Gossamer in the Darkness (Fantasyland)

I then slumped down, rested my head on the back of the couch, and said, with extreme feeling, to the ceiling, “Thank God that’s over.”

“If you don’t want her, my man, I’m officially scratching my name on the top of her dance card.”

Ah hell.

I forgot about my audience.

How did I do that?

I sat up and turned to Maitland, who was the one who spoke.

His eyes were on me, and he made a manly noise in his throat when I stopped lounging, and I had to admit, I felt that noise in a very private part of me.

“Brother,” Loren growled.

That hit in several private parts.

Maitland tore his eyes from me and grinned unrepentantly in Loren’s direction.

“I apologize, I forgot myself for a moment,” I mumbled.

“Forget away,” Maitland allowed.

“You’re as close to me as blood, please help me not to spill any of yours by ceasing panting over my betrothed,” Loren warned silkily.

His…

What?

I straightened further.

“So you’ve made your decision,” Ansley remarked.

“There is no other decision to make,” Loren replied.

“Seems sound to me,” Maitland noted.

“I’ve no idea what this takes, a dress, flowers, the temple,” Loren went on.

“We’ll see it done in three weeks,” Ansley declared.

Loren’s gaze landed on me.

“Excellent,” he murmured.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Our wedding,” Loren stated instantly. “Which will happen in three weeks. And I’d like to make a single request.” Pause while I held my breath, and then, “No hat.”

So this was what was next.

Shit.

Chapter Nine

Agreement

Loren

As suspected, she didn’t make him wait.

She popped off the settee and minced her way to him, that beautiful arse swaying, her lion’s eyes firing.

“May I have a word with you, your grace?” she demanded in the form of a request.

“You may call me Loren, Satrine, as you’ll be my wife in mere weeks,” he replied.

She stopped at his side, ignored what he said, and invited. “Father’s study?”

She didn’t wait for his answer, she continued into the hall.

Loren gave himself the pleasure of watching her arse moving for long moments before he cast his eyes through the room, catching Maitland smirking and his father beaming.

Then, he followed her.

She stood with her hand on the door and swung it closed when he cleared it.

He turned and opened his mouth.

She lifted a still-gloved hand, palm out his way.

“I get to go first this time.”

He crossed his arms on his chest and murmured, “By all means.”

She drew in a big breath that made her glorious chest rise.

She let it out saying softly, “I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you how indebted I am for your assistance. Mother and Maxie are free and safe and we’re all together again. And I honestly don’t have the words to express what an honor it is that you would even consider continuing to care for me, and my family, by making that sacrifice. But allow me to assure you, Mother and I have been going it alone for some time. We’re used to it. She has Maxie…er…back, and as long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”

“Even an enemy of the king does not lose hold on his possessions once he’s convicted of breaking the laws of the land,” Loren replied.

“I’m…sorry?” she asked.

“He will be tried. He will be convicted. He will serve a term in prison. And he will be fined, likely heftily. However, he won’t be in prison for the rest of his life and will come out in possession of everything he had when he went in, save the fine that is to be paid. And while he’s incarcerated, he has rights over those possessions.”

“All right,” she said quietly.

“That is, should he wish to turn his wife and daughters away with nothing, he could do that.”

Her lovely, expressive face registered understanding before her mouth did with, “Oh boy.”

“Indeed,” he agreed.

She stood with that for a moment before squaring her shoulders and stating, “That’s all right. Mom and I have been in worse pinches.”

This was interesting news.

“You have?”

“Father didn’t exactly keep us in the lap of luxury. He was miserly with our care. It didn’t matter. I had her and she had me. We survived. We’ll do it again.”

Gods, she was something.

And, perhaps, this was an explanation as to why she persisted in attempting to do everything without pulling a bloody cord to call a servant.

“Satrine—”

“You’re very kind, Lord Remington—”

“Loren.”

“—but I’ll take it from here.”

No.

She wouldn’t.

He had never in his life met a woman so poised and spirited, so in possession of a singular depth of feeling, with a sense of humor and open naturalness to her personality.

She was herself at all times.

One-of-a-kind.

And he would have her.

“You’re contracted to me. You, personally, have no say in that matter.”

She shook her head. “I’m not, Maxine is.”

“Maxine is incapable of bearing the terms of the contract, the same cannot be said for you.”

Her brows knitted in consternation. “But, it wasn’t me who was promised to you.”