Gideon did not know the Duke of Solway or his kin because they were not regulars at his gaming clubs. He supposed their vices were drinking, brawling, and wenching. But these Scots were known to be thrifty, so he was not surprised they did not frequent his gambling establishments.
He watched Miranda dance with the Scot, ready to step in if she appeared to be in distress. But Miranda smoothly handled the man, who was a bit clumsy but did not step out of line with her.
Berry tugged on Gideon’s jacket sleeve excitedly. “Fiona and her husband are here!”
The pair noticed Berry bobbing up and down while she tried to grab their attention.
Fiona hurried across the room and hugged Berry fiercely. “What a month you have had! Rob and I have been reading the gossip rags that are filled with stories about you. May I congratulate you?”
“Oh, yes,” Berry replied. “I have never been happier.”
Fiona turned toward Gideon with a smile. “I had hoped you and Berry would be good neighbors, but I did not realize quite how good a fit you would become.”
Gideon arched an eyebrow. “She is hard to resist.”
Fiona nodded. “Yes, isn’t she wonderful? And what a wretch Lord Hawthorne turned out to be.”
The Duke of Durham clapped him on the back. “Good work, Knight. Glad to see Berry and Lord Berwick are well recovered from their injuries.”
“I am still under caution,” Berry said, pointing to the bruise on her forehead. “Only two dances allowed this evening, which is fine, because I did not care to dance with anyone but Gideon. Oh, look. Another of the Duke of Solway’s relatives has taken Gwendolyn onto the dance floor.”
“You had better hope they do not start coming around to Duchess Square with their bagpipes,” Durham teased.
Berry laughed. “Oh, I think Miranda and Gwendolyn will chase them off if they dare. Are you staying in London for the summer?”
Fiona shook her head. “No, just for a few more days, and then we will return to Shoreham Manor for the rest of the year. It is more pleasant to raise our newborn son and entertain our friends there in the countryside. You and Mr. Knight are most welcome to visit us if you are ever near Brighton. Rob’s duties to the Durham properties will have him traveling often to London and the north. I will try to join him whenever possible, but for now it is best that I stay anchored at Shoreham Manor while our son is so little.”
Berry’s eyes turned watery. “I am so happy for you.”
Fiona gave her another hug. “As I am for you. Grab your happiness and to blazes what anyone else thinks. Whatever problems you may encounter, work them out together. I almost lost Rob for my own stubbornness. Good thing he was even more thickheaded than I was.”
It was nearing sunrise by the time the ball ended and the guests made their way home. Gideon had survived his firsttonaffair without making a complete fool of himself, and had received several pats on the back and promises of more invitations to come.
In truth, he hoped no one would follow through on those invitations. He wanted to be accepted for Berry’s sake but did not actually desire to attend more of thesetonaffairs.
After all, he was a working man and actually had towork.
Berry and the Berwicks could hardly keep their eyes open by the time they all stepped into his carriage for the ride home. Gideon instructed the ever-reliable Brent to drop Lord and Lady Berwick off first. Now that everyone had seen how serious he was about Berry, nobody was going to pass a remark about their riding in his carriage without a chaperone.
Could anyone doubt their marriage was in the offing?
As the carriage rolled on toward Duchess Square, Berry curled up against his chest. “You make the perfect pillow.”
He chuckled. “Have I already grown soft?”
“No, you are all splendid muscle and heat. Just perfect.”
He wrapped his arms around her, feeling a contentment he had never known before. They planned to marry soon, but had not yet set a date because Berry and Lord Berwick were insistent on making no official wedding pronouncements until after the Stanhope ball.
It was now over and had gone well. Gideon did not wish to wait another day to finalize their wedding plans. Were it up to him, he would take her to the closest church and have the vicar marry them this very morning.
But that was unlikely to happen, as Berry and the Berwicks were going to sleep through the entire morning and possibly into the early afternoon.
However, he could obtain the license today. This would give them thirty days within which to marry.
Wasn’t this enough time to take care of any outstanding issues?
There were some things yet to be resolved, the terms of the betrothal contract, for one. He did not see this as an impediment, because he was ready to give Berry whatever she wanted. Knowing her, she would put the orphanage first.
