“Carling,” I called.
“Yes, milady?”
“Just clothes and food for now, please?”
He nodded.“Right away, madam.Tout de suite.”
And then he bustled off.
Right, I made it through that.
And I needed a break before whatever came next.
I made my way to the settee, and fortunately my dress was sotight, there was no other way to collapse onto it except gracefully.
This, I did.
I pulled out the hatpin, threw it in a bowl that sat on thetable in front of me, swept off the hat and sent it sailing.
I then slumped down, rested my head on the back of thecouch, and said, with extreme feeling, to the ceiling, “Thank God that’s over.”
“If you don’t want her, my man, I’m officially scratching myname on the top of her dance card.”
Ah hell.
I forgot about my audience.
How did I do that?
I sat up and turned to Maitland, who was the one who spoke.
His eyes were on me, and he made a manly noise in his throatwhen I stopped lounging, and I had to admit, I felt that noise in a veryprivate part of me.
“Brother,” Loren growled.
That hit inseveralprivate parts.
Maitland tore his eyes from me and grinned unrepentantly inLoren’s direction.
“I apologize, I forgot myself for a moment,” I mumbled.
“Forget away,” Maitland allowed.
“You’re as close to me as blood, please help me not to spillany of yours by ceasing panting over my betrothed,” Loren warned silkily.
His…
What?
I straightened further.
“So you’ve made your decision,” Ansley remarked.
“There is no other decision to make,” Loren replied.
“Seems sound to me,” Maitland noted.
“I’ve no idea what this takes, a dress, flowers, thetemple,” Loren went on.
