“No,” both gentlemen replied in unison.
“Dear Lord, Grace, are you sure you want to put up with this?” Samantha asked.
“Mostly,” Grace teased, earning a disbelieving glare from her future husband.
“I shall enjoy persuading you further,” Ramsey remarked meaningfully.
“Not before you’re married right and tight, mind you. Then it’s none of my affair.” The viscount held up his hands in surrender, as if hoping soon to wash his hands of the whole business.
“Of course.” Ramsey replied, his tone a bit too innocent.
The viscount glared, but pushed on to the pressing inquiry. “So, by what type of license will you marry?”
“It was to be a surprise, but since that is no longer an option, I did in fact, acquire a special license today, and so the date now depends on your leisure.”
Heathcliff grinned. “I like that, being in control. There is something delightfully sweet about being in control of a control mongrel.”
“Tread carefully,” Ramsey warned.
The viscount gave a wag of his brows. “A week? More? You know, since I am her guardian, you have yet to ask me if you can marry her without all the usual pomp and declaration—”
“Good lord, Heathcliff,” Ramsey remarked. “Please,” he asked, but it was less a request and more of a demand.
“Is there a reason?” the viscount asked.
Grace had been growing slightly uncomfortable during the conversation, but when her guardian asked that particular question, the blood flew to her face and she blushed painfully. Dear Lord, was he implying that theyneededto marry? Could the moment grow more embarrassing?
“No,” Ramsey replied quickly, putting an end to her embarrassment.
“Good.”
“If I say yes will it speed things up?” Ramsey asked, his tone badgering.
“It might provoke me to give you another bruised eye,” the viscount replied.
Grace studied Ramsey. His eye looked better than last night, but there was still a ring of purple around the outer edge. The cut on his lip looked better, but only just.
“Very well.”
The viscount nodded. “Three days. Will that suffice?”
“Miss Grace?” Ramsey turned to her, not answering the viscount but directing the question to her.
He didn’t have to, but he chose to include her in the timeline. Her heart grew more tender toward him, and she gave a decisive nod. “If I must wait that long, I suppose I shall endure it.” She grinned.
Ramsey’s answering smile was all the confirmation she needed that her words were well chosen.
“Dear Lord, you two are already driving me crazy,” the viscount said. “Very well. Three days. There is much to do, so I suggest you get to it. In the meantime, I’ll visit my solicitor and draft the documents,” Heathcliff replied, then giving his wife one lingering kiss on her head, he quit the room.
“Now then, since we have a date, let us get down to business,” Samantha told them, her eyes alight with enthusiasm.
All the details seemed unimportant, save one.
The groom.
