Page 87 of A Scandal for the Beastly Earl

"His wife laughed at him being pushed into a fountain."

"Wouldn't you laugh if I was pushed into a fountain?"

"No. I'd push whoever pushed you into the fountain after you."

"How romantic."

"It's protective."

"It's the same thing with you."

"Romance and protection are entirely different."

"Not in our marriage."

"Our marriage is unusual."

"Our marriage is perfect."

"Our marriage involves a criminal dog and more chaos than any reasonable person should endure."

"Yes," Arabella agreed happily. "Perfect."

Chapter 15

The next hours brought their first social call as a properly married couple who had survived a ball and conquered society. Arabella wore Madame Phillipe's sapphire creation, which made her eyes seem impossibly blue and her skin glow like pearl. Lucien wore his usual black, but had allowed his valet to add a sapphire pin to his cravat that matched her dress.

"We look coordinated," he complained as they prepared to leave.

"We look married."

"That's what I said."

"No, you said coordinated like it was a bad thing."

"It's... conspicuous."

"Everything about us is conspicuous. We might as well embrace it."

"I don't embrace conspicuous."

"You married me. That was fairly conspicuous."

"That was necessary."

"It was both."

They were interrupted by Thistle, who had apparently decided he should join the expedition and was sitting by the door with his leash in his mouth.

"No," Lucien said firmly.

Thistle wagged his tail and inched closer to the door.

"Absolutely not."

More wagging. Another inch.

"We are not taking you to pay morning calls."