Page 39 of Yule Be Mine

True to hisword, Tom had the carriage waiting when Yule’s train finally pulled into the station, despite the fact he was more than three hours late. There had been trouble with the engine when they arrived at Harlow and a new one had to be procured. Yule had been certain they would shut down the train completely, causing him to have to stay the night there. However, miracle of miracles, a new engine was acquired and installed, delaying them for a matter of hours instead of days. Yule had ground his teeth the whole time, wishing for a stiff brandy.

When Yule opened the carriage door, he was surprised to see Tom there. The man had guts, he had to say, considering the choice words he’d sent him via telegraph.

“Just calm down, Yule.” Tom sat in the backward facing seat, a sure sign of contrition on his part. “Nothing’s been said about calling off the wedding, except by Penelope. Her parents are still sure she can be calmed down.” His cousin’s face took on a perturbed look. “Why in hell didn’t you tell her about the wager? Are you truly daft?”

“You’ve got some nerve to blame me for what was obviously your fault, Tom. Why were you speaking about the wager anyway? Why the devil are you even in Hertfordshire?”

“All I did was accompany Mother here at Grandfather’s request. Since he and Grandmama were remaining in London, he sent us as the welcoming delegation for the St. Claires. So we called there for tea. I hadn’t seen Penelope since the Kastners’ party and wanted to catch up with her, especially to hear about the upcoming wedding plans.” Tom’s eyes narrowed and his glare increased. “Of course, I’d mention the marriage wager. It’s the reason you’re marrying, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely not.” How dense could his cousin be? “I’m marrying her because I love her.”

“And how was I to know you were keeping the wager a secret from her? A singularly stupid decision on your part, I must say.”

“I was being stupid?” Yule couldn’t believe his cousin’s gall. “I didn’t tell Penelope about the wager because in the beginning, I didn’t want her to know I was looking for a wife. I thought it would make her pursue me even more strenuously. Then, after I fell in love with her, it didn’t seem to matter because I wanted to marry her and the date of the wedding wouldn’t impact the wager in any case. So to me, it didn’t matter. But now you’ve spilled the beans and I’m left having to explain something I never thought I needed to explain to her in the first place.” Yule dropped his head into his hands as the carriage continued briskly out of town toward Welwyn Castle.

Tom shook his head. “I should have telegraphed back to you to bring the biggest damned diamond you could find as an appeasement to Penelope.” He lit up a cigarette. “I’ve heard it is more difficult to jilt someone who’s offering you a diamond. Perhaps there’s a jeweler in Harlow we can run over to tomorrow before you go see Penelope.”

“I am not going to bribe the woman into marrying me, Tom.” Not that he thought something like jewels would sway Penelope the least bit once she made her mind up. “And I’m going to their house tonight. I’ve got to see Penelope, to make this right with her.”

“It’s close to midnight. I don’t think it will do you any good to go in there and rouse everyone up from their beds. You’d be better to leave it until the morning.”

Yule gazed out the window at the inky blackness of the countryside. When he could make out the shape of a house, it was invariably dark. Perhaps Tom had a point in waiting for daylight. “Very well, but first thing in the morning, I’m going over there.”

“I wouldn’t dream of standing in your way. But I will tell you, you’d better think up something to say before you go. You can’t simply ask her to come back to you.” Tom chuckled. “It’ll be the shortest refusal of a proposal in the history of the world.”

“I don’t need to propose to her again. She’s agreed to marry me. Several times.” And in several different places—parlor, the bed, the bedroom chair, the bathtub in his dressing room. He might have proposed each time they climaxed together. However, if she was as upset as Tom seemed to think, he was going to have the devil’s own time finding a way to get her back if she was now set on refusing him.