Chapter 14
After morning lessons with the twins, Désirée exited the school room just in time to glimpse Jack stride toward the front door wearing riding attire.
“Where are you going?” she asked in surprise.
He made a face. “I completely forgot about a race I’d arranged with your brothers. Maybe a few mindless minutes with the wind in my hair will help revive my brain.”
“I shall go with you,” she said at once. “Two against one are horrid odds.”
Her brothers raced carriages or horses almost every day of the year and had likely raced Jack a thousand other times without her hanging over their shoulders.
That was then. The situation had changed. Lucien was becoming increasingly restless—and suspicious—of her extended “temporary” position in the Skeffington home, and likely planned to confront him with Bastien as his second.
If Jack showed up wearing anI-just-despoiled-your-sisterexpression, all hell would break loose.
He shrugged. “We’re meeting on the track behind the Harpers’ stud farm. Olive promised to loan me her fastest beast.”
“Make thattwofastest.” Desiree grabbed her hat and a spencer. Riding clothes would be easier, but she didn’t want to risk Jack going without her because she took too long.
They arrived at the farm in plenty of time to arrange for an extra horse. They were at the mouth of the lane leading through the evergreen forest in no time.
Her brothers were not yet present, but the sound of distant hoofbeats indicated they would arrive at any moment.
Before her brothers reached them, Jack spun in his saddle to face Désirée.
“I talked to my children,” he blurted out. “We don’t want you as interim governess.”
“What?” she squeaked.
“You’re so much more than a governess, and ‘temporary’ is no longer good enough. They want you as their mother and I want you as my wife.”
“What?”
“I’m not asking you yet,” he said quickly. “The answer is up to you, but I want to do this the right way. Starting with getting permission from your brothers first.”
“W-what?”
But it was too late for private conversation. Her brothers were here.
Désirée’s heart pounded. Jack wanted tomarryher. He’d discussed it with his children, but he hadn’t mentioned love or where he intended the family to live. She was not yet certain what her answer would be, but there was no question as to what her brothers would say:
Absolutely not.
“Désirée!” Their faces erupted into smiles at the sight of her, and they trotted their horses closer to kiss her cheeks.
“We’re so glad you’re here.” Bastien grinned at her. “We’ve got some news.”
Lucien leaned forward, unable to contain himself. “We have the money.”
“What?” Désirée said faintly. She was starting to think that was the only word she had any use for anymore.
Lucien’s eyes shone with excitement. “I said six months, did I not?”
“First you said a year,” Bastien corrected him. “And then you said six months.”
“And now I say tomorrow!” Lucien finished with glee.
“What?” This one came from Jack. At least Désirée wasn’t the only one.
