Page 37 of Mr. Notorious and the Nefarious November

“You will be faithful to her?”

“In body and mind.”

“You will honor her? Cherish her?”

“I will honor, cherish, and love her. I do love her, Judith. You know that I do.”

“Is this what you want?” Judith looked at her sister.

“With all my heart.”

His sister-in-law sighed. “Then you have my blessing.”

Beatrice let out a cry of happiness, and Munro grabbed Judith in an embrace. She stiffened. “Let’s not get carried away.”

He released her and turned to Beatrice, who fell into his arms. He might have kissed her again, but Judith said, “No more of that in front of the children.”

Munro lifted Beatrice’s hand and kissed it instead, mouthingLaterto her.

Arthur was on his feet, and he held out a hand to Munro. Munro released Beatrice, took his brother’s hand and pulled him in for an embrace. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me, Arthur.”

“I’m happy to hear it.”

“So am I!” Lydia said, jumping up and down beside him. Munro lifted her and twirled her around then hugged Aylmer and Guy who had come to congratulate him.

“When is the wedding?” Lydia asked.

Munro looked at Beatrice. “You’ll have to ask your aunt. I’d marry her today, but I imagine she’ll want time to prepare.”

“Oh, let’s have a big wedding like Lavinia’s!” Lydia cried.

“We’ll save the next big wedding for you or your brothers,” Beatrice said.

“Ew!” Aylmer said.

“A small ceremony suits us better, don’t you agree?”

Munro nodded. He didn’t care, as long as she was his wife at the end of it.

“Well, we’ll still have to put an announcement in the papers,” Judith said. “And call the banns. I suppose we should have themodiste start on a gown right away, nothing too extravagant, but something special.”

“Now, you’ve done it,” Arthur said.

And Munro was happy to agree that yes, now he had done it.

Two weeks later

Beatrice entered the dining room a good quarter hour after Munro. Even though they took care to go to bed at different times, return to their own chambers before dawn, and come down to breakfast separately, Beatrice doubted any of the adults in the house were under the illusion that she and Munro spent their nights apart. They would be married in a fortnight, and then they’d move into their own town house and wouldn’t ever have to sneak around again.

Too bad, as she rather liked being naughty.

As soon as she stepped into the room, the conversation died. Munro and Arthur had leaned together, looking at the paper, but now Arthur set it down and put his elbow over it. Beatrice was immediately suspicious. “What’s this? Something in the papers about us?”

“No,” Munro said. “Nothing about either of us.”

“Then why are you acting so strangely?” She glanced at Judith, who was reading a letter and sipping her tea. Judith set the letter down.

“The Brazen Belle has published another edition ofThe Rake Review,” Judith said. “They are trying to determine who the rake in question might be.”

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