Georgie glanced at the worn floorboards. “I assume you will be sleeping on the floor,” she said.
“Unless you would prefer that I share the bed with you,” he remarked.
“I believe we have already established that I do not.”
William approached and asked, “May I sit next to you?”
“On the bed?” she asked in disbelief.
“There isn’t anywhere else to sit,” William replied in an amused voice. “I promise that I will behave.”
Georgie nodded. “I shall take you at your word, my lord.”
As William sat down, he said, “I don’t ever want you to ‘my lord’ me again. We will be married soon enough.”
“So you keep reminding me,” Georgie murmured under her breath.
“Are you having second thoughts?” William asked with a concerned glance. “Because I dare say that it is too late for those.”
“I am not,” Georgie said. “I know what is at stake.”
William moved back on the bed until his back was resting against the wall. “I cannot wait to see the look on your brother’s face when he discovers that we are wed.”
Georgie allowed herself to smile. “He will be furious.”
“I have no doubt about that,” William said. “I am half-hoping that he will challenge me to a duel.”
“You can’t be in earnest!”
“I am. I do not take kindly to being threatened.”
“Do not let your pride rob you of your tomorrow.”
William shifted to face her. “You are assuming that I will lose,” he said. “I will have you know that I am an excellent marksman.”
“I don’t doubt that, but my brother will find a way to cheat.” Her eyes shifted towards the walls. “The papered walls remind me of my grandmother’s estate. We used to spend our summers in Brighton with her.”
“You were close with your grandmother, then?”
“I was,” Georgie replied. “She would have me accompany her when she visited her tenants. She wanted me to become acquainted with them so I could fully understand my responsibilities when I inherited her estate.”
“I hadn’t realized you would inherit an estate, as well.”
“It isn’t grand, mind you, but it is important to me.”
“I would imagine so.”
Georgie leaned back and rested her back against the wall, matching William’s position. “I know it would be rather unorthodox for a married woman, but would you mind if I oversaw my grandmother’s estate?” she asked hesitantly.
“It is your estate, Georgie,” he said. “Why wouldn’t you run it?”
“Not once we are wed. Everything I have becomes yours.”
“No, it becomes ‘ours’,” he corrected. “There is a difference; and I already have an estate to run.”
“Do you truly mean that?”
William held her gaze. “Your happiness means a great deal to me. You must know that.”
