Page 100 of Indecent
“Then I can’t wait to see what happens as the evening progresses.” He swept her into a turn, and they parted so she couldn’t ask what he meant.
The rest of the set passed in a breathless whirl. She made only a few missteps, and Lucien was adept enough to cover them for her so that she didn’t make a fool of herself.
She thanked him as they left the dance floor. “Please tell me I don’t have to dance anymore. That was utterly exhausting.”
As she turned her head to find Cassandra or Christina, she froze, her body stopped as if she’d walked into a stone wall. Standing with her relatives were her other relatives: Flora and Minerva.
Their gowns were dreadfully out of style, but their smiles were wide, and Prudence was so pleased to see them. Shocked, but pleased.
Regaining her composure, she hurried toward them. “Flora, Minerva, how is it that you’re here?”
A hush seemed to fall over the ballroom. The buzz of conversation halted, and the air thinned.
“I brought them.”
The two women parted to reveal Bennet. Dressed in black superfine with his usual simply knotted cravat, he was everything she’d ever wanted. Before she’d known she wanted it.
A smattering of murmurs broke the quiet. But only briefly before silence—and expectation—reigned once more.
“Bennet,” she breathed, scarcely believing that she was really seeing him, that he wasn’t a dream.
He took a deep breath and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “Good evening, my lady wife. I’m so pleased to join you this evening as we planned.” Since the room had gone still, everyone could hear what he said.
Minerva tipped her head as she stepped toward Prudence. “Yes, thank you for allowing our dear boy to delay his trip to London so that Flora could recover from her cold.”
What cold?
“So thoughtful of you to spare him,” Flora said. “But now we’re all here together, as intended.”
They were publicly explaining why Prudence had returned to London without her husband. Her breath caught, and her pulse began to race.
“Yes, as intended,” Prudence repeated.
Bennet walked toward her, his gaze fixed on her and only her. He took her hand and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist. “How I’ve missed you,” he murmured just for them. Then he raised his voice once more. “I feel as if I must declare for everyone to hear that I love you beyond measure. I would marry you over and over again, a thousand times, if I could. You are the woman of my dreams and the lady of my heart. And those are the reasons I married you.”
His blue-green eyes were so brilliant. Were there tears fighting to spill? If so, he didn’t let them.
She worried she wouldn’t have the same control. Emotion welled, her throat tightened, and her face flushed.
“Huzzah!” Lucien called out. “To Lord and Lady Glastonbury!”
Several people nearby answered with “Huzzah.” Prudence couldn’t take her eyes from Bennet.
He offered her his arm. “Shall we promenade?”
She immediately took it, glad for his stability. “Directly outside, please,” she whispered.
“Of course.” He led her toward the doors, smiling and inclining his head at people as they walked past.
Prudence focused straight ahead, still not wanting to see anyone or the way they looked at her. When they were outside, she exhaled at last, her body wilting.
Bennet clasped her waist and drew her close as he maneuvered her away from the house. “All right?”
“I will be. That was… I don’t know what to say.” She turned to face him. “You made an absolute spectacle.”
“I did. On purpose. It’s our spectacle—we own it. No more secrets. I want everyone to know how I feel about you.” He frowned. “Perhaps we shouldn’t have fibbed about Great-Aunt Flora having a cold. I should have confessed to everyone that I was a fool for not being honest with you and for not accompanying you back to London.”
“I’m glad you didnotdo that. I am struggling with a great deal, primarily my emotions and the overwhelming plethora of them of late. I don’t think I could have managed all of Society knowing that much. The rumors are bad enough.” She winced.
