Page 86 of The Moonstone Marquess
Thaddius stared at them.
“Ah, you must be wondering about that kiss and my calling her by that endearment.” Cormac cleared his throat. “I have asked Lady Phoebe to marry me, and she has accepted. However, we would appreciate the matter being kept—”
Thaddius let out a whoop and ran into the tearoom. “Mrs. Halsey! Mrs. Halsey, have you heard?”
A moment later, they heard Mrs. Halsey’s joyful shriek.
Her daughter tore out of the tearoom and ran into the neighboring shop.
More shrieks were heard.
Cormac sighed. “I don’t suppose we’ll be keeping our betrothal quiet any longer. I had hoped to wait until Cain and Hen returned to make the formal announcement.”
Phoebe shook her head. “Not a chance of it now. Do you mind?”
“No, love. I meant it when I said I was proud of you. You were magnificent in coming to my rescue. But please, don’t ever risk your life for mine. Our children can do without me, but never without you.”
“Children? Are you not getting a little ahead of yourself? We don’t have any yet.”
He tossed her a wicked grin. “I shall have to rectify this oversight, won’t I?”
Chapter Seventeen
Since the originalfittings for new gowns for Cormac’s nieces had been cut short by the Lady Seline incident, Phoebe rescheduled it for the following day. As dawn broke over the horizon to signal this new day, she quietly rose from her bed and opened the doors onto her small balcony to peer across the water.
A mist still hovered over the sea, but she saw a faint glow from beneath the surface of the water. This glow somehow managed to cut through the mist. She had heard the lore of the moonstones and their signifying true love.
She laughed and turned away to prepare herself for a busy day.
After breakfast, she was helping the girls into Mr. Hawke’s wagon to head to the appointment with the town’s modiste when Cormac rode up on Hadrian. “Let Chloe and Mr. Hawke take the girls to the dressmaker’s,” he said with a smile that had her melting. “You and I have urgent business which must be attended to at once.”
She gazed at him in bemusement. “What is going on?”
“Cain and Hen are back and unloading their carriage as we speak. I just ran into Mr. Weston, who told me.” He nudged his stallion closer to the wagon and leaned over to kiss his nieces. “Ducklings, I need Phoebe for a few hours. She cannot go with you right now.”
Chloe was all smiles as she hopped in the wagon beside the girls. “I can manage their fittings. I’ll order a lovely gown for me as well.”
Cormac laughed. “Thank you, Chloe. We’ll catch up with you later.”
Phoebe shook her head as he reached his hand down to her. “Are you not being a little hasty? They’ve hardly set foot in their own house.”
“I’ve waited a lifetime for you. I am not waiting a moment longer. Put your foot in the stirrup. There you go.” He lifted her onto his lap and tucked her securely against his hard body. “Behave yourselves, ducklings.”
“They are angels,” Chloe said with a laugh. “You are the one who had better behave himself with my sister.”
He winked at them and spurred Hadrian on.
Phoebe held tightly to him as he rode off with her on his lap.
It was not long before St. Austell Grange, the beautiful estate of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Malvern, came into view.
The ducal carriage was still in the courtyard as they rode up, footmen busily unloading all their packages and a second carriage that held all their trunks.
“Hen!” Phoebe called out, delighted to see her sister standing on the steps by the front door. “You’ll never guess!”
Her sister laughed and ran forward to give her a hug as soon as she dismounted. “We know all about it! Lord Burness wrote to Cain asking for permission to marry you. It seems he could not wait for Cain’s return. But Phoebe, are you certain about this? You haven’t known him very long, and…” She looked over at Cormac, who had just handed Hadrian’s reins to one of the Malvern grooms. “He does not have a sterling reputation.”
“I know. Quite a horrid reputation—and he lived up to it, believe me.”
