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Lady Efford gasped, staring at her husband in shock.
“I’ll sue you for breach of promise!” said Bidenden to Lord Efford, through his teeth.
“I think not,” said the duke quietly. “A gentleman, Lord Bidenden, would retire quietly from the lists. It is plain the lady doesn’t want you.”
Bidenden flushed and bowed stiffly to the duke. “Forgive me, Your Grace. My passionate desire for Emily had led me to extremes. I apologize. I shall remove myself to the local hostelry. It is clear I am no longer wanted here.”
The duke nodded. “I also trust to your discretion in this matter? It is clear to me that your passion for the lady is more to do with her fortune than herself. You wouldn’t wish me to have a word with your father, would you?”
Bidenden went white and then red. “I understand you perfectly, Your Grace. I will leave forthwith.” He bowed and left the room.
*
Emily watched as Mama was staring at Papa as if at a stranger. “Oh, Edward!” she said faintly, tears running down her cheeks.
“Yes, my dear?” he said.
She dabbed at her cheeks and sniffed, turning her attention back to Emily. “I suppose an earl is almost as good as a marquess.”
“He is better, Mama, because I love him!” said Emily, squeezing Deo’s hand and looking up at him with adoration.
Deo jerked at her confession, going adorably red. “Em!” he said softly.
She blinked at him, tears threatening. It had been a very emotional day.
He kissed her hand, squeezing it tightly.
She turned to her father. “Papa?”
“Yes, Emily?”
She let go of Deo’s hand and flung herself at her father, which made him stagger backward. “Thank you, Papa!” she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“You’re welcome, my dear.” He looked at Deo over Emily’s head, and Emily turned to look at Deo as he spoke. “I gather you do love my daughter, Pendrell?”
“God, yes,” said Deo, his eyes on Emily as he said it.
Completely forgetting that public displays of affection were unladylike, Emily flung herself at him then. “Deo.”
And Deo kissed her in front of all those people. It was delicious but all too brief. Cut off by the round of applause that greeted it from the assembled company—begun, she suspected, by Kenrick, who had peeled himself off the wall to shake Deo’s hand and kiss her cheek.
“Congratulations. Quite a romantic tale. My sisters would have loved to see this!”
Creighton arrived with the tea tray at that point, and the duchess served tea while Deo and Emily received congratulations from the Ashfords.
Emrys clapped Deo on the shoulder, “Well done, old chap.”
Annis hugged Emily, and Emrys added to Deo, “I’ll take you into Leicester tomorrow to see the bishop. We’ll get you another license and I daresay Rob will let you use his chapel for the wedding.”
The duchess looked up from serving tea and handing around cakes to say, “Yes, of course! You will be the third of us brides to be married in the Chapel, and I will be delighted to dress you!”
Emily flushed with pleasure. “Thank you, Sarah.”
She took a cup of tea and a plate of cakes over to her mother and offered them. “Mama?”
Mama sat up, stuffed her handkerchief into her reticule and took the proffered tea and cakes. “Well, I suppose it’s all turned out rather well in the end. But Emily, how did you meet him? You never said.”
Emily sat down beside her mother and said, “I answered his advertisement.”
