In Rob’s opinion, the celebration, joyful though it was, had gone on long enough. After three weeks apart while banns were read and he mended fences with Viscount Rockford at Horse Guards, he wanted nothing so much as to get his bride alone and had begun to regret the decision to spend their wedding night in the same place as the celebration, which showed no signs of winding down.
With half an ear, he listened to old Mrs. Dobbins, the grocer’s mother-in-law, profess profuse congratulations and spout embarrassing memories of his boyhood, while he watched his new wife deep in conversation with Emma and Maddy. Were the three of them conspiring for ways to keep their menfolk on their toes? Or were the married ladies preparing Lucy for her wedding night? If so, he devoutly hoped they promised pleasure, because that is what he intended to give her.
He took a step in their direction, but his father waylaid him. The old man had a glow about him that hadn’t come entirely from the Willow’s ale, which continued to flow with abundance. “Is all well, Da?”
“Never better, Robbie. You did well, son. I told you she just needed the right words.” If his father wanted to take credit for the success of Rob’s suit, he wasn’t entirely wrong. The old man went on. “It gives me joy to know you’ll be coming back here.”
Whatever he meant to add was interrupted by Matt Corbin chasing David’s son, the little viscount, past them. Before the two men could pick up the thread of their words, two giggling little girls ran past, trailing their brothers.
“You’ll be coming back and bringing more little ones to cut up my peace,” Da chuckled, his beaming face making it clear that would be no problem at all.
Rob laughed out loud and clapped his father on his back. As Da moved on, Rob caught sight of David watching them from the corner of his eye. His brother stood with Lord Rockford, who had come up to Ashmead with Rob. David hadn’t missed what passed between Rob and his father, his face softened briefly into an expression Rob couldn’t identify before the earl turned back to his conversation. Odd that.
Rob walked toward Eli, Ellis, and Goodfellow, clustered around kegs of the Willow’s ale, intending to ask a favor and puzzling over David’s expression. He reached over to refill his tankard, and realization forced him to glance back at David.Envy. He envies me my father.
Family is messy,Rob thought, looking around and shaking his head,and that’s the truth.
“Where’s your bride, Robbie? Did you lose her already,” Ellis teased to general laughter.
“She’s—” he turned to where he’d seen her with his sisters, but she was gone. He ran his free hand through his hair. “Somewhere. She’s here somewhere. Actually, Ellis, I was wondering—”
“Anxious to get her alone, Robbie,” Ellis asked with a leering grin.
Rob’s glare meant to quell impertinence but only drew laughter. He gave in. “Should the guests of honor disappear, do you suppose you could make sure this crowd is safely on its way by dark?”
“Mrs. Spears and Mrs. Morris have already begun to clear things to the kitchen. I’ll see them on their way to the Willow,” Goodfellow said, his color rising.
“Emma will manage the thing,” Eli added, “But don’t expect discretion.”
Rob groaned and rolled his eyes. He started again toward the bench where he’d seen her before, only to find Morgan deep in conversation with Maddy. He diverted his path toward the side of the house, smiling at those who attempted to greet him, sidestepping the children now engaged in some circle game only they understood, and peering around for Lucy.
He reached the corner of the house, where lush bushes lined the side, but didn’t see her.
“Running away?” Lucy’s voice behind him stopped him cold. Awareness skittered up his spine; he could feel her breath on the back of his neck. He reached back, grabbed her hand, and pulled her between two of the bushes that towered above his head. Several drugging kisses later, he pulled away and dropped his forehead to hers, their breaths heaving.
“Better,” he said, diving in for another kiss. “But not enough.”
“We have guests,” she sighed. The sound of revelry continued, muffled by the foliage and the house.
“No, our family has guests…”
Her grin, slow and full of promise, sent his senses reeling. “Have Ihave shown you the back stairway?” she asked.
“Why, no, Lady Benson. I don’t believe you have. You’ve been holding out on me.”
“Never,” she sighed into his mouth.
She pulled him along the side of the house to the ground-level door in the kitchen garden. Stifling their laughter and attempting to make no sound, they tried and failed to slip past the women in the kitchen unnoticed. Agnes and Annie let loose cheeky grins before turning ostentatiously to pretend they saw nothing while Lucy and Rob sped up the stairs.
Someone had turned Lucy’s chamber into a bower of pink roses and white delphinium. A lace coverlet lay over the bed, and a delicately embroidered nightgown had been laid out on top. Neither noticed any of it. They ran in, shut the door behind them, and collapsed onto the bed in a heap of laughter.
Laughter gave way to desire, and the dance they had begun among the lilacs burst back to life. Just before the feel of her, warm and willing in his arms, destroyed his last thread of control, Rob pulled back.
“I mean to take care, Lucy. You don’t need a rampaging beast on your wedding night,” he murmured, pushing himself up.
Lucy followed him, tossing her slippers to the floor, while he sat on the edge of the bed pulling off his boots. She pulled up on her knees next to him with a pout. “How disappointing. I was rather hoping for the rampaging beast.”
He dropped the last boot. “Be careful what you wish for,” he said, his voice a deep rumble that drew her hand to his chest to feel the vibration of it.
