child.”
Kirkham wrinkled his forehead in confusion. “You’re not trying to suggest Prudence is expecting twins, are you?”
“Not of which I am aware.”
Philip peered at his wife, his hand shook, and he nearly dropped his glass. “You don’t mean to say…that is, are you telling me…?”
A smile played around Kitty’s lips. “I am, indeed. You’re to be a father.”
For
tunately, the ensuing burst of excitement at the table was subsumed by the general hubbub in the room. As Juliet grasped her fiancé’s hand under the white linen tablecloth, all she could think was how happy she was at that very moment. She met Cody’s gaze and gave him a slow smile. All traces of his ordeal had long since faded, except for a minor scar across his left eyebrow. Despite that, she thought him the most wickedly handsome man she’d ever seen.
He leaned over to whisper in her ear. “‘Heaven is here, where Juliet lives.’”
She gave him a teasing glance of appreciation for the quote. “You know Shakespeare personally?”
“Oh, yes, William and I are very close. He was going to entitle that particular play, Cody and Juliet, but I expressly forbade it.”
“Why?”
“Because the play he’d written was a tragedy. In our case, however, we live happily ever after.”
“Perhaps our love isn’t quite so impossible after all.”
“No, but it’s still unforgettable.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “And oh, so dangerous.”
“Two out of three isn’t bad.”
“Not bad at all.”
Heedless of prying glances or impertinent remarks, Cody and Juliet kissed.
THE END
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Suzanne G. Rogers
About the Author
Originally from Southern California, Suzanne G. Rogers currently resides in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. She writes paranormal, historical romance, fantasy, and romantic fantasy stories, is owned by two hairless cats, Houdini and Nikita, and lives on an island populated by exotic birds, deer, and the occasional gator. Tab is her beverage of choice, but when she imbibes, a cranberry vodka martini doesn’t go amiss. To follow author Suzanne G. Rogers:
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