Page 33 of The Dandy Lyon

“You shouldn’t have to do that.” His voice was scarcely above a whisper.

“I want to do it, my love.” Tears threatened but she shook them back. “I want to make certain you get well and strong so we can make another argument to Geoffrey.”

“Joanna.”

She shook her head vehemently at his protest. “He must allow your suit now, Marcus. You saved my life and his.”

“Yes, my dear, but—”

“No, my love.” Joanna squeezed his hand harder. “We will make Geoffrey listen to us, once you are well. I swear to you, he seems changed already. He allowed me to come here tonight alone with you.”

“I’m hardly a danger to you in my present condition.” He attempted a laugh, which turned into a groan. “But I agree your brother has changed toward me.” Marcus peered up into her face, his dark eyes filled with longing. “I asked him to allow me to see you because he’s withdrawn his objection to our marriage.”

Joanna stared down at him, her heart beating so fast she feared it would burst. She gasped for breath, not quite believing his words.

“So I wanted to ask if you would do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?” His gaze, so hopeful she wanted to weep, never left her face. “I’m only sorry I am not able to get down on one knee and ask properly.”

With a cry of joy, Joanna swooped over and kissed him, laughing and crying all at once. “I will get down on my knees and ask you, silly man if that will make you feel better.”

“What will make me feel better is hearing your answer.” Marcus slowly raised their hands and kissed her knuckles.

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.” She wanted to shout the answer so loudly the neighbors next door would hear her. She wanted to stand in the middle of the floor and twirl about in sheer happiness. “Yes, my love,” she whispered, and promptly burst into tears.

Marcus waited a moment before pulling her head down onto the covers and stroking her hair. “Tomorrow we can begin to talk about the wedding—and our life to come together.”

She nodded, unable to speak, wanting only to remain as they were, his hand caressing her head. But he needed to rest and mend so they could plan a future she’d scarcely allowed herself to dream about. With a sigh, she raised her head and gazed lovingly into Marcus’s tired face. “I must go, my love. You need your sleep and I will come back first thing in the morning to tend your wound.”

“I can think of nothing better to look forward to than seeing your lovely face.” He touched her cheek, then let his hand fall back onto the bed. “Tomorrow and every other morning for the rest of our lives.”

“And I will hold you to that, Mr. Dandridge.” She smiled at him, her heart so full she might burst. “For as long as we both shall live.”

Chapter Fifteen

Middlesex, England

Mid-October

The day Marcus had scarcely believed he would ever see, his wedding day to Joanna, dawned crisp and bright. He was up with the sun, gazing across the manicured front lawn of his newly acquired estate, rechristened Heart’s Haven from its more prosaic name of Morris House. He’d been fortunate to have found a suitable property for sale only a mile and a half from Joanna’s home. Not that he believed she wished particularly to live so close to her brother, but Marcus wished to show Lord Longford that he would take excellent care of his sister, and what better way than by starting out their life together as neighbors.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Marcus turned from the window just as Spencer entered to begin the ordeal of dressing him. The ceremony wouldn’t take place until ten o’clock, but that gave him time, as Spencer fussed over every stitch of clothing, to savor the day. He wanted to remember every moment of it until he was eighty years old and in his dotage.

The past four weeks had been a whirlwind of activity during which he’d not seen Joanna nearly as often as he’d wished. Because Lord Longford insisted he remain in the house until he was well enough to walk, Marcus had spent three heady days with almost unfettered access to Joanna. Granted he was confined to the bed for that entire time, still she came several times each day, tending to his wound, fussing over him in a way that was both embarrassing and delightful. If he hadn’t needed to put the scheme to buy an estate near Joanna’s family in motion, he might have malingered for a week, just so he could continue to see and talk with her every day.

Once Marcus had reluctantly returned to his suite at The Dandy, he’d only been able to meet Joanna once a day, after the dinner to which he’d been invited very cordially by Lord Longford. Despite the man’s professed gratitude for saving his life, Longford still looked at him sometimes as though he’d like to show him the door rather than drink port with him after dinner. Hopefully their continued acquaintance would eventually remove any doubts Longford had about him.

Unfortunately, after a week, the family had removed to Longford Manor in Middlesex, and even these short meetings had ceased, giving Marcus an added impetus to find a suitable home in the vicinity. Last week, he had settled on this property and taken possession only two days ago. And even though the wait to be with Joanna had seemed interminable, now the appointed day had arrived at last. He looked forward to the ceremony with growing anticipation, knowing afterward, he and Joanna would never need to be parted from one another again.

Spencer finished tying his white linen cravat, sticking a pin boasting an enormous pearl into the fabric, then stepped back to view his handiwork. His black morning coat and buff pantaloons set off the snowy white shirt and cravat to perfection, although his colorful waistcoat certainly drew the eye directly to itself. Marcus had been rather skeptical when the tailor had presented it as an elegant option for his wedding suit, but in the end, he’d agreed to the showy white cloth embroidered with bright green vines and leaves intertwined with pink flowers and rosebuds. Marcus only hoped it did not outshine his bride’s gown. “Excellent, Spencer. You are to be commended.”

A glance at his pocket watch told him he was hours away from leaving for the church. Sighing heavily, Marcus quit his chamber and headed downstairs to the breakfast room. It should be quiet at this hour, however that would surely change presently. His family had arrived from Essex yesterday to attend the festivities and after ten years away from them, Marcus had forgotten just how much commotion his four brothers and two sisters could make. They’d grown up during that time, to be sure, but the din at dinner last night had been quite a shock to his system. He’d enjoyed their company, and that of his mother especially, but his years of solitary dining had not prepared him for the boisterous meal punctuated by good-natured arguments, loud chatter, and the sudden tears of his youngest sister, Aurora, when she upset her water glass halfway through the meal.

This morning, however, the room was blessedly empty and Marcus ordered coffee and hoped for half an hour of peace in which to calm his burgeoning nerves. A trembling in his stomach whenever thoughts of seeing Joanna surfaced warned him that breakfast was out of the question. Coffee would settle him down though. However, when the beverage arrived steaming hot and pungent, his insides roiled in protest and Marcus cursed under his breath. This longed-for day would not be without its own bumps it seemed.

The door to the breakfast room opened and his next oldest brother, Anthony, entered looking excited and perhaps a bit anxious. “Good morning, Marcus. Getting close to the finish line, aren’t we?” His brother had agreed to stand up with him in the village church where Mr. Paxton, the vicar, would solemnize the marriage. “Not flustered this morning are you, brother?”

Marcus glared at Anthony, who had always been able to read his moods like a book. “Why would I be flustered when I’m about to get my heart’s desire?”

“Because you think she’s changed her mind—or her brother has.”