“Should we arrange for it to be at St. George’s?” he asked Caroline.
“You could, but might it not be better to take her to Chilgrave?”
“You think I should?” Chilgrave Castle was the ancestral seat of the Morrey family. Adam loved the estate, yet he hardly spent any time there these days. A wedding might be a good reason for him to stay at the castle for a spell. It would be safer for Letty as well.
“The rectory there is very lovely. Quite romantic, I think. If you let me go on ahead tomorrow, I could have it all arranged and the castle ready to host guests.”
“Thank you, Caro.” Adam meant it. His sister was a true gem. It filled him with a deep sorrow that she had not yet found another man to give her heart to after losing John.
They stood and embraced each other. Adam gave her an extra squeeze as he murmured his thanks again.
“Now, off to bed with you. I’ll send some cutlets and wine upstairs,” Caroline said.
Adam exited the drawing room and climbed the stairs, his steps now heavy with weariness.
So, they would open Chilgrave Castle for the wedding. It did sound rather lovely. Part of his staff stayed there, and he had enough money to keep them employed, but they had little work to do. Hopefully, it would cheer them to open the house and shake off the dust and let the masterfully gilded rooms gleam again and be filled with the sounds of life. He could perhaps pretend to have a normal life for a while.
Dudley Helms, his valet, was waiting in Adam’s bedchamber when Adam entered. Sturges followed behind and set a tray of cutlets on the table before bowing and leaving. Adam began to unbutton his waistcoat, while his valet prepared his nightclothes
“And how was your evening, my lord?” Helms asked as he removed the waistcoat and helped Adam with his sleeves.
“Filled with the unexpected, Helms. You’ll be hearing from Sturges tomorrow officially, but I am to be wed in two days.”
“Wed? I assume congratulations and not condolences are in order?” Helms teased.
Adam laughed. “Yes, congratulations, certainly.”
Helms removed the cuff links and Adam’s pocket watch before placing them in their boxes for safekeeping. “And who is the bride-to-be?”
“Lady Leticia Fordyce.”
“Ah, Lord Pembroke’s sister. What a wonderful choice,” Helms replied with warm honesty. “The staff will be quite happy, my lord, if you don’t mind the boldness of my saying that.”
“Not at all. You think they will be happy?”
“They will,” Helms said with a twinkle in his eye. “Mrs. Hadaway has been wanting babes in the nursery for years.”
Mrs. Hadaway, the Chilgrave housekeeper, would indeed be glad. She was a cheery woman and had a genuine smile never far from her face.
Adam bid his valet good night and had a bit of the meat, chasing it down with some wine. Then he forced himself to bed. Tomorrow would be a challenge. His entire life was about to change. Sweet Letty would soon be his wife.
3
Letty was as nervous as a cat during a thunderstorm. Every time a carriage rolled past the townhouse, she flew to the window, expecting to see Lord Morrey heading up the steps toward her door.
“Letty,” Gillian laughed. “Do try to sit down.”
“But it’s nearly ten o’clock,” Letty said. “Half the morning is gone, and he did say he would call in the morning, did he not?”
Gillian rolled her eyes. She sat on a settee, reading a book with one hand and holding her baby, Gabriel, in the crook of her other arm. Like his parents, their baby was utterly perfect and completely well behaved. He slept on, unaware of the two women talking.
“He has to procure the special license first. Give the poor man a bit more time.”
“Time, yes,” Letty murmured, still peeping out the curtains. A coach with the Morrey crest had just stopped in front of the steps.
“He’s here!” She sprang toward the door. “I have to go. I should—”
“Letty,” Gillian said firmly. “Go out into the gardens for a bit, and remember to breathe. We shall come find you once the men have talked all the business of money and other matters.”
“You don’t think I should be involved in that?” Letty challenged.
“You know I do, but I think you’re a bit frantic this morning. Breathing the cool, crisp air of the gardens might calm you.”
Gillian was right. Everything about Lord Morrey had Letty feeling edgy and out of sorts. Quite frankly, she didn’t know what to do with herself. She collected her shawl and hastened from the drawing room just as the butler answered the door. She had no time to go outside unseen, so she ducked into the nearest doorway to wait.
From her hiding place, she was able to see Lord Morrey step inside and remove his hat and greatcoat. He wore a dark-blue coat and biscuit-colored trousers, which molded to the masculine perfection of his long, lean legs. She had seen many men wear pantaloons that were skintight, but only the best well-built men were able to carryoff such a fashion. Morrey looked even better than the statues in a museum, not that she had ever officially seen many of the nudes, which were considered highly improper for a young, unmarried lady to look upon.
Her mind quickly strayed to other thoughts: how he’d gripped her so tightly last night, yet without hurting her; how he’d held that blade to her throat with such skill that she’d been unharmed; how he’d continued to grip her even after he’d put the knife down. She remembered his eyes. Those twin silvery pools had locked on her eyes, holding her captive as easily as his hands had. Her body flashed with a sudden heat, and her heart pounded hard at the memory. This dark and dangerous man was to be her husband in but a handful of days.
It made her wonder if Lord Morrey’s body would be like the statues she’d seen. The male body was both fascinating and confusing at the same time. But as she watched Morrey linger in the hall, his dark hair falling in his eyes, she wondered,How would he look without his clothes?
“Adam, thank you for coming.” Gillian joined Morrey in the entryway, carefully embracing him in a hug while still holding Gabriel in one arm. She then showed him into the drawing room. Letty breathed a sigh of relief as she sank deeper into the room she’d escaped into, the library. It was a better distraction than the garden. She collected a few volumes on economics and tucked herself into a nook at the back of the room. Surprisingly,she managed to lose herself in the texts for a little while. But the sound of voices soon drew her attention.
She recognized the voices of James and Morrey as they entered the library. She started to rise, but then halted as she realized she couldn’t slip past the two men unseen. She remained hidden, unable to avoid hearing their discussion.
“I thought it would be a bit nicer to discuss things in here. My office is cluttered at the moment. We’ll sign the documents in there when we need to. Do you have the special license?” James asked.The sound of the men settling in chairs accompanied this question.
“Yes,” Morrey replied.
“Excellent. Now let us talk finances first. Letty has a dowry of five thousand a year.”
“If you recall when you married Gillian, I offered you the same for her.” Morrey sounded amused. Letty wished she could see his face.