Page 69 of Married By Twelfth Night
Grace shrank under all the eyes that immediately turned her way. “I might have delivered her a few lines that implied she was toying with hearts.”
He reached over and stole her hand. “A brave feat that paid off rather nicely for us all.”
“I should say. She clearly dislikes me.” Grace shook her head. “But after this letter, my opinion of her is altering. She is undoubtedly a most generous woman.”
“A wise choice, Grace,” Mr. Steele chipped in. “With the added money and your dowry, Mr. Graham will have room to invest and pay off his creditors all the sooner. You’ll be back at Belside in no time.”
Mrs. Steele frowned. “But Twelfth Night is in three days. What about wedding clothes?”
No one said anything for a moment.
“I think we can manage, can we not Mrs. Steele?” Mr. Steele asked. “After all, Mr. Graham will be happy to marry Grace no matter what she wears to her wedding.”
“I suppose,” Mrs. Steele said, “but it will not be easy to overlook it.”
It was quiet again for a moment until Bridget announced, “We should have some of Aunt Edith’s famous shortbread to celebrate.”
Ruth nodded her agreement. “And some of Gracie’s famous hot chocolate.”
“Gracie’s hot chocolate?” Mrs. Steele asked. “What sort of concoction is this?”
Grace laughed. “I stole the recipe from cook and altered it slightly to my taste.”
Richard squeezed her hand. “I have a hankering for it myself. Let’s go tell your cook ourselves about the alterations.” He subtly winked at her, hoping she would catch on.
“What a splendid idea,” she said, letting him help her to her feet.
Once they were in the corridor, she leaned close. “Cook already knows my recipe.”
“I had to get you alone somehow.”
“You charmer.”
He ducked around a corner, pulling her with him. Sweeping his arms around Grace’s middle, he gently placed her against the wall and out of sight.
“Are we hiding from someone?” she asked, her alluring giggle nearly undoing him.
“Everyone. It might be until after the wedding before we are alone again, and I wanted to celebrate Aunt’s news properly. I was afraidGod wouldn’t bless me because I had been self-absorbed for too long. Now I am at a loss for words.”
“Let me guess. You celebrate by kissing?”
He chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. “I don’t care what we do, so long as we are together.”
“You know I don’t need the walls of Belside to wake up to every morning. Your smile will be enough for me.”
He smoothed her hair back in slow, smooth strokes. “There will be no removing Society’s judgements when we return, but in time, we will build a strong future for our posterity. I promise you.”
She slid her hands around his waist. “I trust you, Richard. No one can believe you are self-absorbed, not after all you have given up. From now on, the only time I will list your horrible qualities is to chase away unwanted company.”
He put a hand to his heart. “You would do that for me?”
She reeled him back to her. “You’re not the only one who likes to be alone together.”
He laughed and pressed a kiss to her mouth. When he released her, he said, “I came up with another riddle for your collection.”
Her eyes were heady and her smile encouraging. “Go ahead, let’s hear it.”
He cleared his throat and recited the words that had kept him up late into the night, hoping not to forget a single word:
