The Dark Earl and His Runaway (The Friendship Series Book 5) by Julia Donner

Author:Julia Donner [Donner, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-04-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Leticia smoothed her palms down over lavender tulle, one of the gowns Taffy had tucked among her baggage when she left Charhill. The diaphanous layers did little to thin down her figure but hid her fleshier parts. Taffy had included apple green kid slippers. Ribbons of the same color twined through her hair. Rosellyn had picked tiny, white roses and inserted them where pins held curls in place. At least she wouldn’t look entirely the frump for her wedding day.

A knock on the door interrupted her spoken appreciation of all that Taffy and Rosellyn had achieved. The maid went to answer. Leticia’s anticipation to see Bainbridge’s reaction deflated when the door opened. Holcombe stood in the passage.

“My lady, the vicar should be arriving any moment, and you have a visitor.”

She succeeded in keeping her tone neutral when she replied, “Very well. I will be down directly.”

Leticia accepted a handkerchief from Taffy, who whispered, “The snake in our garden.”

Since Rosellyn hadn’t left, Leticia coughed to cover a laugh. “How appropriate. Taffy, promise you’ll be with me at the chapel?”

“Certainly. I shall join you there after I change.”

“Wait! What if the visitor is Cousin Henry?”

Taffy made a face. “Allow his lordship to deal with him. I’m more concerned about the brother. Joseph Caudill reminds me of the reptile recently at the door.”

“I do beg your pardon, ladies.”

Lord Carnall stood in the doorway Holcombe had left open. Glad to see a friend, Leticia felt the tension relax from her shoulders. “How timely. Sir, may I ask for your escort downstairs?”

“Precisely why I am here.” He nodded a bow and offered his arm.

She gave him her best smile as they chatted and talked about everything but the ceremony to come. Again, she marveled at how a man, who so perfectly portrayed a veneer of aloof detachment, could so completely comprehend her anxiety.

Really, she shouldn’t feel so overwrought and excited. In her heart, she married Bainbridge at the posting inn days before. The brief exchange of words in front of a clergyman was merely a legal transaction. Holcombe was preparing the settlements, which should have been arranged and signed prior to any ceremony. Bainbridge asked that she wait to sign them herself on her birthday. Everything was being done backwards, but was at least being done. She had plenty of doubts about herself but none when it came to Bainbridge’s honesty.

Mainly, she wasn’t going to allow Cousin Henry to see or sign anything, so what was being written up was essentially a contract to protect her beloved fells and clarify her settlement income. She had no doubt that Bainbridge would be fair and probably too generous. Her priority was the fells. If something should happen to Bainbridge without a living issue, the land would pass to her next heir, Cousin Henry. That thought made her more eager than ever to get started on setting up a nursery crammed with healthy issue. Her cheeks heated, because, she also had an interest in how they were created.

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