Page 102 of A Night of Desire with a Duke
"James!"
"What? We'll make an appearance. A brief appearance. A very brief appearance."
The wedding breakfast was beautiful, elaborate, and seemed to last approximately seventeen years. James and Catherine behaved like a team, accepting congratulations, making appropriate responses, pretending they weren't both desperate to escape.
"How much longer?" James murmured during a brief moment alone.
"We've been here forty-five minutes."
"That's enough, surely?"
Lady Jersey appeared as if summoned. "Thinking of escaping already?"
"Never," James lied.
"You're a terrible liar, Your Grace. Go. You've done your duty. Besides, everyone's placing bets on how quickly you'll leave."
"What's the winning time?"
"Fifty-three minutes. You have eight minutes to make Lord Ashford very happy."
"Then we're leaving in nine minutes," James said immediately. "Ashford still owes me money from cards."
Lady Jersey laughed. "Young love. Go on then, make your escape."
Nine minutes later exactly, James announced they were leaving. There were protests about cake and traditions, but he was already pulling Catherine toward the door.
"The bouquet!" someone called.
Catherine grabbed the nearest arrangement and threw it blindly over her shoulder. "Done!"
They fled through the halls of Ravensfield House, guests' laughter following them. James pulled her up the main staircase, down a corridor, through a door she'd never seen before.
The ducal chamber was magnificent—all dark wood and rich fabrics, dominated by an enormous bed that made Catherine's mouth go dry.
James locked the door with decisive finality and turned to face her.
"Hello, wife."
"Hello, husband."
For a moment they just looked at each other, the reality of it overwhelming. They were married. After everything, the night at the inn, three months of separation, weeks of courtship, Miss Worthing's schemes, they were finally, legally, irrevocably married.
"We did it," Catherine said softly.
"We did."
"No more waiting."
"No more waiting," he agreed, moving toward her. "No more careful distance. No more propriety. No more pretending you're not mine."
"I've always been yours."
"And I've always been yours. From that first moment at the inn when you tried to steal my room."
"Youtried to steal my room!"
"Details." He reached for the pins in her hair, removing them one by one. "My goodness, I've wanted to do this for months. Take down your hair, take off this dress, worship every inch of you without fear of interruption."
