Bash let out a grunt of dissent. “You did what?”
The carriage began moving, heading toward Hyde Park.
“How else were you going to keep her from coming?”
Bash sat forward giving Dylan a dark glare. “I planned to calmly and rationally tell her, when she arrived at the carriage, to go back inside. That I could handle it.”
“You obviously don’t know Eliza very well.”
Bash pointed right in Dylan’s face. “And you are far too familiar. One wrong move and you won’t be marrying Carmella Dumbly.”
Menace shrugged. “That’s your threat? Oh my saints. Not marry Carmella? How will I survive?”
Bash let out a low rumble. “But you’ll marry. Don’t play dumb with me. You know very well what I mean.”
Dylan sat forward in his seat ignoring Bash’s finger. Which was jabbing in his direction. “Tell me. What’s being married like?”
Bash dropped the finger. “I hesitate to answer.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Bash ran a hand through his hair. “What you are proposing with Carmella is the exact opposite of what I chose with Isabella.”
“And what did you choose?” He pressed his hands together in front of his face as his elbows came to his knees.
Bash looked up at the ceiling, seeming to collect his thoughts.
“When I met Isabella…” He paused again. “I felt this instant need to keep her safe. And when we’re together, I can barely breathe. She fills me with so much…” He stopped. “I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I doubt I will again. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Dylan swallowed. He viewed marriage as something to be endured. Certainly that was how it had been with his parents.
Would he grow to be protective of his wife in time?
Then he thought of Eliza and nearly choked.
He was protective of her already. More so than he’d been with any other person in his entire life. “Are you certain you want to keep Isabella safe because you love her? Perhaps she just really needs you.”
Bash smiled. “Maybe. But then again. I didn’t fall in love with any of the other sisters. Just her. Obviously.”
Bash had him there.
He felt no great need to keep Emily or Abigail out of trouble. Although, they didn’t have the same penchant for it.
The carriage began to slow, and Bash peeked out the window. Just on the edge of the park stood a lone horseman.
“The first thing I want is a last name. I’m not calling him John. I don’t care if he makes one up.”
Bash laughed at that. “I’m not even certain I know your given name.”
“Good,” he grunted. But it made him think of Eliza again. The way his name had sounded on her lips. What would it sound like after a passionate kiss?
Bash snapped open the door, yanking him from his musings. “Let’s get this over with.” And then his friend climbed out.
He followed.
As they stepped down, the sky was lightening the smallest bit. To his right he caught a flash of green and looked to see Eliza jump down from the footman’s seat. “What the devil?”
She gave him a winning grin. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to keep me from what I’m after.”