“You see, you believe that he would be so scandalized that he would never want to marry you, yes?”
Susanna nodded. Something like that. “Don’t you see. He always does the right thing, the honorable thing. I don’t want him like that. How could I live happily knowing that he only felt obligated to be my husband?”
“Daniel told me that after the performance he and Miles were invited to dine at the king’s table. Apparently, the king saw them talking to your parents and wanted to glean any gossip they might know about your scandalous behavior. At dinner there were lots of comments made about you, and Miles lost his temper and told everyone that you were passionate and wonderful and that they could all go to hell.”
“What? In front of the king?” Susanna could barely believe it.
Charlotte nodded. “And then he stormed out of the room.”
Susanna sat back against the cushions. Miles had defended her honor in front of the king and dozens of noblemen? A sudden warmth spread in her chest. He thought she was passionate and wonderful? Still after everything? She sat up and faced her friends. “What should I do?”
“Well, I would start by giving him a chance to speak with you next time he comes by,” Charlotte said.
“But he hasn’t come by. Not once this whole week,” she replied.
Charlotte leaned forward and patted her hand. “He is up to something, I know it. He and Daniel won’t say because they know I would tell you. But perhaps, just this once, let him make the plans.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Ithink theeye patch looks ridiculous. How am I to do anything properly with one eye covered?” Miles ripped off the offending accessory.
“I thought it added some flair.” Lucius lounged in the corner of the room, his legs stretched out and a glass of brandy in his hand.
“Thank you for the tricorn hat. I don’t know how you procured these items,” Miles said. Lucius had also arrived this evening with a pair of ancient pistols housed in a crossbody holster.
“I have my ways,” Lucius smirked.
“Our father is a collector of old military things,” Charlotte said from the open doorway. Daniel stood behind her. “He simply poked around in the attics at Markham house.”
“Hey now, do you know how hard it was to sneak in and out of Mother’s house without being seen by the two of them? I deserve some credit for that,” Lucius grumbled.
His sister stuck out her tongue at him before turning back to smile at Miles. “You look just like the pictures in her book.”
“Do you think so?” he asked. He studied his reflection over his valet’s shoulder.
Roberts was tying a red neckcloth into a simple knot around his neck. “There, just so. And what about the jacket? Buttoned up?” his valet asked.
Miles shook his head. “No, I think open. Let me strap on the holster first.” He shrugged into the two straps that crisscrossed his chest and buckled near one hip. After tucking in the two pistols, he let Roberts help him into an embroidered velvet jacket in a dark purple. Another item Lucius had provided. Miles had eschewed a vest and the effect of the holsters across his black shirt with the open jacket was quite rakish. He went to sit and pull on a pair of tall hessians. Tonight was the night that he would kidnap his bride-to-be. He glanced up at Roberts. “Are all the arrangements made?”
“Yes sir. Mr. Holden booked rooms at the best inns all the way to Scotland. The town coach is ready, your trunk is packed.”
“And the ladder?” he asked.
“Tied to the back, sir.”
“Excellent.”
“I still think a ladder is cheating,” Lucius said. “It would be far more romantic to climb the trellis to her room.”
Miles rolled his eyes. “A man my size would more than likely pull the trellis right off the wall before making it to the top. Besides how will I get her down and to the coach without a ladder?”
“Details, details.”
“I have been meaning to ask you why you have waited more than a week to go to her?” Charlotte asked.
“I was waiting for the ring to arrive from town.” He walked over to his bureau and plucked the ring box from the top.
“Ooooh, let me see,” Charlotte exclaimed.
