Page 31 of Moonstone Angel
“It could take weeks to untangle. You are not spending a moment in the custody of those men.” He turned to his grandmother. “I have to get her to the church before they figure out I’ve lied to them.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That we are married already, and she is my duchess.” He turned back to face Cara. “I do not want to hear a word of protest out of you. Those witches are my sisters. It is my duty to make things right. Stop frowning at me. Are you not scared out of your wits?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“And do you not love me?”
She frowned. “But what about you? They are the ones who wronged me, not you. Why should you be the one to suffer the punishment?”
“Cara, do you love me?”
“Yes, I do. How can any woman resist you? You are magnificent in every way, as you well know. However, you can be irritatingly arrogant. But the dolphins adore you, and animals have a very good sense about such things.”
He grinned. “More than I needed to know but thank you.”
His grandmother was chuckling as well. “Rowan, she is still fretting. You must tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Cara seemed genuinely confused, but Rowan understood what his grandmother was asking of him.
“That I love you,” he said, still peering out the window to make certain those men were not concocting a plot to snatch her. “This is not how I ever intended to tell you, certainly not with my grandmother planted between us and listening in on my every word. I would punctuate my declaration with kisses, but I dare not take my eyes off those scoundrels for a moment. My kissing you will have to wait.”
“You don’t have to—”
“What? I don’t have to kiss you? Or tell you that I love you? But I do love you, Cara. With all my heart. The only thing I hadn’t planned on was the speed with which we must marry. That will cause another scandal, but one I’m sure will be overcome rather quickly. People forgive dukes and duchesses anything, as you will soon find out.”
“How can you jest at a time like this?”
“It is no jest. You know the titled have privileges that commoners do not, which is entirely my purpose in marrying you within the hour. As for my feelings for you, I am not in jest. My interfering grandmother will assure you, I was lost to you the moment I set eyes on you. Now she’ll take all the credit for making this happy match. She will be quite insufferable as she boasts about it to everyone.”
He noticed the men now walking away, but he’d heard them say something about a constable and realized they were leaving to fetch the local official responsible for keeping law in the village.
He chuckled. “They’ve gone off to fetch your father’s cousin, Malcolm Angel.”
Cara looked up at him. “The constable?”
“Run upstairs and get dressed. Something suitable for a bride to wear. I’ll toss on some decent clothes as well. Grandmama…”
“I’ll only slow you down. Leave me here to delay those wretched men if they come back. You’ve made me so happy, Rowan. I knew Cara was perfect for you.”
Cara kissed her on the cheek. “If anyone is an angel, it is you.” She hurried off to get herself ready.
Rowan sighed and sank into the chair beside his grandmother. “How did my sisters turn out so miserably? I’m going to put Bow Street runners to the task of investigating every London jeweler who is known to be shady. I don’t even know which one of the heirloom necklaces they claim was stolen. But so help me, if one of them has pawned a single gemstone off it, I shall have them clapped in irons.”
He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. “Gad, to think I ever considered courting Lady Yvonne. She lied for them. She thought nothing of destroying an innocent. Thank goodness you had me chasing you to Moonstone Landing. Those three vultures would have eaten Cara alive if you had stayed in London.”
“I know, dear boy. But they might still manage it if you do not marry her before those horrible men return.” She patted his shoulder. “You needn’t dawdle with me. Make yourself presentable, so Cara can truly swoon over you,” she teased.
He sat up and laughed. “Thank you for bringing her to Moonstone Landing. I see now it was the only way to get me to notice her. I might have foolishly betrothed myself to Lady Yvonne if I had remained in London.”
“I was ever hopeful you would see through that false diamond in time. But getting you away from her was not my only reason for wanting to come here. I am still quite ill, Rowan,” she said quietly. “That part is no ruse.”
“I know, Grandmama. Cara and I will take care of you. I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
He kissed her. “I love you.”
