Page 144 of The Betrothal

Did he declare I was his wife to the congregation of hundreds?

“Not sure it works like that?” I replied, waiting for the rest of the joke.

Ben teased me from where I held him, turning me in his lap and wrapping his arms back around me, locking me against him, my back to his front.

“There were some favours called in, and some light forgery,” Alex supplemented. “It’s a good thing your father doesn’t know your signature, but it did the job.”

I gawped at them. Seb shifted on his feet, unable to stay still.

“You told the world we are married?” I gasped.

“We couldn’t think of another way, Sugar.” Ben squeezed me as he spoke, nuzzling my neck. “We didn’t have time.”

Seb looked agonised at the distance between us and I was unable to torment him, inclining my head to the bed beside us.

He closed the distance between us in two strides, making no effort to break me free from Ben’s arms, he wrapped his arm over Ben’s shoulders, tucking us both into him.

“I’ll be needing more than that,” I prompted while Alex dropped to the window seat, avoiding the bed like the others. I shifted uncomfortably at his distance.

“We assumed all had gone to plan, until yesterday morning,” Alex began. Ben and Seb held me, giving him time. “The news reported you’d been located and there had been an announcement and the wedding was on. All the statements bundled into one. Someone had been found responsible, you were well, the wedding was to take place that day.”

Alex’s mood soured further.

“Given the speed of the service we assumed nothing good had come of them finding you,” Seb whispered.

“Seb has a friend in town, a registrar. The only way we could think of to stop the wedding was to prove you were ineligible.” Alex shrugged.

“You forged a wedding certificate?” I asked.

“She wasn’t hugely comfortable with it, if that’s what you’re getting at, but we all know how convincing Seb can be,” Alex replied.

“She’ll be very disappointed to learn he’s not single,” Ben muttered to Seb’s frustration.

“I didn’t promise her anything!” he complained.

“We went from there to the church. I’m not sure how much you remember?” Alex was scowling now.

“Do you know what they gave you, Sugar?” Ben whispered.

I tried to shrug but was wrapped too tightly.

“Letro-something?” I couldn’t remember. “Supplements, and benzos. I don’t know what he gave me in the church.”

“Who, Izzy? Teddy?” Seb had taken my hand and began rubbing it gently.

“My…” I hesitated. “Edmund.” He didn’t deserve to be called father.

“Fertility drugs and sedatives,” Seb spoke to Alex. “It’ll take a few days, maybe weeks for the ovulation drugs, but they’ll work out of her system.”

Alex’s lip curled.

“What does this mean? What happened?”

“We had a few words in the church. Guests were sent to the reception for a knees-up, and we went back to your fath– Edmund’s house for a mighty dick-swinging contest,” Seb muttered. “Your sister’s a piece of shit, by the way.”

“She gets it from my mother,” I replied.

Ben didn’t even try to hide his laughter.