The prospect of sailing across the Sound with him under the stars made her pulse quicken. It was such a romantic thing to do, even if no romance was on the cards. “Home it is, then. Give me a second to fetch my shawl from…” She gestured toward the dining room where she had left it.
He nodded, swiftly sat to wait, and then froze as the air was punctuated by the unmistakable sound of ripping fabric.
His eyes instantly widened with alarm. “Oh dear.” He reached his hand beneath his hip and groaned. “Marvelous.”
“Was that your…?”
“Yes. And all the way from the waistband to the unmentionables. I am alsosoglad that I made the stupid decision not to add to the discomfort of my too-tight dress breeches by stuffing them further with a thin layer of underwear.”
“So you’re…?”
He nodded, but Harry being Harry, he saw the funny side. “What a treat it will be for everyone to watch me leave this fine soiree with my entire bare arse hanging out. Such a boost to my fragile ego, too, as I get to do it in front of some of myfavoritepeople, because frankly, I haven’t been humiliated enough.” He flicked his gaze toward Lady Elizabeth, who was positively glaring at the pair of them from across the room.
“I’ll get you out with your dignity intact.” Georgie didn’t know how yet, but she would think of something. “Give me a moment.”
She half walked, half sprinted to the dining room, collected her shawl, and then returned. “How well does your coat cover it?”
He gingerly stood so that she could take a peek. “Well?”
“Um…” He twisted and she got a flash of enough pert buttock that it made her mouth dry. “It is perfectly decent when you keep still but I worry the moment you start to walk or encounter a breeze, the cutaway in the tails will disgrace you.” She offered him a sympathetic smile. “We could tie my shawl around your waist.”
He stared at the floral lace confection in disgust. “And announce to the entire room that I’ve got so big for my dress breeches that they actually exploded? Where’s the dignity in that?”
“I could walk directly behind you and act as a shield.”
“Won’t that look odd?”
“Probably—but at least nobody will see your bare arse.” Georgie tilted her head toward the terrace, trying not to snigger. “If we sneak out the back, Lady Nugent did say the terrace was deserted and look at the bright side…” Her lips began to twitch. “At least this will give you an excuse to explain away why you called off our engagement when the time comes.”
“It will?”
“Absolutely. You can tell everyone I was far too clingy—and they’ll believe it because they witnessed it with their own eyes.”
ChapterTWENTY-NINE
They set off, Harry supremely conscious of the cold draft whistling up the exposed crack in his bottom and Georgie practically plastered to his thighs. Both of them doing their best to convey that there was absolutely nothing untoward going on at all as they picked a tightly knit path through the crowd.
Of course, everyone stopped them. His peers wanted to congratulate him on theBoadiceaand, because gossip always spread like wildfire in the navy, on his recent and sudden engagement. They were only halfway to the terrace when Admiral Nugent reappeared and beckoned them over, and then, because his wife had only just told him the good news, he pressed glasses of champagne into their hands.
Before Harry could stop him, the admiral called the room to order. “A little bird has just told me that Captain Kincaid’s charming companion has taken leave of her senses and agreed to be his wife!” Nugent raised his glass high in the air. “Three cheers for the happy couple! Hip hip!”
“Hoorah!” shouted the room in unison as Harry gripped Georgie’s hand in apology.
“When is the wedding?” shouted a commodore in the crowd.
“Well… we… um…?” This was all getting out of hand very quickly and he had no clue how to make it stop. “Next year. There are obviously lots of plans to make and—”
“Next year!” Lady Nugent flapped that aside. “When you are sailing away in six weeks for goodness knows how long! No, indeed. That will not do when all the wives here will happily help Georgie with the plans.” Then she apparently had an epiphany. “Better still, we shall relieve her of the entire chore, isn’t that right, ladies?”
That elicited squeals of agreement from every woman present, bar Elizabeth, whose lips were so pursed she looked ready to blow on a trumpet. Pettily, that was the only part of the debacle he found some enjoyment in.
“That is such a generous offer,” said Georgie, gripping his hand behind his back for all she was worth while her body still protected his modesty. “But obviously I will need to consult with my own family before I accept it.” Not only were they now engaged, but she had miraculously grown a family. “They would want us to do the deed in London, wouldn’t they, Harry?” She jabbed him in the back, willing him to save them.
“They’d have us hanged, drawn, and quartered if we didn’t.”
“I actually have to head back to London next week…” She jabbed him again, as if he needed any reminder at all that as soon as blasted Flora returned, she’d be gone. “So I don’t think it would be sensible to make any sort of plans until I… um… return.” Which of course she wouldn’t, and then he’d have to come up with another lie to explain why their hasty engagement had been called off.
Good grief.
