“He could, but an elopement would save him funds. Not to mention, if he disagrees, I’ll call off the engagement altogether. Is that really what you wish?” I was bluffing, but I couldn’t show any sign of weakness. My mother was like a hawk hunting a mouse, always looking for a twitch to give it away. I spent a lifetime trying to avoid that trap.
“That is an empty threat, and you know it.”
“Do you really wish to take a chance?” I stared at her and tried not to blink. Even the thought of ending my engagement horrified me, yet she would pounce if I showed any sign of feebleness.
The clock's ticking broke the silence that followed. Colt had his head down, his disheveled blond hair reminding me of what we had been doing before my mother’s entrance. It afforded him a sensual air that appealed to my baser side. I tore my gaze away. I had to keep my wits about me.
With a long sigh, she stood, her back ramrod straight. “Fine. I’ll inform Lady Tapper about the change in plans. However, I must know, is she increasing?”
It was irritating that she thought the worst of me, but in her defense, she wasn’t too far off the mark. Our little tryst in thelibrary had been unforgettable. Technically I had refrained from bedding Lillian and Colt. That would all change and soon.
“No, she isn’t. You can assure her family of such. Or better yet, I’ll go with you. They should hear it from the both of us.” Turning down a request from a duke and a duchess would be hard for anyone in the best of circumstances. Like my father before me, I wielded power because of my title. Unlike him, I tried never to intimidate anyone, yet people often bent to my will with just a simple suggestion on my part.
I pushed thoughts of him from my head. Our relationship had been tenuous. He was very self-centered and possessed a violent temper. Many of the estate servants had earned the back of his hand for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was one reason I treated my staff with kid gloves. They served me well and deserved the same respect they gave me.
“Are you certain it’s what you want? Maybe you should speak with Lady Lillian again.” A hopeful light brightened her eyes.
“She thinks it is romantic, and I would like to fulfill her wish.” I took her hands in mine and squeezed. “Will you deny her the wedding ofherdreams?”
The winds of outrage had left her sails, and she offered a resigned grimace. “As you wish.”
“Think of it this way. You and her parents will be there, so we aren’t really eloping. We are simply taking the ceremony to another location.” I brought her in for a hug, and she wrapped her arms around my waist. Love for her rose unbidden in my chest, despite our earlier impasse. “Colt, tear up the guest list. We are going to Scotland.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lady Lillian, Duchess of Alton
“We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony ...”
As he read our vows, I stared at Reverend Lowe, a dashing older gentleman with kind eyes. Lady Helen had insisted we hire a man of the cloth to perform the ceremony and not the local blacksmith. Since she’d conceded to my request to elope, I conceded to hers.
Gretna Green was everything I expected and more. It was the first stop in Scotland. In my novel, Lord Golden wooed Lady X to the crossroads, where the blacksmith’s shop was located. In my rewrite for Moran, the dark knight followed the couple. He was no longer a villain, but he was delightfully wicked.
The shop was narrow and had a rugged smell. Black soot marked the ceiling beams from the smithy. The infamous anvil was rather unremarkable without its history, but I was still humbled while standing in front of it. Couples like us had stood on this spot to exchange vows for over a hundred years. If these walls could talk ...
“The Lord has blessed us ...” The vicar recited the scripture Lady Helen had provided, much to Kendrick’s earlier chagrin. I would not let anything weigh my excitement down. Colt acted as his best man, and the two men standing at the anvil sent my heart racing.
“Lady Lillian,” Reverend Lowe said.
I snapped my head up from contemplating the old metal anvil with its flattened surface and rounded edges on a sturdy cast-iron base.
“Do you take Lord Kendrick Alistair Harold Alton, Duke of Alton—”
“—Yes,” I blurted out and clapped a hand over my mouth.
