Page 126 of A Scandal for the Beastly Earl

"She's in France."

"What?"

"She says she has information about the fire. She wants to meet."

"It's a trap."

"Obviously."

"We're not going."

"We have to go."

"Lucien..."

"If she knows something about Matilda's death..."

"She's lying."

"Probably. But what if she's not?"

Arabella studied him, seeing the old guilt surface. Two years of believing he'd failed to save his betrothed, had left scars deeper than the physical ones.

"Then we go," she said simply. "But we go prepared."

"For what?"

"For Cassandra being Cassandra. She wants something."

"She wants me."

"She can't have you."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

He pulled her close. "Arabella, you're carrying my child. You've turned my house into a home, my isolation into connection. You've saved me in every way a person can be saved. Cassandra could offer me the world and it wouldn't matter."

"The world is overrated anyway."

"Exactly. I prefer our chaos."

"Our criminal dog?"

"Even that."

"Our rescued cousin?"

"Especially that."

"Our grape baby?"

"Most especially that."

They kissed, long and sweet, until Morrison's discrete cough interrupted.

"The carriage is ready, my Lord."