She wouldn’t be so petty as to discuss his mercenary tendency in requesting a larger dowry, for he must be a decent man to wish to marry her despite the ugly rumors.
“I see.” Another pause, and then he added, “I have already told you in front of your mother that I wish to marry you,” Geoffrey reminded her. “That has not changed in all these weeks.”
“Did you tellThe Timesabout the butler’s pantry?” she asked, needing to know.
“I swear I did not.”
“I did,” came Lord Trent’s voice out of the darkness, proving he had been listening all along.
“What?” Geoffrey roared.
“Sshh,”she admonished.
“You said you wanted to do whatever it took to break up an arrangement between Mangue and your lady,” LordTrent explained. “But I knew you to be too honorable to actually follow through.”
Stunned silence met his statement, and then Geoffrey’s disbelieving exclamation, “You tattled to the newspapers!”
Caroline tried to imagine what Geoffrey had told his friend of their intimate encounter and felt her cheeks heat even with the cool night air streaming against her.
“I made up a story based on the little you told me,” Lord Trent said. “It helped, didn’t it?”
“I would punch you if you weren’t my best friend,” Geoffrey growled.
“Gentlemen,” she said to regain their attention. “I think it was a terrible idea, but what’s done is done. My parents think only marrying Lord Mangue will erase the stain upon my reputation. For you see, if he marries me, it will plainly demonstrate that nothing really happened.”
“Oh!” came Lord Trent’s voice again. “I hadn’t thought of that, only of driving Mangue and his extraordinary eyebrow away.”
She would have laughed if it weren’t all so serious.
“I don’t care,” Geoffrey said. “Marry me, and we’ll weather any storm.”
“You don’t know what it might mean,” she said, although like sunshine between the clouds, a shard of hope broke through the heavy doubt and melancholy that had dogged her.
Then to her amazement, Geoffrey laughed.
“Dearest Caroline,” he said. “Do you forget who my parents are, and what my father has long been reputed to have done? More than anyone, I understand what this could mean. And still, I don’t give a fig. We shall not be shunned, I promise you. If anything, it lifted my parents into a mythological realm of desperate, undeniable love.”
Caroline considered his words.Desperate, undeniable love— that was a perfect description for what she felt.
“Besides,” he added, “any blame has been laid at my father’s feet as a bit of a rake. Even then, he is widelyforgiven because he married my mother, and they’ve stayed together without anyone ever being able to say either has been unfaithful.”
It was true that she’d only ever heard any fault being placed on Lord Diamond, except where her parents were concerned. Lady Diamond was considered an unwilling victim, and also a perfectly lovely and lucky countess who snared an earl.
“Please marry me,” he said again, his tone causing a lump in her throat.
“How?” she asked even as her pulse fluttered. She might actually get to marry the only man who had ever made her shiver.
“I spoke in jest once about Gretna Green,” he reminded her. “Now I believe we ought to take our chances. The alternative is to wait a year until you don’t need anyone’s permission.”
A wretched long year of being berated, scolded, pushed, and coerced.
“I think a border wedding sounds wonderful,” she agreed. “When?”
She half expected him to say, “Now,” which would have put her into a panicky rub. She wanted to bathe with her favorite floral soap, pack a bag, choose the perfect gown, and tell Daphne the thrilling news.
Nevertheless, if he said it had to be that instant or wait for the reign of Queen Dick, as her father would say to mean never at all, then she would dress in the first gown she had at hand and slip outside to meet him. Or more romantically, she could drop into his awaiting arms.
Gauging the distance, Caroline hoped she didn’t end up with a broken neck.
