Page 16 of Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde
With his long legs, Drago had hopped up easily enough, but she was rather shorter. Luckily, she was dressed for rambling, and her skirts of blue cambric would withstand a fair amount of rough treatment.
Resigned, she scanned the wall and noted several gaps that she could use for her feet, then she walked forward, set the toe of her half boot in one crevice, and gave him her hand.
He grasped her fingers, and she fought to smother the frisson of awareness that shot through her, then nearly swallowed her tongue when he pulled her up as if she weighed nothing at all.
Fighting for balance, she teetered beside him on the top of the wall.
He promptly gripped her waist with both hands and steadied her. “All right?”
No!Him being so near, let alone having his hands so firm about her middle, sent her senses rioting. “Yes,” she lied. She forced her eyes to the park ahead of them. “Where to now?”
“Down, first.” He released her and stepped off the wall, dropping easily to his feet, then turned to her. “Come on.”
Without any by-your-leave, he reached up, gripped her about the waist again, and swung her down with senses-stealing ease.
The instant he released her, she hauled in a much-needed breath.
He’d already turned to survey the house, just visible through the trees. “Alison mentioned that she spends a lot of time in the summerhouse by the lake.” He glanced at Meg. “Let’s see if she’s there.”
She followed him through the trees of the park, keeping within their shadow. They came to the lake. As it was out of sight of the house, they took to the gravel path like civilized visitors.
The summerhouse was a small white-painted wooden structure, and sure enough, as they neared, they saw Alison, who must have heard their footsteps, peering out of the open doorway.
Alison’s face lit. “Oh! I’m so glad you’ve called.”
“She certainly doesn’t appear cast down,” Meg murmured.
They started up the steps.
“Alison,” Drago began, “I wanted to apologize—”
“Oh, no apologies are necessary, Your Grace! None at all!” Alison beamed at them both. “I’m so very happy for you, and I can’t thank you enough, Miss Cynster, for, well…” Coloring, Alison let her words trail away and glanced at Drago.
Bemused, Meg filled in, “For taking the Duke of Wylde off your hands?”
“Yes!” Alison beamed anew. “Please.” She caught their hands and drew them into the small room. “Do come in. I want you to meet”—she released them, whirled, and gestured to a tall, lanky gentleman who was standing in the shadows—“Joshua Bragg, my sweetheart.”
Meg cut a glance at Drago and saw him looking at Bragg.
Then Drago shifted his gaze to Alison. “Your mother led me to believe that you were unattached.”
“Yes, well,” Alison said, “that was so at the time.” She smiled at Joshua as he came to stand by her side. “You see, Joshua and I…well, I suppose you might say we’re childhood sweethearts. We’ve known each other since we were small, and we’ve always felt…well, a connection. But then we grew older, and Joshua went away to grammar school and then to his legal studies and…well, I thought that was the end of things between us.”
“It wasn’t.” Joshua claimed Alison’s hand and smiled at her, and the appropriate description was that he had his heart in his eyes. “But as I’m sure His Grace will understand, I had no prospects—nothing to offer you and no right to imagine I could claim your hand.”
When the pair seemed lost in each other’s eyes, Meg prompted, “But now?”
Joshua straightened and met her gaze. “I heard from my parents—they live nearby—that there was talk Alison might soon accept an offer.” Joshua glanced at Drago. “I didn’t know from whom, but as I’ve never forgotten Alison and my circumstances have recently changed—I’ve been offered a full partnership in my firm—then I felt I had to come down and chance my hand.” He shared a glance with Alison and squeezed the hand he held. “And my darling girl has just accepted my suit.”
Smiling, he looked at Drago and Meg. “As I understand the pair of you had already reached an agreement, thus releasing Alison from any implied arrangement, that left her free to accept my proposal and bestow her hand on me.”
Meg glanced at Drago to see how he was taking being thrown over for a solicitor, but he was all smiles.
Apparently perfectly genuine smiles.
“I’m very glad you’ve found each other again, and I”—Drago glanced Meg’s way, one eyebrow faintly arching, then he returned his gaze to Joshua and Alison and amended—“we wish you nothing but happiness.”
“Thank you.” Joshua shared with Alison another glance brimming with joy. “I can’t thank you enough for giving me the chance to make Alison happy.”
