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"Wel you aren't going to be able to keep him here much longer," Langley said dryly as he watched Richard lock the door. "Surely he would be fine in the family vault? At least you needn't worry a servant or someone else wil come across him there. "
"True," Richard murmured and liked the idea of moving his brother to the family vault. Real y it was starting to get a bit disturbing having him here, and it was becoming obvious that their efforts to keep him chil ed weren't working al that wel . "I think perhaps you're right. I wil talk to Daniel and see if he can come up with any faults in the plan. "
"Faults in what plan?"
Both men turned to peer at Daniel as he strode toward them. Richard couldn't help noticing that the man was already halfway up the hal to them and yet the hal had been empty just seconds ago when they'd stepped into it. That realization made his eyes shift instinctively to Suzette's bedroom door, which was just steps behind Daniel now.
"Where did you come from, Woodrow?" Langley asked abruptly, apparently having noted the same things Richard had. Or perhaps it was the fact that Daniel's hair was a bit mussed, his jacket was wrinkled, and his cravat missing that put the displeased suspicion in Langley's eyes, he thought with amusement as he waited for Daniel to explain himse
lf.
"Oh . . . I . . . er . . . " He waved vaguely back the way he'd come, and then paused abruptly as Suzette's door suddenly opened and she hurried out, headed for the stairs, hissing, "Daniel! Daniel, you forgot your cravat. "
Richard bit his lip to hold back a laugh, and glanced to Daniel to see him rol ing his eyes. It was Robert, however, who snapped, "Suzette!"
Coming to a shuddering halt, she glanced back, her already wide eyes growing even wider as she spotted the three men in the hal .
"Oh. " Straightening, she turned to face them, and gestured toward the stairs, but stopped as she noted the cravat waving about, and quickly jerked the hand behind her back as if she hoped they hadn't noticed it. "I was just going downstairs. "
Richard coughed into his hand to hide the laugh that would not be held back and Suzette scowled at him, and then sighed with exasperation and moved up the hal toward them. She shoved the cravat at Daniel without another word and then simply turned to march silently away up the hal . Daniel put his cravat back on as he watched her go, his eyes locked on her behind, Richard noted. When he'd finished, he turned back, took in Langley's narrow-eyed gaze and said stiffly, "We are getting married. "
"You've decided for certain have you?" Richard asked with amusement.
"I am not certain that is the correct phrasing for it," he said wryly. "It would be more fitting to say I have bowed to the inevitable. The woman is a force of nature. "
"That she is," Langley agreed, his tone dry and attitude relaxing now that he knew Suzette's reputation and future were safe. "So, when is the trip to Gretna Green to occur? I should like to accompany you. "
"The sooner the better," Daniel said grimly. "If Suzette jumps out and drags me into one more room I cannot guarantee she wil reach Gretna as pure as she is now, and she is already less pure today than she was yesterday. "
Richard burst out laughing.
Even Langley smiled, apparently not minding the frankness now that Daniel had assured him he was marrying the girl, but he also raised an eyebrow in Richard's direction and asked, "What are you laughing about? From what Christiana said to me earlier she is definitely not pure anymore. "
"She told you that?" Richard asked with amazement.
"I was assuring her that we could get the marriage annul ed and she had to explain that that wasn't the case anymore," he said dryly, and then shrugged.
"Since last night at the bal was when we realized it could be annul ed, I'm guessing last night after the bal was when that situation changed. "
"Erm . . . yes, wel - " Richard paused and raised his eyebrows as he noted Christiana's maid, Grace, striding up the hal leading two maids. Al three women carried a col ection of bedding, blankets and pil ows. As she drew abreast of them, he frowned and asked, "What's al this?"
"I asked Mil y and Sal y to help me make up a room for you," Grace said calmly as she opened the door to the guest room across from the master bedroom.
"A room for me?" he asked with surprise as she ushered the younger girls inside.
"Yes. You cannot sleep in the master bedroom until the bed is repaired," she said sensibly.
"No, but there is no need to go to this trouble, I wil just sleep - "
"In the spare room until a certain situation is made legal," Grace said firmly. She gave him a hard smile and added, "Lady Christiana asked me to see to it, and so I am. "
Richard gaped after the woman as she slipped into the bedroom and closed the door.
"Hmm. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised," Daniel said, not hiding his amusement. Langley was no better, chuckling openly without even bothering to try to cover it behind a cough.
Richard scowled at them both. "I think we should head for Gretna Green this afternoon. There is real y no need to wait. "
"Er . . . " Daniel glanced to Langley and then urged Richard a few feet away to say quietly, "What about the business with George's murder? Do you not think we should try to sort out who kil ed him before we do anything else?"
"Langley knows everything, Daniel," Richard said quietly. "You can speak in front of him. "
"He does?"
"I do," Langley assured him closing the distance between them.
"Oh, wel ," he frowned and then repeated, "As I was saying, do you not think we should resolve that matter before we - "
"No," Richard interrupted firmly. "You are the one who pointed out that the kil er would now think he'd failed and may try again. I think the most important thing is to ensure Christiana is legal y wed to me in case a second attempt is successful. "
"You may be right," Daniel murmured.
Richard relaxed a little, glad he didn't have an argument on his hands, and then added, "Langley suggested stopping off at the family vault on the way and dropping off George there. I think that may be a good idea. "
"I suppose it's better than leaving him here unguarded for days," Daniel said dryly.
Richard nodded.
"Wel then, al we have to do is convince the girls to go," Langley said dryly.
"Oh, I'm sure that wil not be a problem," Richard assured him, quite certain the women would be as eager to get to Gretna Green and get married as he and Daniel were.
Langley snorted at the suggestion and started toward the stairs commenting,
"You have a lot to learn about women, my friend. "
Richard frowned after him and then glanced to Daniel, who shrugged.
"Suzette is definitely eager to be wed, I do not think she wil be a problem.
However, Christiana may fuss a bit. "
"Nay. " Richard shook his head. Christiana had been like wildfire in his arms last night, she too would be eager to be wedded and bedded. At least he hoped she was.
It hadn't even occurred to him that she might frown on the idea of sleeping together again before they ensured their marriage was al legal and proper. But if that was the case, he wanted it done with quickly so that he could have her in his arms again. Surely she would feel the same way?
"Are you two coming?" Langley asked, pausing at the top of the stairs to glance back at them. Richard and Daniel started forth at once, Richard marshaling his arguments in his head as he went. They needed to ensure their marriage was legal in case anything happened to him. She could be pregnant after al . The other reason for the rush was that they needed to then get back and look into who could have poisoned George. Of course, he hadn't yet told her that George had been poisoned, Richard realized and didn't suppose now was the time to do it. Suzette and Lisa weren't even aware that the Dicky of the last year had been his brother George who was now dead, and that he himself was the true Richard Fairgrave, newly returned from America.
"Good luck. "
The words, accompanied by a pat on the back from Langley, drew Richard's attention to the fact that they'd arrived at the parlor door. Glancing to the man, he noted the pitying look he was giving him and frowned, but merely led the way inside the parlor, where Christiana, Suzette and Lisa were al chattering cheerful y away.
Approaching the sofa and chairs around the tea tray, he cleared his throat and started. "Ladies, I - "
"Oh, Richard, Suzette was just tel ing us that Daniel has agreed to her proposal.
They are going to Gretna Green. " Christiana beamed as she made the announcement.
"Yes. " Richard smiled back. "In fact, I thought we might accompany them and - "
his gaze slid to Suzette and Lisa before he continued, " - renew our own vows. It could be a fresh start for us. "
"Oh, how romantic," Lisa breathed and grabbed for Christiana's hands to squeeze them excitedly. "Isn't that wonderful, Chrissy? That's so wonderful,"
she hugged her and then pul ed back to ask, "When do we leave?"
"Now. This afternoon, as soon as I have - "
"No. " It wasn't Christiana that said it, but al three sisters together, reacting with the same horror they'd had to his arrival at the bal last night.
"Er . . . " Richard glanced toward Daniel and Langley, but they were both apparently content to stay out of this.
"We cannot possibly pack and prepare for a journey that quickly," Christiana said reasonably, drawing his attention back to the girls. "Why, we shal be lucky to manage it by morning. It wil have to be tomorrow, and then only if we start right away. "
Suzette and Lisa nodded agreement and rose, apparently ready to rush off at once. Richard stopped them by raising a hand.
"Now, wait. There is no need to panic. We can manage it today. You needn't pack much, just one change of clothes, we - "
"One change of clothes?" Christiana echoed with dismay. "Richard, it is at least a two day ride from here to York by carriage and Gretna Green must be another day or day and a half after that. We cannot manage with one change of clothes. "
"We can make Gretna Green in two days if we ride straight through only stopping to change horses," he assured her gently. "And since we wil not be stopping either way there is no need to don fresh clothes except when we can actual y stop and bathe at an inn in Gretna Green. Besides, I want to take only the one carriage. There would be no room for wardrobes for the six of us and - "
"The six of us?" Lisa squawked. "What about our maids?"
"Lisa is right. We need our maids. I intend to look nice at my wedding and my maid Georgina is the only one who knows how I like to wear my hair. No, your plans just wil not do," Suzette said firmly.
"Christiana and Lisa could help you with your hair," Richard pointed out desperately.
Christiana clucked her tongue impatiently. "Even if we agreed to forgo taking our maids, you cannot expect us to ride for two straight days and nights there and then two more back, the six of us crammed into one tiny carriage. How do you expect us to sleep jostling about in a tiny, cramped carriage with you three large men? No, we shal have to stop each night to rest. "
Lisa and Suzette nodded, and then Lisa added, "We shal need at least two carriages, preferably three if we are taking the maids. And we definitely need more than one change of clothes. Let me see, if we stop each night the journey shal likely take four days and three nights there and the same back
. . . We need at least eight outfits each, and then there are night clothes and shoes and - Oh, we real y need to get started if we want to get any sleep at al tonight. "
"You are right. " Christiana stood and headed for the door. "You two go on up and start choosing what you wish to take. I shal find our maids and join you directly. "
Richard stared after Christiana and her sisters as they hurried from the room chattering away. He real y had thought she'd be as eager to get to Gretna Green and legalize their marriage as he was. He was sure she'd enjoyed last night as much as he and would be eager to be able to do it again. It seemed, however, that he hadn't a clue when it came to Christiana. It also looked as if he would be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight . . . alone.
"I did warn you," Langley said dryly once it was just the three of them. "You should have listened. I have known them al my life, after al . "
"Yes, you have," Richard agreed, turning on him. "And while the women are packing, you can tel us everything you've learned about them in that time. "
