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“Oh dear,” Arabella said, interrupting his thoughts.
Charles followed the line of her sight. Across the room, her mother and father were speaking, for the first time since the Duke of Tiverwell had admitted to his infidelity.
They’d both avoided each other, throughout the wedding festivities—the engagement party, the rehearsal dinner. It had been tense to say the least.
“So far so good,” he murmured. “They seemed to be talking civilly.”
“Perhaps I should go over,” she said.
“Whatever they have to say to each other, then they will,” Charles said. “You can relax.”
They both watched for a moment, then were interrupted by the approach of Lord Dunsmore.
“Mr. and Mrs. Conolly!” he said, bowing to them both. “Congratulations on your nuptials.”
“Thank you,” Charles said.
Lord Dunsmore faced Arabella. “I’ve told this to Mr. Conolly and he’s said that he’s planning on settling down. However, I am offering him a job as a private detective.” He put a hand up to his mouth then stage-whispering. “I thought, perhaps, that you could convince him otherwise.”
Arabella laughed, clapping her hands. “Oh, Charles!” she said. “You must!”
“Must I?” he asked. He’d thought that she would be against it.
“Well, of course!” she insisted. “Lord Dunsmore clearly cannot do without you!”
“I cannot,” Lord Dunsmore agreed.
“Do come and call on us this week,” Arabella told him. “I will help you convince him.”
Lord Dunsmore bowed. “I knew you would be on my side,” he said, winking at Charles, before wandering off.
Charles looked at Arabella. She smiled at him. “Oh, come, Charles. Don’t be a spoilsport.”
“I thought that you’d want me around,” he replied.
“Of course, I do,” she said. “But it would be great fun if we could assist Lord Dunsmore on cases.”
Charles then saw that Arabella herself was interested. He laughed. “Very well,” he said, because he couldn’t deny her anything. “We will talk with Lord Dunsmore. But we shan’t do anything dangerous. I think the night that I went to the brothel was too much danger and intrigue.”
“Agreed,” she said.
Charles took her hand in his. They both looked around the room, where all of their friends were gathered to celebrate them. Candles flickered, and the cake sat in the corner—a whole five tiers of yellow cake with vanilla frosting, dotted with little sugar flowers.
He glanced at the lady at his side. She smiled as she pressed his hand.
“Do we live happily ever after?” he asked.
“For certain,” she replied. “Just as soon as we’ve made a space for our fencing.”
“We have a yard for that,” he said.
“Then we live happily ever after,” she said.
* * *
It was late when Charles finally brought Arabella home. The party had gone on, through the evening. Arabella was excited to finally be at her new house. Mrs. Osbourne opened the front door. She and Annette had arrived much earlier.
“Welcome home, Sir—and Madam,” she said.
