plans to travel to Wales in the summer.
As Rebecca came upon the entry way, Abbott, the footman, already had Desmond's coat in hand. "I will let the Lordship know you're here, Mr. Baines."
"Thank you, Abbott, but I can make my own way to the library, if you don't mind. I've got rather urgent business with him." Desmond watched Rebecca's approach and smiled. She was, he thought, sheer perfection.
"Lady Rebecca…how are you?"
"Desmond, I'm so very happy to see you." Rebecca grabbed his hand. Abbott was out of sight. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and drew back.
Desmond looked past her, assuring himself of their privacy. He reached for her waist and pulled her to him. "Is that all I'm entitled to, even now when we're engaged to be married?" Desmond scolded her, "Have you no idea of how long I've been waiting?"
He caressed her right cheek with the back of his left hand. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. He kissed her soft lips fully, firmly.
Rebecca reciprocated, parting her lips to breathe him in. Fearing capture, she broke the kiss first, pulled away and composed herself in seconds.
"Desmond Baines, you do take liberties," she teased quietly. She gave him her classic smile. "To the library then?" she asked.
They walked together. "Would you fancy a ride later this afternoon?" Rebecca asked him. "It would be nice to get some fresh air."
"We could make a day of it," Desmond suggested slyly. "We could be out there in an hour, if we play our cards right."
"Perfect." Another classic smile. All she wanted was to be alone with him and soon. She cared not a whit whether that involved horses.
Desmond stood back at the entrance to the library, allowing her to pass in front of him. He caught a whiff of her perfume as she walked past and he was instantly aroused. It was the same perfume that had filled the night air as he preyed upon her in the east library.
Lord John Garway, Earl of Delafield, stood at his desk, distracted. Hearing their chatter, he looked up. "Good morning! Desmond, I wasn't expecting to see you today. I thought perhaps we might have worn you out completely. From all appearances, your dance card was quite full last night."
"You know I really quite enjoyed myself," Desmond replied. "I wasn't expecting to. Things seemed to get better as the evening went on." He passed a knowing glance to Rebecca.
"Glad to hear it," his lordship said jovially.
Desmond cleared his throat. "Lord Garway, I'm afraid I have some unfinished business with you."
"Do you? Something to do with the estate?" Lord Garway's voice was worried.
"Not entirely. You see…" Desmond paused, looked at Rebecca and back to Lord Garway. "Rebecca has finally accepted me. I've come to ask you for her hand."
Lord Garway looked at Desmond incredulously, and then to Rebecca. "What are you saying?" He was in fact speechless. He walked over to his eldest daughter. "Is this true?" he asked her, knowing full well that it must be. She grabbed his hands. "It is, Father." They embraced warmly.
Lord Garway turned to face Desmond, beaming. "My good man!" He grabbed Desmond's hand and shook it firmly. "You shall have it then. In truth, I can't imagine that it ever belonged to anyone else." Lord Garway rang the bell for Tobias, the manservant. "We must tell your mother, Rebecca. And Desmond, you and your mother must dine with us tonight!"
He gazed warmly at his daughter, his words echoing in her heart. “I wanted a good man for you, my dear, and instead you found yourself a great one.”
Such good news, indeed.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lady Garway's reaction was, as expected, one of acceptance and of unspoken grief. "So…have you decided on a date?" Her eyes were veritable beacons of anticipation.
"It's to be in June, Mother. We wanted to marry sooner but…" Rebecca looked to Desmond.
"I have business matters to settle in London," finished Desmond, "And I still need to re-establish my law practice in London."
Lady Garway cautioned her daughter,
As Rebecca came upon the entry way, Abbott, the footman, already had Desmond's coat in hand. "I will let the Lordship know you're here, Mr. Baines."
"Thank you, Abbott, but I can make my own way to the library, if you don't mind. I've got rather urgent business with him." Desmond watched Rebecca's approach and smiled. She was, he thought, sheer perfection.
"Lady Rebecca…how are you?"
"Desmond, I'm so very happy to see you." Rebecca grabbed his hand. Abbott was out of sight. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and drew back.
Desmond looked past her, assuring himself of their privacy. He reached for her waist and pulled her to him. "Is that all I'm entitled to, even now when we're engaged to be married?" Desmond scolded her, "Have you no idea of how long I've been waiting?"
He caressed her right cheek with the back of his left hand. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. He kissed her soft lips fully, firmly.
Rebecca reciprocated, parting her lips to breathe him in. Fearing capture, she broke the kiss first, pulled away and composed herself in seconds.
"Desmond Baines, you do take liberties," she teased quietly. She gave him her classic smile. "To the library then?" she asked.
They walked together. "Would you fancy a ride later this afternoon?" Rebecca asked him. "It would be nice to get some fresh air."
"We could make a day of it," Desmond suggested slyly. "We could be out there in an hour, if we play our cards right."
"Perfect." Another classic smile. All she wanted was to be alone with him and soon. She cared not a whit whether that involved horses.
Desmond stood back at the entrance to the library, allowing her to pass in front of him. He caught a whiff of her perfume as she walked past and he was instantly aroused. It was the same perfume that had filled the night air as he preyed upon her in the east library.
Lord John Garway, Earl of Delafield, stood at his desk, distracted. Hearing their chatter, he looked up. "Good morning! Desmond, I wasn't expecting to see you today. I thought perhaps we might have worn you out completely. From all appearances, your dance card was quite full last night."
"You know I really quite enjoyed myself," Desmond replied. "I wasn't expecting to. Things seemed to get better as the evening went on." He passed a knowing glance to Rebecca.
"Glad to hear it," his lordship said jovially.
Desmond cleared his throat. "Lord Garway, I'm afraid I have some unfinished business with you."
"Do you? Something to do with the estate?" Lord Garway's voice was worried.
"Not entirely. You see…" Desmond paused, looked at Rebecca and back to Lord Garway. "Rebecca has finally accepted me. I've come to ask you for her hand."
Lord Garway looked at Desmond incredulously, and then to Rebecca. "What are you saying?" He was in fact speechless. He walked over to his eldest daughter. "Is this true?" he asked her, knowing full well that it must be. She grabbed his hands. "It is, Father." They embraced warmly.
Lord Garway turned to face Desmond, beaming. "My good man!" He grabbed Desmond's hand and shook it firmly. "You shall have it then. In truth, I can't imagine that it ever belonged to anyone else." Lord Garway rang the bell for Tobias, the manservant. "We must tell your mother, Rebecca. And Desmond, you and your mother must dine with us tonight!"
He gazed warmly at his daughter, his words echoing in her heart. “I wanted a good man for you, my dear, and instead you found yourself a great one.”
Such good news, indeed.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lady Garway's reaction was, as expected, one of acceptance and of unspoken grief. "So…have you decided on a date?" Her eyes were veritable beacons of anticipation.
"It's to be in June, Mother. We wanted to marry sooner but…" Rebecca looked to Desmond.
"I have business matters to settle in London," finished Desmond, "And I still need to re-establish my law practice in London."
Lady Garway cautioned her daughter,
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