DisobediencebyDesign
Page 28
Joseph smiled. Nicholas, the Earl of St. Albans, looked everything like a groom ought. Sleek, pressed trousers and jacket of fine black wool, a waistcoat of the same damask worn by Helena, white cravat with a subtle stripe. Until that moment Joseph hadn’t realized how magnificently handsome the earl was. He was the precise man with whom he had imagined his daughter would spend her life.
While he himself was the man Sophia’s father had feared.
The low tones of male conversation drifted into the room just before Bertram Atherley, the Viscount Ravensburgh—Nicholas’ best man—and Arthur entered. Nicholas and the viscount hugged and exchanged a few quips as Arthur sidled up to Joseph.
“Almost time,” Arthur said. “The bride—your daughter—is putting on her veil.”
Lavinia started at that. “Oh! I must go to Helena! I’ve something for her.”
As Lavinia left Arthur glared at her figure with a wolfish eye. “Where on earth have you been hiding her?”
Joseph chuckled. “She’s a friend of the groom’s family. Sophie knows her through her Society connections. I’ll introduce you two at the wedding breakfast.”
“Oh?” Arthur stared at the door.
“She’s widowed and I’m certain your mother will consider her too old for you.”
Arthur shot him a beleaguered look. “My mother is probably at this very moment scrutinizing every unmarried girl under twenty-five sitting in the pews.” He sighed. “It’s disgusting really.”
Joseph laughed and offered Arthur a pat on the back. “Tell Helena I’ll be but a moment.”
“Congratulations, Joseph.” Arthur offered a wide grin before he left.
Joseph approached Nicholas and Ravensburgh, nodding a greeting to the latter. “I must take my position in the lobby to escort your lovely bride. But I wanted to say something first.” He took Nicholas’ hand, wrapping both of his around it. “I don’t think I could have imagined a better son-in-law.”
Nicholas flushed and futilely tried to suppress a grin. “Thank you, sir.” He bowed slightly. “I will take care of her, sir.”
“I know,” he said gently. The poor lad had already witnessed his protective wrath when he had asked for Helena’s hand in marriage.
Joseph crossed the chapel along the south aisle, perusing the congregants. The cream of London Society was there, including the Marquess and Marchioness of Richmond, the Marquess of Norrington, the Earl of Petersham, the current and future Viscount Bucknall, the Viscountess Foxley-Graham. Amazingly, the Marquess of Richmond and Papa—Grandpa Phillips as Helena called him—stood in the central aisle immersed in conversation, laughing and grinning as if they were old friends. Joseph blinked back tears. He had to be strong. He had a daughter to marry into the ranks of the ton.
And when he arrived at the lobby Sophia came to him, gripping his hands in emotion.
“Oh Joseph!” Her tears were uncontrollable. And too affecting. His eyes smarted.
He drew her against him. “Shh, shh, Sophie. I know. It’s been a long road. But we’re here. We’ve arrived at the station to begin a new journey.”
They were no longer alone on their path. Now they had the love and support of a vast nexus of friends and family. He was still astonished that he, a lowly port worker, mingled with marquesses and earls.
Sophia pulled back, smirking at his maudlin metaphor. “I can think of no better traveling companion for the way ahead.”
He lifted her hand to his lips to kiss her wedding ring. “Neither can I.”
About Regnia Kammer
Regina Kammer is a librarian, art historian, and multi-published writer of erotic short stories and novels. She swoons for beta heroes and has a fetish for historical settings, so you can imagine how furiously her heart pounds for a bookworm in breeches telling off-color jokes in Latin.
She began writing historical fiction in 2006 during National Novel Writing Month. About midway through that fateful November, she switched to historical erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.
Regina welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Regina Kammer
The Pleasure Device
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Disobedience by Design
ISBN 9781419991264
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Disobedience by Design Copyright © 2014 Regina Kammer
Edited by Jill Noelle
Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill
Cover Photography by periodimages.com, surut wattananaetee, Maria Kotciurzhinskaia/123rf.com, iloveotto/dreamstimes.com
Electronic book publication July 2014
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