Page 122 of Of Fate and Phantoms
He shook his head. "I don't want to make you blush. Not when we're about to have company."
I opened my mouth to protest but the library door suddenly opened and Gus and Seth burst in.
"There you are," Gus said, not even blinking an eye at me sitting so close to Lincoln. "Doyle said you were in here. Which one do you prefer?" He held out two pieces of paper with designs on them.
"I tried telling him that the one with the dragon is better," Seth said.
"We don't slay dragons," Gus shot back. "They ain't real."
"We don't know that for certain. They might be real. If they are, and we do find ourselves fighting fire-breathing dragons one day, you're going to be terribly disappointed if you didn't choose this one." Seth tapped the piece of paper with the dragon on it, flames spewing from its mouth. "It's clearly the better of the two."
"That's because Alice drew it under your guidance, and you're sweet on her. And you're a fool."
I took the pieces of paper, making sure to pass my left hand in front of their faces. Gus gasped and caught it. Seth drew me into a hug.
"About bloody time," he murmured in my ear.
He let me go and I was enveloped by Gus. Seth shook Lincoln's hand, somewhat gingerly, considering their injuries. "Congratulations, Fitzroy."
"Now, before we tell the others," Gus said, "you got to decide something."
"What is it?" I asked, grinning.
"Which one of us will walk you down the aisle?"
Seth looked at him like he was thick-headed. "Me, of course. Who would a lady rather have at her side? Lord Vickers or Mr. Ugly?"
"Lord Arse, more like."
"It's going to be a tough decision," I said, regarding them both. "I'll need a way of choosing between you. Perhaps I could flip a coin."
"This ain't a joke," Gus said. "Seth's a big fool, and his hair is ridiculous."
"My hair is lovely!"
"Or," I said, "I'll think of a number between one and a hundred and whoever gets the closest is the winner."
They both scowled at me.
"Trial by combat?" Lincoln suggested.
"Excellent idea," I said, taking his hand. "We'll wait until you're both fully healed, of course." I led Lincoln out of the library to the parlor to inform the others.
Behind us, Seth and Gus followed meekly.
"You'll have them eating out of your hand until you make a decision," Lincoln said, a smile in his voice.
"That's my plan."
He put his arm around me and kissed my forehead. "You're a wicked woman. But you'remywicked woman."
I tipped my head back to look at him. His warm gaze searched my face and his arm tightened. "Very much so," I said. "Very much so."
THE END
