Page 57 of A Gifted Earl

Which was a very clear breach of protocol, for he should have been escorting the Lady of the highest rank present – which happened, now she thought about it, to be Venetia’s mother. Whispers, of course, followed. She didn’t care – the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

In the dining room, the seating arrangement had her sitting on one side of him, and her mother on his other side. She simply smiled and sat. The dinner seemed interminable, even though the Christmas decorations made the room beautiful, and his cook had achieved marvels with the food. She could not, later, remember what they talked about, nor what she ate, for her mind was entirely on the moment which would occur after the dessert had been cleared away.

A moment which finally arrived. Lord Templewick stood, and called for everyone’s attention. Venetia looked up at him, and thought, though he hid it well, that there was almost as much nervousness in him as there was in her.

He cleared his throat, and the room fell into silence.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this dinner was originally planned as a celebration of Christmas, but it has become much more than that. Today, Lady Venetia Chater has done me the honour of agreeing to be my wife. I ask you all to help us celebrate this joyous occasion.”

There was a collective sigh of disappointment from nearly every young Lady in the room, and Venetia struggled not to laugh at their expressions. Then, as the shock of his announcement wore off, everyone started talking at once.

“Please, everyone, let us withdraw, ladies and gentlemen together, to the parlour, where there will be a glass of champagne in celebration, followed by sherry and port.”

They rose, in far more disorder than would have usually been the case, and left the room, following Lord Templewick, who had Venetia on his arm again. The next hour was a complete whirlwind, as people came up to them to congratulate them, the girls all telling her how lucky she was, the men suddenly looking at her differently, as if the fact that one young man found her valuable enough to want to marry her had suddenly changed something.

Had it not been so ridiculous, it would have been funny.

Finally, the evening came to a close, and the ladies went upstairs to retire. Lord Templewick caught her hand as she made to leave the room, lifting it to his lips for a moment.

“Rest well, my love. Tomorrow, we will set everything in motion, so that we may marry as soon as possible – but first, we will have a peaceful Christmas together, just your family and mine.”

She tightened her fingers on his, and leaned close.

“I love you.”

And with that, she left him there to drink more port with the gentlemen.

*****

Morgan watched her leave the room, his heart full of love.

For a moment, he simply stood there, until Wilborough came up to clap him on the back again.

“And now, Templewick, in time honoured tradition, we gentlemen will help you to celebrate your coming nuptials by plying you with far too much good brandy. And you can tell us just how this came to be – for you’re a sly one, to have been quietly courting her without any of us realising!”