Page 93 of Managing the Major

He cradled her face in his hands. “As if you could ever be horrid! I was a complete ass; I should have seen Lucy’s resentment from the beginning. All the signs were there that she wanted to hurt us, and I’m so sorry you had to suffer through that dreadful dinner.”

“I don’t think I could face Countess Lieven’s salon ever again,” she confessed, “even if I do get invited back.”

Anger filled him. The evening must have been far more distasteful than he thought for his fearless Octavia to avoid the countess. “What happened exactly?”

“Lady Crawford said in front of everyone that you had dreamed of a hospital for wounded soldiers all your life, and only your closest friends knew of it. She implied that you two discussed it often and made sure we all knew she had made a considerable contribution recently.”

Alastair broke away, raking his hands through his hair. “Blister it, Octavia. No wonder you thought I was keeping things from you. There was no discussion with anyone until Almack’s last week, and no movement until Epsom, when Richard shared our plans with the men there. I should have told you earlier, but I always planned to because it’s important to me.”

“I understand now, Alastair. But the idea that you and Richard had planned it and I never knew was rather mortifying. And then that odious Baronet Whitefall—”

“What of Whitefall? If he behaved improperly to you in any way, I’ll thrash him within an inch of his life!”

“Nothing happened,” she said quickly, but he could tell that wasn’t entirely true. Thank God his Valkyrie was a terrible liar. Unlike Lucy, who evidently was very good at it.

“The man is a bounder and should not be allowed at public functions,” he growled, pulling her close.

“Well, he is somewhat of a cad, but it was a dinner party after all. He couldn’t do any harm,” her lips curving in a way that confirmed the suspicion he was behaving like a jealous fool.

Alastair lowered his mouth to hers in a very possessive kiss, which rapidly deepened into something urgent and demanding. Her hands moved from his waist, pushing aside his Newmarket coat to rest on his waistcoat, just above his thumping heart.

“Why do men wear so many clothes?” she complained. “I want to touch your skin.”

“Someday soon, we play vingt-et-un with clothing as the stake instead of pence, and we shall see if that’s true,” he teased.

“Mmm, I would like that very much; but you would have to give me a handicap to start, or I would lose my clothes very quickly indeed.”

Alastair groaned, and his hands moved down the back of the pretty muslin dress to cup her bottom, pulling her snugly against him. “I don’t think you deserve a handicap, Octavia. Didn’t you allow me to win the last time we played so that I’d kiss you?” His thick arousal was already throbbing beneath his trousers.

She bristled indignantly. “Absolutely not! I would never—” Noticing his grin, she pinched him quite hard. “Oh, you beast—you are provoking me!”

“I love you, Octavia Merrick,” he said, sobering. “Did you know I planned to propose this morning?”

“What?”

He had to grin again at her astonishment. “The ring was in my pocket. Did you really think I would take your virginity if I had no thought of marriage? Richard gave his permission yesterday afternoon.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Indeed? My, but you two have been busy.”

“It was just a formality, although I know you dislike the idea, sweetheart. I would still marry you if he had refused.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. You’re too much of a stickler for propriety.”

“Perhaps,” he laughed. “But I would spend eternity trying to change his mind. And a moment ago, I had both hands on your delicious bottom in broad daylight; how can you say I’m conventional?”

Still in the circle of his arms, she let her hands drift lower to the placket of his trousers.

“Some parts of you are quite unconventional,” she murmured.

His breath hitched. “For someone who’s just experienced intimacy for the first time, you’ve become quite saucy, Octavia.”

“Perhaps you’re an excellent teacher.” She lifted onto her toes and pressed a kiss beneath his ear, staying there to breathe him in, which just aroused him further. “So are you going to propose now?”

“Come riding with me tomorrow,” he said, his hands moving to her breasts.

“In the park?” she asked, shivering as his thumbs caressed her pouting nipples through layers of muslin and chemise. He loved that she was so responsive; the sensual adventures they would have together made him giddy with anticipation.

“Yes. I have a surprise for you.”