“Are you sure?”
“We’re engaged, after all. No harm can come to us now.” Georgiana’s voice trembled with anticipation but also desire. If he didn’t kiss her right then and there, she might never recover. “Please, don’t make me beg.”
James let out a quiet laugh as his hand lifted to cradle her cheek. His thumb brushed away a tear that had yet to fall. “Then God help me, I will kiss you now.”
He leaned in slowly, giving her every chance to pull away. But she didn’t. She moved toward him with equal urgency, as if she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment. Because she had.
Their lips met in a kiss that was at once tender and consuming. It was not the tentative brush of a man uncertain of his welcome, nor the desperate claiming of one driven by possession. It was love in motion.
Georgiana’s hand slid up to his shoulder, anchoring herself as the world tilted. His other arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer until the layers of fabric between them felt irrelevant. She felt everything—his warmth, his strength, his love as he deepened the kiss by slow, aching degrees.
When they finally parted, breathless and flushed, she smiled up at him. “Well, I finally understand what all the fuss is about. The subject of poets and playwrights? It all makes sense now.”
Chuckling, he kissed her once more, softer this time, with a kind of wonder that made her chest ache. “And to think—I get to kiss youwhenever I want. How could a man deserve such a blessing?”
“When can we marry? I don’t want to wait.”
“We’ll do it as soon as possible. I don’t want to wait a moment longer to take you into my bed.”
Outside, the carriage had come to a stop. But inside, their journey had only just begun.
*
The next morning,still feeling as if she were in a happy dream, Georgiana was reviewing the invitations when Isherwood appeared in the doorway, his expression carefully neutral in that way that always preceded unwelcome news.
“Lady Alderidge has called, madam. She requests an audience with you and Miss Linley.”
The card slipped from Georgiana’s fingers. Nathaniel’s mother. Here. Now. Without warning.
“Show her to the drawing room,” she said. “And ask Mrs. Ellsworth to prepare tea immediately.”
She found Cecily in the morning room, embroidering by the window, and delivered the news in hushed, urgent tones.
“She’s here?” Cecily’s needle stilled, her face paling. “Oh, dear me.”
“Breathe.” Georgiana smoothed her sister’s hair with hands that trembled only slightly. “We knew this moment would come. We’re ready.”
But neither of them felt ready as they entered the drawing room to find Lady Alderidge already seated, her posture regal as a queen holding court. She was a handsome woman in her fifties, with dark brown eyes and an air of authority that could freeze boiling water.
“Lady Alderidge.” Georgiana curtsied perfectly, Cecily following suit. “What an unexpected pleasure.”
“Mrs. Fairfax. Miss Linley.” The countess inclined her head a precise degree. “I do hope you’ll forgive the impropriety of calling unannounced, but given recent developments, I felt we should become acquainted without delay.”
They arranged themselves carefully—Georgiana and Cecily on the settee, Lady Alderidge in the wingback chair that seemed to transform into a throne beneath her. Mrs. Ellsworth arrived with tea service, her timing impeccable as always.
Lavinia appeared moments later, somewhat breathless and dressed in sky blue. “I apologize for my tardiness. We were out late last night, as you know.”
“Not at all,” Lady Alderidge said. “I thought it only right to pay my respects, especially considering the friendship blossoming between our children.”
Georgiana poured tea with steady hands, though her pulse hammered. “We’re grateful for your visit. And for Nathaniel’s kindness to Cecily.”
Lady Alderidge studied them each in turn. “My son has not been interested in anyone until now. He’s taken with you, Miss Linley.” Her gaze shifted to Georgiana. “However, I must be certain he is not being led by infatuation into a family of uncertain standing. Last night was quite eventful—not in a way I would wish repeated. And your sudden engagement to Lord Ashford naturally raises questions.”
Georgiana felt Cecily tense beside her. “Any mother would wish to protect her son’s future. But our family, while not always fortunate, has been raised with care and integrity.”
“It’s rumored you’ve been restoring Lord Ashford’s home and calling yourself an architect,” Lady Alderidge continued. “Some may wonder if your engagement was fabricated to cover scandal, or perhaps to elevate your sister’s prospects.”
“My late husband trained me in his profession,” Georgiana said firmly. “After his death, I had to support my family as I could. As formy engagement—Lord Ashford agreed to sponsor Cecily before any understanding between us. Our feelings developed naturally.”
