week. Would you send to London and make the arrangements for the wedding, while we get to know one another better?”
He gave her wicked rakish smile. “Get to know one another better? Do we not already know one another well enough?”
“Not as two people who are engaged. I wish to learn all there is to know about you, Lord Sparks. All your likes and dislikes, where you have been and where we are going. We shall have to make compromises.”
He laughed “You mean you wish me to compromise.”
She smiled, her fingers touching his cheek as she saw his eyes laugh too.
“Well first, I would like to keep my house. May we live there? I have always loved living there.”
His fingers stroked over her hair again, as he smiled up at her. “Yes, you may keep your house and we’ll make it our home.” He raised an eyebrow. “After all as I recall you do not like bachelor rooms.” She laughed. “But on the condition you let me at least have two rooms I might decorate with a more masculine style.”
“You may have three.”
He laughed.
“But, Violet, if you stay here, we shall whip up a scandal, this is a village not the capital, you’ll never hide our indiscretion here. Their sensibilities will be shocked to the core.”
“And am I known for caring what others think?”
He shook his head at her, smiling in an open way she had never seen before, as though it was reaching from his heart out of his chest and through his eyes. “I see the violet I knew in London has returned.”
Oh she loved him. “Why do you think I acquired the name the Merry Widow? Because I can smile regardless, Geoff.”
His fingers touched her cheek. “That is the woman I fell for, but you shall only be a merry widow for another week, Vi, after that you shall be my wife.”
“And then I shall be your very happy wife.”
~
Robert Marlow, the Earl of Barrington, probably Geoff’s closest friend, and the only one Geoff had considered for the role of groom’s man, stood at Geoff’s shoulder as they heard the sound rise like a wave through the church.
Violet was here.
Geoff’s heart thumped as he heard people turning behind him and making sounds implying she looked beautiful.
Robert touched Geoff’s arm, stirring him from the paralysis which had swept over him. He looked over his left shoulder.
Violet was walking up the aisle with Jane, Robert’s wife and Violet’s friend.
Violet wore a very pale blue. The dress was simpler than her usual style, but then she’d only had two days to find a dress once they’d returned to town, having left half of Lacock red-faced at the audacity of their reunion.
He smiled at the thought, and at her, as she came closer.
The curve of her stomach was clearly visible, and probably the real cause of the stir of sound which was following her along the aisle.
Nearly all their audience were only discovering their situation as she walked.
He saw her chin was high and a bright defiant smile shone in her eyes and touched her lips.
The simplicity of her dress only made her look more beautiful and the bonnet covering her hair was an intricate straw weave, with a shower of artificial cream flowers by her ear. That colour was mirrored in her gloves and in a shawl which draped over her arms. She looked perfect.
His heart seeped warmth as she came to stand beside him and Jane moved into a pew on the far side.
Before he turned back to the altar, in the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of his eldest sister crying. Their mother had died when they were young. His sister had played mother to him for the last of his school years.
He glanced at her and smiled, then nodded at his brothers, before he turned to face the altar.
Violet’s fingers settled over his.
She had feared his sister’s disapproval more than anything, yet Sophia had only been glad he was finally settling down. Even her husband the Marquess of Kent had cared nothing about the impending scandal Violet’s condition was going to
He gave her wicked rakish smile. “Get to know one another better? Do we not already know one another well enough?”
“Not as two people who are engaged. I wish to learn all there is to know about you, Lord Sparks. All your likes and dislikes, where you have been and where we are going. We shall have to make compromises.”
He laughed “You mean you wish me to compromise.”
She smiled, her fingers touching his cheek as she saw his eyes laugh too.
“Well first, I would like to keep my house. May we live there? I have always loved living there.”
His fingers stroked over her hair again, as he smiled up at her. “Yes, you may keep your house and we’ll make it our home.” He raised an eyebrow. “After all as I recall you do not like bachelor rooms.” She laughed. “But on the condition you let me at least have two rooms I might decorate with a more masculine style.”
“You may have three.”
He laughed.
“But, Violet, if you stay here, we shall whip up a scandal, this is a village not the capital, you’ll never hide our indiscretion here. Their sensibilities will be shocked to the core.”
“And am I known for caring what others think?”
He shook his head at her, smiling in an open way she had never seen before, as though it was reaching from his heart out of his chest and through his eyes. “I see the violet I knew in London has returned.”
Oh she loved him. “Why do you think I acquired the name the Merry Widow? Because I can smile regardless, Geoff.”
His fingers touched her cheek. “That is the woman I fell for, but you shall only be a merry widow for another week, Vi, after that you shall be my wife.”
“And then I shall be your very happy wife.”
~
Robert Marlow, the Earl of Barrington, probably Geoff’s closest friend, and the only one Geoff had considered for the role of groom’s man, stood at Geoff’s shoulder as they heard the sound rise like a wave through the church.
Violet was here.
Geoff’s heart thumped as he heard people turning behind him and making sounds implying she looked beautiful.
Robert touched Geoff’s arm, stirring him from the paralysis which had swept over him. He looked over his left shoulder.
Violet was walking up the aisle with Jane, Robert’s wife and Violet’s friend.
Violet wore a very pale blue. The dress was simpler than her usual style, but then she’d only had two days to find a dress once they’d returned to town, having left half of Lacock red-faced at the audacity of their reunion.
He smiled at the thought, and at her, as she came closer.
The curve of her stomach was clearly visible, and probably the real cause of the stir of sound which was following her along the aisle.
Nearly all their audience were only discovering their situation as she walked.
He saw her chin was high and a bright defiant smile shone in her eyes and touched her lips.
The simplicity of her dress only made her look more beautiful and the bonnet covering her hair was an intricate straw weave, with a shower of artificial cream flowers by her ear. That colour was mirrored in her gloves and in a shawl which draped over her arms. She looked perfect.
His heart seeped warmth as she came to stand beside him and Jane moved into a pew on the far side.
Before he turned back to the altar, in the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of his eldest sister crying. Their mother had died when they were young. His sister had played mother to him for the last of his school years.
He glanced at her and smiled, then nodded at his brothers, before he turned to face the altar.
Violet’s fingers settled over his.
She had feared his sister’s disapproval more than anything, yet Sophia had only been glad he was finally settling down. Even her husband the Marquess of Kent had cared nothing about the impending scandal Violet’s condition was going to
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