Page 18 of Married to a Scandalous Spinster
As he made his way around the back of the church, the excited chatter of the guests became muted and the temperature dropped noticeably in the shade.
Lady Gemma looked up at the sound of his footsteps. She took a hurried step back, a look of horror in her eyes. “What on earth are you doing here, Your Grace?”
“I came to see if you were all right.”
“Of course, I am all right. Why would I not be?”
Wyatt hesitated. “It's… dreadfully hot,” he said lamely.
Lady Gemma snorted.
Wyatt realized his eyes were fixed on her lips. How delicious those lips had felt beneath his own. How perfectly her curves had fitted beneath his hands. And the sounds of pleasure that had escaped her lips… He was fairly certain he would remember those until he died.
Stop this at once! This is yourweddingday!
“You cannot be here,” Lady Gemma snorted. “What if someone were to see us alone together?”
A wry smile appeared on her lips, and Wyatt could tell she was thinking as he was—that that was a question she had posed far too often of late. Nonetheless, he had no intention of leaving until he had said what he had come here to say.
“I wished to apologize,” he said. “For the comment I made at the party.”
At the mention of the party, the color in Lady Gemma's cheeks intensified, but she did not look away. “Which comment would that be?” she said coldly. “When you accused me of trying totrap you into becoming my husband? Or when you suggested that I was averse to marriage because no man in thetonfinds me desirable?” Before Wyatt could respond, she said, “Very well. You have made your apology. Now leave. Quickly. You have already done your best to see my reputation in tatters. I'll not have you succeed, on your wedding day of all days.”
Impulsively, Wyatt reached for her arm. Her eyes widened at the contact, but she did not pull away. “Are you truly all right, Lady Gemma?” he asked. “You seem as though something is bothering you.”
She gave a cold laugh. “It is none of your business.”
His fingers tightened slightly around her wrist, as he was overcome by a sudden need to make her open up to him. “Please. Tell me if?—”
“I said it is none of your business.” Her blue eyes bore into his. “Not everything in the world involves you, Your Grace. I know that may be rather difficult for you to believe.” She whirled around, trying to extricate herself from his grip. As she did so, her foot tangled in the hem of her gown and she plummeted forwards, pitching toward the stone wall of the chapel. On instinct, Wyatt reached for her, his arms wrapping around her tightly. He pulled her hard against his body to prevent them both from falling.
“Are you all right?” he asked, slightly breathless.
“Get away from me.” Lady Gemma pulled away, making Wyatt all too aware of how close he had been holding her. All too aware that his arm was still wrapped firmly around her chest, the swell of her breasts firm beneath him.
“Your Grace! What on earth is going on here!”
Wyatt whirled around at the sound of his grandmother's voice. “Everything is all right, Grandmother,” he assured her. “Lady Gemma merely?—”
“I can see exactly what is going on!” the Dowager Duchess insisted in a shrill tone. Wyatt glared at her, in an attempt to get her to lower her voice. Onlookers were already beginning to appear around the corner of the church. “I saw what the two of you were up to! I saw you in amostcompromising position! How could you, Wyatt?”
“Grandmother, please. There is no need to overreact.”
“Overreact? You have sullied Lady Gemma's reputation! How could you do such a shameful thing? You know what this means, don't you?” the Dowager Duchess repeated, louder this time. “You have to salvage this lady's reputation at once!”
Chapter Nine
Gemma's stomach plunged. “Oh no, Your Grace, this is all a misunderstanding. His Grace merely?—”
“I saw exactly what His Grace did!” the Dowager Duchess snapped. “And I saw that you were more than willing to let him do it, Lady Gemma.”
“What?” Gemma demanded. “That is not true. I?—”
“Grandmother, please,” the Duke interjected, his eyes darting between the onlookers. “This is madness.”
“Madness!” the old woman repeated. “What's madness is your belief you can compromise a young lady's decency like this without making her your wife!”
Gemma reached out a hand, pressing it to the cool stone wall of the church to steady herself.
