Page 66 of Presenting Miss Letitia (Once a Wallflower 1)

As they ate, they talked about the wedding and the breakfast.

“Geoffrey danced three times with Ann Wilson,” Letty said as a trifle and coffee were brought in.

“You’d like to see him married?” He wasn’t in the mood to discuss Geoffrey, good fellow that he was.

“To Ann. Yes. There’s a history there, I’ll tell you about it sometime.”

He nodded, in no hurry to hear it. His gaze roamed over her from her glossy dark hair to her sweet mouth, and the exciting glimpse of décolletage making a mockery of the demure muslin dress. How pretty was his bride, and how much he looked forward to making love to her.

When the coffee and cake were removed and the door closed, Brandon poured more champagne into their glasses. “I think we should make a toast to our future, Mrs. Cartwright.”

“Indeed, yes.”

“It requires you to sit on my lap.”

Letty glanced at the door. “The waiter might come in.”

“He won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I slipped him a few coins to stay away after serving the meal.”

“I didn’t see you. When was that?”

“While the boots was seeing to the luggage, and a maid was assisting you out of your pelisse.”

She attempted to frown but her eyes filled with laughter. “You spies are not to be trusted.”

He lowered his lids to half-mast and studied her. “Are you coming over here, or do I go over there?”

She rose. “I’m coming.” She perched on his knee, an arm around his neck and took the champagne flute from him. They clinked their glasses together. “To a blissful life,” he said solemnly. “And the hope you will not lead me into any more scrapes.”

Letty’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s unfair, Brandon.”

He chuckled.

She repeated the words with great seriousness and drank deeply.

With an approving grin, Brandon removed the glass and placed it beside his on the table. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her. Her mouth tasted of sweet champagne. When the urge to deepen the kiss grew too demanding, he drew away. From their first meeting, Letty had stirred something in him that he’d tried to dismiss. And, fool that he was, he could have lost her. What a decent chap Geoffrey was. He’d become quite fond of the fellow.

Letty sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

Her soft body pressed against his, and the emotion and profound relief he felt that she was his at last, swelled in his chest. “You make sense of my world, Letty,” he murmured.

She gazed up at him, the merest hint of tears in her eyes. “When I fell head over heels in love with you, I tried to convince myself it was foolish. A mistake. That what Arietta said about you might be true. But I never believed it,” she said passionately. “Looking back on it now, I suspect I agreed to follow you just to disprove it.”

“Sweetheart.” He kissed her again, yearning to make her his own. He set her on her feet and rose. “Shall we retire, my love?”

Her ardent gaze told him all he needed to know.

Chapter Twenty-Five

In the inn bedchamber, Letty washed and changed into her night attire. During the trip, Brandon had been amusing and lighthearted, but when their eyes met, his had caressed hers with an unspoken promise. Her body responded with a surging tide of emotion. He had gone downstairs to order a fire to be lit as the evening was cool. The servant had appeared, and soon a bright, crackling fire of applewood burned in the hearth, the perfumed smoke scenting the air. Brandon had not yet returned. Letty suspected he was giving her some time to herself.

She removed the pins from her hair and was brushing her long tresses when he entered. A little nervous, Letty smiled at him in the mirror. His large masculine presence changed the atmosphere in the room; it became charged with expectation. It made her catch her breath. She understood now that passionate love was beautiful and exciting, and she was eager to experience it with the man she loved.

He came to stand behind her and lifted a lock of her hair to breathe it in. “You have such pretty hair, Letty.”

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