Benjamin stood. “I think I'll have a look in on m’ father."
"No!” Danielle fixed her gaze on her brother. “No, Benjamin, you cannot leave me with Lord Tremaine."
"Why?” her brother was so disobliging as to ask.
"Why?” she repeated. “Why, it wouldn't be, um, proper."
Edward laughed, a rich, hearty sound that filled the room. “Danny, you are a silly goose."
Benjamin shook Edward's hand. “Good luck, sir. With the education I've received this afternoon, I see I shall have to revise my technique for wooing the fair sex."
After giving Danielle a big grin, her brother left the library.
Edward folded his hands in his lap. “So now we are alone, Danny."
"Sir.” She swept her gaze about the library, at the numerous books on the shelves, at the many oil paintings hanging on the walls. Was there anything that she could use to help her? How could she extricate herself from this torturous position? “I have asked you to to not use that name."
"I am disregarding your wishes, minx.” He took a deep breath. “Now that I have officially compromised the virtuous Miss Galloway, I do hereby—"
"Don't!” She jumped up and wagged her finger in front of him. “You mustn't."
He held onto her hand, which sent warm tingles up her arm and into her midsection. “Yes, Danny, I must."
Standing, he curved his arm around her waist and led her back to the settee. He sat beside her, then had the effrontery to untie the ribbons under her chin. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed the hat aside.
"Danny, you have been avoiding me for two days. Indeed, you have done me a great injury by telling such an unkind hummer. You have no partiality for me? I can no more believe that than I can believe the sun will set in the east tonight."
She scooted away and avoided looking at him. He was too near, so dear. His fresh bay rum scent drifted over to her, reminding her of the times they had been even closer ... as close as man and wife.
But she had to save him from his own folly. “Sir, you don't wish to ally yourself with my family. My brother has taken up with blue ruin—"
"Temporarily.” Edward circled his thumb over the top of her hand as he moved closer.
Heavenly! But she mustn't succumb to that thought. She thrust it from her mind and scooted back farther. “You haven't as yet met my father, but I assure you, sir, he is most fearsome, indeed."
"You are wrong, Danny. I have met Sir Ambrose.” Edward inched toward her and breathed into her ear. “I find him an agreeable change from the majority of noblemen I am acquainted with."
"You cannot be serious,” she exclaimed.
"I am most serious,” he responded, brushing his lips against her earlobe.
Oh, she almost died with forbidden sensations.
She tried to move away but the armrest of the settee blocked her escape. “Sir, I must insist you do not pursue me. I-I have a sad lack of sense."
"I forgive you,” he murmured as he nibbled his way down her neck.
How could anything so pleasurable be so wrong? Or was that anything so wrong be so pleasurable? She couldn't think. Her thoughts swirled in a fog of delight.
She tried to push him away but he was like a rock. “Sir Ambrose is not terribly flush, sir. M-My marriage settlement would be quite small. I don't know exactly, but perhaps only five thousand pounds. Maybe less."
"Irrelevant.” With that word, Edward then placed his lips on hers.
The kiss was tentative, soft, and infinitely brief. Honeyed, like the finest wine. Wondrous, like a flock of geese in flight. The feel of his heart beating against her opened a floodgate of emotions too new to be named. She wanted to stay in the circle of his arms forever, but wasn't she supposed to be dissuading his suit?
She pulled back to gaze into his eyes. “Sir, I—"
He set his finger against her lips. “Edward, please. You cannot keep calling your husband sir."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her most pleasurably by kissing her. “I love you, Danny. I love everything about you, from the tips of your fingers,” he kissed those very same tips, “to the tips of your toes. I love Danielle, the genteel young lady, and Danny, my plucky little page. I shall not rest until you agree to be mine, my moppet. Say yes and make me the happiest man in the world."
Before her daring adventure, Danielle Augusta Galloway would have never admitted to a shy bone in her body. But here, in Lady Yancy's house, on the library settee, Danielle could hardly look at her love, let alone speak to him. A persistent working of her mouth finally yielded the desired result: “Yes!"
Another kiss—another transport to heaven!
How much time passed, she didn't know. Nor did she care. Only when she heard the creaking open of the library doors did her agreeable haze evaporate as if it had never been.
The reason for this vanishing was straightforward: her father strode into the library wearing a face as dark as thunder.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Fifteen
"By Gad!” came Sir Ambrose's harsh voice. “What wickedness is this? My daughter behaving as a—"
"Sir.” With regret, Edward quickly broke the embrace, rose to his feet, then rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. “As I indicated in my letter to you, Sir Ambrose, I desired to speak with you on this delicate subject. I am asking for the honor of Danielle's hand in marriage."
The man lowered his arched brows and pursed his lips. “Shocking impropriety."
Edward glanced at Danny's whitened face, then gave her shoulder a squeeze. His hand itched to plant a facer on the man, but of course he refrained.
Sir Ambrose clasped his hands behind his back and strutted over to the settee. Removing a quizzing glass from his pocket, he raked his gaze over his daughter. After he had his fill, he arranged the tails on his tailcoat and sat on the chair across from her. “What the deuce happened to your long hair?"
Danny flinched under her father's scrutiny but kept her curl-tossed head held high. Her pert mouth quivered, but she refused to reply.
Edward was extremely proud of her. “Sir, Danielle has kindly consented to be my wife."
"Indeed? Indeed? Is this a formal offer then, Tremaine?"
"Indeed it is, sir.” He reseated himself next to his beloved.
"I see.” Sir Ambrose stroked his chin as he stared at his daughter. “Demmed irregular goings on I have heard. Demmed irregular. Lady Yancy has told me—"
When Danny trembled, Edward took action. “What Lady Yancy has to say about this matter is irrelevant. Danielle, would you wait for me in the Gold Salon?"
"Certainly, sir.” She made a small curtsey, then left, closing the library door.
Edward refolded his hands in his lap. “Do you give your approval, Sir Ambrose?"
The man shook himself as if he had been asleep. “Strange. Very strange. I must confess I have never seen my daughter so biddable.” He adjusted a fold in his cravat, then peered over at Edward. “Now then, since you are in earnest about taking Danielle off my ... well, never mind. When shall we begin the marriage settlement negotiations?"
Edward shrugged. “I have no interest in a settlement, sir. I only wish to marry Danielle as soon as possible."
Sir Ambrose jumped up from the settee. “Is that so? Well, I suppose negotiations don't signify then. Good. Good.” He appeared lost in thought as he paced the library floor. “Must say I'm much relieved. Not that I'm clutch-fisted, don't you know. Cost me a bundle hiring a demmed expensive berline carriage to journey to Bath. Had to get here fast and it wouldn't have done to travel in anything less than prime fashion. Lady Yancy wouldn't have expected anything less."
"Just so,” Edward commented. He had a feeling Danny's marriage settlement wasn't the only reason Sir Ambrose fixated on money.
Loud noises coming in from the hallway foretold someone was about to enter. This time it was Lady Yancy who burst into the library, holding Danny's hand.
"Oh!” Lady
Yancy fluttered her handkerchief in her other hand. “I have been in raptures the very moment I heard the news. Congratulations, my lord.” She beamed at him, and then Danny. “I wish you both very happy."
Danny blushed a most becoming shade of pink. “I confess I truly am happy."
Edward thumped the seat next to him, and she quickly sat herself down.
"Remarkable, I must say.” Sir Ambrose shook his head. “Are you certain, Danielle, that Tremaine's advanced age does not disturb you? There is a good bit of snow on the roof, you know."
Once again Edward wished to plant a facer on the man. But thankfully, the moment passed.
"No indeed, Father,” Danny replied. “I intend to take very good care of Edward when he's in his dotage."
While Lady Yancy looked shocked, both Edward and Sir Ambrose laughed.
Edward wiped a merry tear from his eye. “Like a page would, eh?"
Danny blushed red this time.
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. There would be no resting on his laurels with this darling slip of a girl around.
Edward glanced at Danny's father, then his hostess. “I hear we are to wish you happy as well."
The responses were immediate. Sir Ambrose blustered, “Upon my word! Where the deuce did you hear that?"
Lady Yancy smiled and batted her eyes. “Perhaps,” was all she said.
And Danny stared at her father with a look of incredulity on her beautiful face.
Lady Yancy sat on the armrest on Sir Ambrose's chair. “'Tis possible there might be marriage in the wings. We shall certainly have to consult with Millicent first. The dear child will be all agog, no doubt."
"Father!” Danny folded her arms across her delightful bosom and drummed her fingers against her upper arms. “What is this all about?"
"About?” Sir Ambrose crossed his legs. “'Tis about the parson's mousetrap, what else?"
"So soon after you both met? I don't understand. Father, what about your son, Benjamin?” Danny would not let the subject drop.
"He will still be my heir, Danielle. And that is no concern of yours."
Lady Yancy reached down and patted Sir Ambrose's hand. Then she looked over at Danny. “Benjamin is in the Gold Salon with Millicent, Lord Raleigh, and the Misses Argyle and Fontaine. He appears to be interested in one of the ladies. Which one, I have no idea. I must say, his behavior does seem to be a bit offensive."
"A quick study,” Edward commented.
"Come.” Lady Yancy stood and yanked on the very hand she had just patted. “Our presence here is de trop. Let us relay our news to my daughter."
Sir Ambrose stood and tucked his sweetheart's arm in his. “Highly improper,” he grunted. “Highly improper."
After the pair left, Danny swung her engaging gaze on Edward. “How can this be, Edward? My father just arrived here in Bath."
"You are forgetting they knew each other when your mother was alive.” Edward trailed kisses up her arm.
"True, but—"
"Forget about them for now, Danny. I would rather talk about us.” He nuzzled her ear and whispered, “I look forward to you preparing my bath again and scrubbing my back."
She lifted her arms and hugged him around the neck, whispering back, “I'll do more than scrub your back, Edward."
By the fierce blush on her cheeks, he could tell she was as surprised by her words as he was.
"Excellent, my little Danny. And I can assure you there will be no more sleeping on the floor for you!"
That said, he kissed his soon-to-be Countess to his heart's content.
~The End~
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