“I want no sugges
tion that this is a hole in the corner affair. The chapel at Barstowe Hall will be perfect. If we’re flooded in, we’ll row across the river. A wedding afloat will be de rigueur before we’re done. I wonder if we can get the Fairbrothers and the Rothermeres here in time. It would be lovely to have everyone together on such a special day.”
Elias caught Marianne’s hand as she went to follow Sidonie. “Thank you,” he said, reaching to touch her jaw.
She released an agonized squeak.
His touch had been gentle, but he caught her just where Tranter had hit her. Realization of exactly what had happened in the conservatory entered Elias’s eyes, along with a blind, consuming rage. She recoiled, although his anger wasn’t aimed at her.
“Tranter?” he said in a flat voice.
“Yes?” Tranter turned back toward Elias. He was nearly at the door.
Without speaking, Elias crossed the room in four swift strides and rammed his fist into Tranter’s face.
“For pity’s sake, man…” Tranter staggered back. He struggled to summon some defense, but Elias was too fast. A cut to the belly had the blond man reeling and gagging.
“Touch her again and you’re a dead man,” Elias snarled, and this time the blow to Tranter’s jaw brought him down with a crash.
Chest heaving, Elias stood over Tranter who groggily tried to sit against the wall. “Get up, you bastard, so I can hit you again.”
Marianne rushed to catch one closed hand. “Leave him, Elias, he’s not worth your trouble.”
Elias’s black eyes were opaque as they met her troubled gaze. She thought he hadn’t heard her. Then a glimmer of reason appeared. “He hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Oh, Elias,” she said on a broken note. She raised his bruised hand to her lips and kissed the torn knuckles. “He doesn’t matter.”
“He hurt you,” Elias said stubbornly.
Marianne had never had a champion before. Knowing that this man would give his life to keep her safe filled her with such piercing gratitude that tears pricked her eyes. She said the words she’d never spoken to anyone. “I love you.”
“Marianne, my darling—” Elias began as the door burst open and Richard dashed in.
“Jonas, the skies are clearing and there’s a moon. Not sure how long it will last, but do you want to row across the river and check the damage there?” He stopped and regarded the scene with elegant surprise. “Good Gad, looks like you’ve all been having fun without me.”
“We had a spot of unpleasantness, but all’s well now.” Hillbrook’s aplomb matched his friend’s. “Pray congratulate the happy couple.”
Coolly Richard surveyed the room. “Desborough joined the rest of your guests a few minutes ago. So he’s out of the running. Tranter’s on the floor nursing his bruises. So I’m guessing…Elias won Lady Marianne.”
“Just so,” Hillbrook said. “Now I mean to tear him away from his new betrothed. If we’ve got a break in the weather, we need to move. Elias, can you quickly gather what you need for a ride to London?” Two footmen appeared behind Richard. “Capital. Frederick and Edward, carry Lord Tranter to the boatshed and see he doesn’t leave until we’ve got him aboard. Knock him out if he objects.” The butler arrived to hear this unconventional pronouncement, but his bland features didn’t change. “Goward, arrange for Lord Tranter’s belongings to be down at the river in the next twenty minutes. There’s no time to be lost.”
The room exploded into activity. The footmen dragged out a woozy but vociferously complaining Tranter. Sidonie left to check medical supplies. Richard and Hillbrook went to change into their traveling clothes. Finally Elias and Marianne remained alone.
“How do you feel?” he asked, carefully tilting her face up to the light.
She managed a smile, although the idea of losing him, however briefly, now that she’d finally found him seemed too cruel. “He slapped me a couple of times. It’s nothing serious.”
His lips flattened. “I take it very seriously indeed. I wish I’d killed the bugger.”
“Really, it’s nothing much. I’ll get Sidonie to look at it.”
“I hate to leave you.”
“It won’t be for long. And when you come back, we’ll be married.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Travel safely.” She hardly believed that the evening’s disasters had reached such a hopeful end. With the exception of the bitter rift with her father, she couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion.