Darcy grinned and gave up trying to rouse her. His eyes drifted to the ceiling as he gently stroked her back. Serve her right if she was exhausted.
Together with Martin and Hugo, he had followed the strongly disapproving Millwade to the backparlour. He had announced them, to the obvious consternation of the three occupants. Darcy’s grin broadened as he recalled the scene. Arabella had looked positively stricken with guilt, Lizzie had not known what to think and Sarah had simply stood, her back to the windows, and watched him. At his sign, she had come to his side and they had left the crowded room together.
At his murmured request to see her privately, she had led the way to the morning-room. He had intended to speak to her then, but she had stood so silently in the middle of the room, her face quite unreadable, that before he had known it he was kissing her. Accomplished rake that he was, her response had been staggering. He had always known her for a sensual woman but previously her reactions had been dragged unwillingly from her. Now that they came freely, their potency was enhanced a thousand-fold. After five minutes, he had forcibly disengaged to return to the door and lock it After that, neither of them had spared a thought for anything save the quenching of their raging desires.
Much later, when they had recovered somewhat, he had managed to find the time, in between other occupations, to ask her to marry him. She had clearly been stunned and it was only then that he realized she had not expected his proposal. He had been oddly touched. Her answer, given without the benefit of speech, had been nevertheless comprehensive and had left him in no doubt of her desire to fill the position he was offering. His wife. The idea made him laugh. Would he survive?
The rumble in his chest disturbed Sarah but she merely, burrowed her head into his shoulder and returned to her bliss-filled dreams. Darcy moved slightly, settling her more comfortably.
Her eagerness rang all sorts of warning bells in his mind. Used to taking advantage of the boredom of sensual married women, he made a resolution to ensure that his Sarah never came within arm’s reach of any rakes. It would doubtless be wise to establish her as his wife as soon as possible, now he had whetted her appetite for hitherto unknown pleasures. Getting her settled in Hamilton House and introducing her to his country residences, and perhaps giving her a child or two, would no doubt keep her occupied. At least, he amended, sufficiently occupied to have no desire left over for any other than himself.
The light was fading. He glanced at the window to find the afternoon far advanced. With a sigh, he shook Sarah’s white shoulder gently.
“Mmm,” she murmured protestingly, sleepily trying to shake off his hand.
Darcy chuckled. “I’m afraid, my love, that you’ll have to awaken. The day is spent and doubtless someone will come looking for us. I rather think we should be dressed when they do.”
With a long-drawn-out sigh, Sarah struggled to lift her head, propping her elbows on his chest to look into his face. Then, her gaze wandered to take in the scene about them. They were lying on the accommodatingly large sofa before the empty fireplace, their clothes strewn about the room. She dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, God. I suppose you’re right.”
“Undoubtedly,” confirmed Darcy, smiling. “And allow me to add, sweetheart, that, as your future husband, I’ll always be right.”
“Oh?” Sarah enquired innocently. She sat up slightly, her hair in chaos around her face, straggling down her back to cover his hands where they lay, still gently stroking her satin skin.
Darcy viewed her serene face with misgiving. Thinking to distract her, he asked, “Incidentally, when should we marry? I’m sure Max won’t care what we decide.”
Sarah’s attention was drawn from tracing her finger along the curve of his collarbone. She frowned in concentration. “I rather think,” she eventually said, “that it had better be soon.”
Having no wish to disagree with this eminently sensible conclusion, Darcy said, “A wise decision. Do you want a big wedding? Or shall we leave that to Max and Caroline?”
Sarah grinned. “A very good idea. I think our guardian should be forced to undergo that pleasure, don’t you?”
As this sentiment exactly tallied with his own, Darcy merely grinned in reply. But Sarah’s next question made him think a great deal harder.
“How soon is it possible to marry?”
It took a few minutes to check all the possible pros and cons. Then he said, uncertain of her response, “Well, theoretically speaking, it would be possible to get married tomorrow.”
“Truly? Well, let’s do that,” replied his prospective bride, a decidedly wicked expression on her face.
Seeing it, Darcy grinned. And postponed their emergence from the morning-room for a further half-hour.
———
The first thought that sprang to Arabella’s mind on seeing Hugo Denbigh enter the back parlour was how annoyed he must have been to learn of her deception. Caroline had told her of the circumstances; they would have improved his temper. Oblivious to all else save the object of her thoughts, she did not see Sarah leave the room, nor Martin take Lizzie through the long windows into the garden. Consequently, she was a little perturbed to suddenly find herself alone with Hugo Denbigh.
“Maria Pavlovska, I presume?” His tone was perfectly equable but Arabella did not place any reliance on that. He came to stand before her, dwarfing her by his height and the breadth of his magnificent chest.
Arabella was conscious of a devastating desire to throw herself on that broad expanse and beg forgiveness for her sins. Then she remembered how he had responded to Maria Pavlovska. Her chin went up enough to look his lordship in the eye. “I’m so glad you found my little…charade entertaining.”
Despite having started the conversation, Hugo abruptly found himself at a loss for words. He had not intended to bring up the subject of Maria Pavlovska, at least not until Arabella had agreed to marry him. But seeing her standing there, obviously knowing he knew and how he found out, memory of the desire Arabella-Maria so readily provoked had stirred disquietingly and he had temporarily lost his head. But now was not the time to indulge in a verbal brawl with a woman who, he had learned to his cost, could match his quick tongue in repartee. So, he smiled lazily down at her, totally confusing her instead, and rapidly sought to bring the discussion to a field where he knew he possessed few defences. “Mouthy baggage,” he drawled, taking her in his arms and preventing any riposte by the simple expedient of placing his mouth over hers.
Arabella was initially too stunned by this unexpected manoeuvre to protest And by the time she realized what had happened, she did not want to protest. Instead, she twined her arms about Hugo’s neck and kissed him back with all the fervour she possessed. Unbeknownst to her, this was a considerable amount, and Hugo suddenly found himself desperately searching for a control he had somehow misplaced.
Not being as hardened a rake as Max or Darcy, he struggled with himself until he won some small measure of rectitude; enough, at least, to draw back and sit in a large armchair, drawing Arabella onto his lap. She snuggled against his chest, drawing comfort from his warmth and solidity.
“Well, baggage, will you marry me?”
Arabella sat bolt upright, her hands braced against his chest, and stared at him. “Marry you? Me?”