His breath caught suddenly. She could feel new excitement thrumming through him. “We could sail to Scotland and be married there without fuss.”
“And by then, perhaps we would know about Mr. Foster for sure.”
His arms tightened. “Carina, Carina, why does this make sense when I know it is wrong?”
“Because it isnotwrong. It is possible.”
He raised his head, gazing down at her in wonder. “I am no real use to Duncan. He has Bethany and Baldeston, and I can keep in closer correspondence with the school. And with my new stewards...”
A smile trembled on her lips. “You see? Itispossible. And right. We can do this, together.”
He gave a soft little laugh that blended delight and tenderness. He kissed her cheek, her lips, and her hand. “I must think for both of us.Allof us. But you give me hope, Cara. Kiss me once more and bid me goodnight...”
She raised her face willingly and drowned in his kiss for a long, long moment.
It was he who ended it, his breath unsteady, his eyes shining with purpose. He touched his forehead to hers, and then backedaway, slipping from her arms to the door which he opened and closed silently behind him.
She followed, listening for the sound of his fading footsteps. They didn’t come, until she wedged the chair against the door as he had shown her. He even tried the handle before softly patting the door with approval. She smiled as he retreated, her heart still drumming with passion and happiness and eagerness for the morrow.
HALF AN HOUR ALONEwith her and the weight of the world seemed to have lifted from Durward’s shoulders. Not only that but he was filled with hope and possibilities that were by no means all bad. All of that without even indulging in the pleasures of blind lust. Just to know that she loved him was enough to inspire his ridiculously jaunty return to the room he shared with Duncan, where he fell almost at once into a deep, untroubled sleep.
When he woke in the morning, it was with excitement and the realization of what he had to do. He would stand up with Sanderly, see the man married to his true love. And there would be no more running from anything. He regretted stealing their governess, but they would understand. Sanderly had already interrogated him about Carina.
Before the bombshell of Foster’s relapse.
Durward’s name might be disgraced, but his title and his estates would be hers. That was the best protection he could give her. For the future, he loved the idea of adventuring with her, whether here or abroad, but it was not yet written.
His high good humour that morning seemed to take Duncan by surprise and he at least had the satisfaction of seeing the crease of worry fade from the boy’s brow before hewent downstairs and left Duncan to join the children in the nursery...and Carina.
Her name was a song in his heart that robbed all his cheerfulness of pretence. She loved him, she would run away with him. The wonder of that overrode everything else.
Encountering the Duke of Isbourne at the breakfast sideboard, where there was only tea and toast to keep body and soul together until the wedding breakfast, he had another notion. “I don’t suppose your grace numbers a yacht or two among your vast possessions?”
“Just the one,” Isbourne said, equally casual. “It’s kept seaworthy. One of my uncles uses it occasionally, though not recently. It is, of course, at your disposal.”
“That’s very decent of you,” said Durward, who’d been prepared to plead. “Er...where is it anchored?”
The ghost of a smile crossed the duke’s serious young face. “Harwich.”
Durward threw back his head and laughed. It was all falling nicely into place.
“A crew is retained,” Isbourne said, “though I’m afraid the captain may be unavailable for the next fortnight.”
“Oh, I have a captain,” Durward said cheerfully. “May I let you know at short notice?”
“Of course.”
“Wonderful.” And best of all, in just an hour, he would see Carina again...
The wedding guests gathered in the garden salon at the appointed time, with the terrace door flung open to let in the fresh scents of cut grass and summer flowers. The clergyman, who was the recently ordained son of a nobleman, seemed to find the whole business vastly entertaining, and greeted the bridegroom and Durward with a boyish grin. While Durwardwould probably have chosen him for his own wedding, he doubted that he would have been Sanderly’s first choice.
But the earl merely shrugged. “Lady G. was seduced by his rank,” he told Durward. “Since no bishops were available. She claims he has dignity when it counts.”
It seemed she was right. Silence fell in the room, and the young clergyman sobered without losing his good humour. The grace of his office seemed to fold around him and Durward’s lips twitched in appreciation. He tried to catch Sanderly’s gaze, but the groom had half-turned away and was gazing at the terrace door. Durward heard his breath catch, and realized the poised Snake was not nearly as calm as his outward appearance.
The bride entered from the terrace on Sir John’s arm. For an instant she looked almost frightened, then Grandison murmured something to her and she smiled. Her gaze found Sanderly and stayed there as they made their stately way between rows of guests toward him. Behind them came the bride’s attendants, all her sisters, looking positively angelic in their white dresses and little hats.
Harriet herself was radiant, now that her nerves seemed to have dissolved.
