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Eager to get her to the church before she changed her mind, he suddenly released her and began to tug his clothes on.
Petal couldn’t tear her stunned gaze away from his masculine splendour as he walked around the room. Every muscle rippled as he walked but he appeared to be completely oblivious to his nakedness, and her rapt gaze, as he tugged his shirt over his head and shook his breeches out.
Minutes later, aware that she hadn’t moved yet, he threw her a warning look.
“Hurry up, or you will have to get married in the dress you have on,” he warned her.
“I can’t marry you today,” she protested laughingly. “I don’t have a dress.”
“I have it on good authority that your mother’s dress will fit you. Your father said so. Do you know where it is?”
“Well, yes,” she replied hesitantly, clutching the sheets to her chest to protect her modesty as she sat up. “Wait! Do you mean that father knows about this?”
Aidan looked at her. “He does know we are to be married. I asked him for your hand this morning.”
Petal looked at him in shock. “You did what?”
“I asked your father for permission to approach you for your hand in marriage,” he informed her absently. “Where is it?”
Petal looked askance at him.
“Where is what?” She was struggling to keep up with the swiftness of his subject change.
He was like an overenthusiastic puppy jumping this way and that.
“Tell me where your mother’s dress is usually kept and I will get it while you dress,” he said on his way to the door.
“It’s in my father’s room in the cupboard behind the door,” she murmured absently, and watched him go.
Aidan disappeared without a backward look.
“Hurry up!” he called when he couldn’t hear her moving about. In spite of her lack of movement, a grin split his face as he went in search of her dress.
Petal stared at the empty door for a moment but, at his shout, vaulted out of bed and hastily gathered her clothing up. She couldn’t put them on, though, because he had the dress she was supposed to put on. Behind the retiring screen, she hurriedly saw to her ablutions and waited.
“Here, put this on,” Aidan ordered, as he tossed the dress over the top of the screen.
Petal looked at it for a moment and snatched it down. It felt strange to put it on; surreal even, and in some ways it made her feel more connected to her mother than ever before. But she had no time for sentiment, and quickly tugged it over her head. Thankfully, it fit perfectly and left her with enough time to hastily pin her hair up.
Aidan tried not to pace as he waited for her to emerge. He was aware that time was passing swiftly, and the wedding had yet to take place. Now that he had her agreement, he didn’t want to give her the time or opportunity to change her mind. That thought prompted him to pack the few belongings in the room she had used, and tuck them back into her bag.
When he became aware of movement behind him, he turned around and suddenly dropped the hairbrush he held.
“Good Lord above,” he whispered, as he stared at the vision before him.
Although her hair still hung in tousled abandon about her shoulders, the beautifully embroidered dress she wore emphasised her slender frame to perfection. The tiny yellow rosebuds adorning the soft, cotton material matched her honey coloured hair, highlighting her brilliant blue eyes and refined beauty to perfection. In all of his life he had never seen such a wondrous sight. It humbled him to think she was his.
“Do you like it?” she asked hesitantly, staring down at herself nervously when he didn’t immediately answer.
Aidan walked toward her and only stopped when they were toe-to-toe.
“God, you are so beautiful,” he breathed huskily.
Stepping back, he looked down the length of her and shook his head in admiration. She was utterly divine. He knew then that he had made the best choice of his life and wasn’t prepared to waste a single moment of the life that now awaited him.
Sweeping her high into his arms, he stalked toward the door.
“Aidan! Your legs!” She gasped as she clung to his shoulders.
