Page 96 of The Last Duke She'd Marry
“No. I’m going to whisk you back to London as soon as this pestilential storm dies away.” Determination filled his voice. “I’m going to find you a chaperone, then I’m going to marry you in the full glare of society’s approval.”
“You mean to restore my reputation,” she said with a hint of flatness.
“I do. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
He kissed her again. She kissed him back, although he wasn’t saying what she wanted to hear. She’d liked the idea of the two of them becoming fugitives from the beau monde and its cruel judgments.
“I’ll have to go back to watching my step, and I’m not sure I want to.” She sighed. “My respectable self couldn’t have chased you across England.”
“Once you’re my duchess, you can act as you like.”
“Hmm, perhaps.”
Another kiss chased away most of her discontent. But not quite all of it.
He watched her with a hint of a smile. “Juliet, you’ve spent your life preparing to shine in society.”
“But then I met you.”
“I intend you to glitter as you were born to.”
“You probably want to invite Papa to the wedding,” she said in a long-suffering tone. That really was a sore point. She was a long way from forgiving her father for throwing her to the wolves.
“Yes. Because then Portia can be your bridesmaid. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Drat him for knowing her so well. “She’ll bring her beagle.”
He laughed. “We’ll tie the ring to his collar.”
“You’ll call the banns rather than get a special license.”
His voice became all silky persuasion. “Juliet, it will kill me, waiting three weeks to have you in my arms again, but it will be worth it in the long run. I want the world to watch you become my bride. I want everyone to see how proud I am of you.”
That went a little way toward appeasing her. “You know, none of my so-called friends got in touch after Papa tossed me out.”
“They probably didn’t know where you were.”
“They could have written and asked Portia. She always knew.”
“Then to Hades with them. We’ll find you some new friends. You can do so much good in the world. Isn’t it worth swallowing a little pride in return?”
This time, her sigh indicated surrender. How could it not? He spoke good sense, even if she regretted losing the chance to tell society to be damned. “Three weeks?”
“Yes. And I’ll take you to Paris for our honeymoon.”
“We could go to Paris tomorrow and forget all this fuss. We could share a cabin on the boat, then set up in an apartment near the Champs-Elysées.”
“Don’t tempt me.” He closed his eyes and heaved a profound sigh. “I hope you appreciate my sacrifice. It’s in a good cause, but it will be torture to play propriety until our wedding night.”
She studied his face. “I’d never realized that you were such a political animal.”
He opened eyes bright with self-mockery. “I’ve always known how our world works, my darling. Up until now, I’ve had no real reason to follow the rules. Now I have your good name to protect. I don’t want anyone saying nasty things about the woman I love.”
“They will, you know.”
“Once we show the world that we’re the happiest couple in England, the gossip will die away. By the time our first baby arrives, nobody will remember you kissing me in the bushes.”
A nostalgic smile curved her lips. That evening had ended up in chaos and recrimination and tears. But his kisses had been enthralling. “I’ll remember.”
