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“I’m going to be here with you.” Richard took her hand and linked their fingers together. “Do you want to pack, or shall we just leave?”
“I haven’t unpacked yet. I’ll just tell Arnaud to get things onto the carriage.” Isabel looked towards the door. “What about your brother?”
“I think he’s got enough charisma in him to calm the duke down and make him see sense. But we do need to face him first.”
“I know.” Isabel squeezed his hand. “You’re going to stay with me, aren’t you?”
“You won’t be able to get rid of me.”
#
Isabel let out a sigh of relief as Richard led her into their bedchamber. Their bedchamber. It felt very surreal to say it. But she liked the sound of it.
Richard chuckled as he shut the door.
“You sound glad to be away from that.”
“That did sound awful, didn’t it?” Isabel rubbed her temples. “Much as I appreciate everyone coming, I don’t do well with crowds. You know that.”
“I know.” Richard locked the door. “But we couldn’t go without thanking everyone for turning up. It was the least we could do for those who wanted to come to the wedding.”
Isabel had to concede that. Many of their friends and relatives wanted to come to the wedding, even Viscount Dunley, but Isabel wasn’t comfortable with so many people seeing her in that situation. The mere thought of saying her vows in front of dozens of people made her feel nauseous. So she and Richard had reached a compromise; just two witnesses at the wedding ceremony, and then they would have dinner with everyone else who wanted to come.
A couple of people grumbled, but the general consensus was that it was a good idea. They knew Isabel well enough to know that she would be very awkward, and Isabel didn’t want that on her wedding day.
From the way Richard had been about it, he agreed that a quiet wedding was preferable.
So, as a result, their witnesses were Lady Dunley and Cohen, both of them beaming as Richard and Isabel said their vows and exchanged rings. It felt like the most perfect moment Isabel had ever experienced.
It was hard to imagine Richard as her husband. She had been thinking of him as that for the last week when they walked out of Galliston’s house and went back to Clovewood, but to actually say it, felt right.
“By the way, what was your mother talking to you about earlier?” Richard asked as he shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it onto a chair. “I came in at the end, and she looked like she was holding onto a secret.”
“I’m not entirely sure.” Isabel frowned. “She was acting oddly all through dinner. She was giggling a lot. I thought it was due to the drink, but she barely touched it. Even your father commented that she was different than usual.”
“Well, her daughter just got married. That would make anyone giddy.”
Isabel sighed.
“I suppose. She said she may have some news for me when we return from our honeymoon, but when I asked her what the news was, she wouldn’t say. Just that she needed to have it confirmed before she could tell me. Now I’m going to spend the next two weeks wondering what she’s talking about.”
Richard shook his head, his fingers deftly undoing the buttons on his shirt.
“If you start spending two weeks focused on your mother instead of on me, I’m not going to be too impressed. It took me a long time to get to this point, and I’m not having your thoughts drifting.”
Isabel eyed him as he took off his shirt. She had seen him with his shirt off before, but each time he revealed bare skin, she found herself ogling him. It was still new and still made everything flutter.
“I’m sure you’ll be very good at distracting me. Especially if you walk around like that.”
“Glad I can do something to your approval.” Richard tossed his shirt aside and reached for her. “Come here.”
Isabel couldn’t deny him that. She went to him and ran her hands over his chest, marvelling in the firm muscles and the tapered waist. Richard groaned.
“Your exploration of me is far too much for me, Isabel.”
“You didn’t complain the other night.” Isabel pressed a kiss to his chest. “You seemed very happy to have my hands on you.”
“That was because I knew it was all I could have until we were married. You deserved better than for me to take you like a wild animal before you were an honest woman.”
