“If you say so.”
She pulled him back to her, put her arms around him. “One of these days I might not think you’re teasing and then you’ll be in a pickle.”
“That will never happen, because you know me too well, as I do you, which is why I know you love me, too, Nessi. I don’t need to hear it.”
“But you want to, so I’m saying it, I do love you.”
“Thank God!” he exclaimed.
“You weren’t in doubt,” she reminded.
“No, I wasn’t. But it was still an excruciating wait at Carlton House yesterday for George to return when I’d wanted to go with him. It should have been my voice objecting to that wedding so you’d know bloody well that Ididobject to your marrying another man. But George insisted I not muck up the intervention with unnecessary complications, which a declaration of love certainly would have done. As for now, you’ll be pleased to know that I already have your father’s permission to court you.”
Her eyes widened. “How the deuce does he know before I do?”
“He mentioned it when I met him yesterday.”
“Just out of the blue?”
“I might have confessed to loving you.”
“Smart of you to get one parent on your side.”
“Do I need to worry about the other one?”
“My mother? Not in the least. But I think we’ve already done sufficient courting. You and I are going straight to the altar.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I’ll arrange for the first bann to be announced today, then we will only have to wait two weeks.”
“It’s only a couple days’ ride to Gretna Green, where we don’t have to wait a’tall,” she pointed out.
“No, we’ll let your mother do her planning, and my mother will be ecstatic to help, and you’ll have time to order a new wedding dress of your own design, andthenwe’ll escape to the estate my parents are giving me as a wedding gift, for at least several years of seclusion with parents not invited.”
She laughed. “You’re marrying me just for property?!”
“No, bliss first, then property,” he teased back. “At least I’ll forgo a dowry!”
IT HAPPENED JUST ASthey’d planned, they were married two weeks later directly after the third bann was announced at Sunday service. It had been an excruciating wait, especially because Monty had indeed returned to his parents’ town house. He still called daily, though her parents wouldn’t leave them alone together, one or the other always present, never both together. But whenever they were in the same room they treated each other like strangers, or got into whispered arguments, none of which they wanted to visit on the happy couple. At least at meals the twins kept them distracted from each other.
But the wedding must have softened their hearts, because when Vanessa and Montgomery turned to leave the church as man and wife, she saw her parents kissing, rather hotly, too, and on either side of them, the twins giggling about it.
Vanessa shook her head. After only two weeks her father had forgiven her? William must have realized he still loved her, after all. But she wasn’t annoyed about it. Hadn’t she hoped, deep down, that her parents would get back together?
But at the wedding party that afternoon, she pulled her father aside to ask, “Has Mother blackmailed you into her bed?”
He laughed. “You need to strike that word from your vocabulary, Daughter.”
“So you’re happy about it?”
“I believe I am.”
She humphed. “Then take Mother home to Cheshire and keep her out of London.”
He laughed. “Good advice.” But then seriously, “I don’t need to ask if you’re happy, when it’s so obvious. But don’t let him change you, Nessi. You are perfect as you are.”
“He happens to agree with you, Father, and wouldn’t have me any other way!”
And Emily teased her a while later, “You said he would never marry.”
