He gave a quick bark of laughter. “That too. But you wanted to talk, and I am not really so overbearing as I might have appeared today. I would never impose anything upon you against your will, you know. Not if you truly disliked the idea, but I was so desperate…”
His words ended in something like a sob, one hand covering his eyes as if the world were just too overwhelming at that moment. She rose and crossed the room to stand before him,and with a groan, he threw his arms around her, and clutched her tight.
“They have bed chambers here,” she said softly.
His face lifted at once, puzzled. “You want to stay the night?”
“I want you to ravish me, husband, right now, and a parlour feels a shade public.”
“Oh… Oh! Truly?”
“Truly. Even if we are not legally married.”
His face lit with sudden amusement. “But we are, in fact, since we are still in Scotland. The laws are different here.”
That was bewildering. “So Nicholson does not matter here?”
“Nicholson matters here, yes. When we entered Scotland, we were not legally married, it is true. But Scotland does not require an ordained minister to make a marriage valid, or even a ceremony. All that is required is tosayone is married, for that to be witnessed and for neither party to contradict it. We told the innkeeper we are Lord and Lady Farramont, so therefore… we are married and any ravishment that might happen is perfectly acceptable, but only in Scotland. As soon as we cross the border into England, we shall stop at the first church we find, haul the parson from his bed and make use of this special licence I have been carrying round for weeks, and the sooner the better, for I shall not begin to feel normal until you are truly my wife again.”
“Have we time for some ravishment first?”
He laughed. “Oh yes, my love. We certainly have time for that.”
“Good. That sounds like an excellent plan. I like Scottish laws very much.”
His expression turned suddenly sad. “They have one other wonderful idea which will not help us at all. Illegitimate children are legitimised by the later marriage of their parents.”
“Then… since we are now legally married—”
“In Scotland.”
“—they are not illegitimate?”
“Only in Scotland.”
“Oh. Perhaps we should live in Scotland,” she said. “It is a more civilised country than England. My poor, poor daughters — they will be cast out of all good society.”
“I doubt that,” he said softly. “They will have good dowries and the best education we can give them, and their wonderful mother will ensure that they hold their heads high and are not ashamed of their heritage.”
“Oh, yes! I can teach them to look the world in the eye and live their lives exuberantly.”
“As you do,” he said complacently.
“I hope that they will be, in some ways, less exuberant than their mother,” she said, suddenly serious. “I sincerely trust thatIwill be less exuberant in future. No more shattered porcelain, on that I am determined. I must be a responsible mama to my lovely girls, and a good wife to my surprising husband, so it is time I grew up, is it not?”
“But not too much,” he said. “I should be very unhappy with a docile wife.”
“We cannot have you unhappy, so that is agreed — a little less exuberance, but not too much. And still I am unravished, husband.”
He laughed, smiling up at her. “Then let us do something about that, wife.”
21: Crossing The Border
Ian woke in languorous contentment. He had found Izzy again and all was well with the world. Somehow, while he slept, the day had drifted away and night was upon them, although what the hour was he could not say.
He stretched arms and legs, savouring the warmth of the bed. But then his wandering hand met… nothing. She was gone. He sat bolt upright, and cried out in panic.“Izzy?”
A face materialised from the shadows, illumined from one side by a candle flame. “I am here.”
