Selina handed Monroe, Edmund’s butler, her wrap. Annabelle shook her head at the man and retained hers as she followed Selina into the front parlor. Edmund sat with his sister in the brightly sunlit room. Tea had been set out but neither partook.
The moment Selina saw Octavia’s face, and glanced to the answering, long-suffering one on Annabelle, she knew the pair were not going to leave with a simple kiss and smile.
Oh no, not these theatrical ladies.
“My dear Annabelle,” Octavia said as she stood to greet them. “Such a wise choice to keep your wrap. We have so much to do with our fittings that will surely take many hours.”
Annabelle laughed and Selina’s face flushed hotly. Octavia grew ever bolder with her wild schemes to leave her and Edmund alone. And Annabelle, shy, sweet Annabelle, met her step for step, word for word. Selina wondered what happened to her Annabelle.
Selina’s gaze met Edmund’s. He gave her an apologetic look and faint shrug as he crossed the room. Leaning down he kissed her cheek.
“I have no control over her,” he muttered.
Today was not the first time Annabelle and Octavia poked fun at them. In fact, the women bonded quickly over many things, not the least of which was their shared delight in Edmund’s courtship of her.
Selina didn’t mind, they did it in fun and never crossed from humor into meanness. And it warmed her heart to see her cousin become such good friends with Octavia. Annabelle needed to socialize more and Octavia was the perfect woman to see that happen.
But today, with the immediate leap into jests and dramatics, it was too much, even for them. Selina was certain that if either woman were so inclined to skit writing, they’d have a triumph on their hands.
“We’ll leave our dear Selina and Edmund to their own devices for hours,” Octavia continued in an overly dramatic voice.
Annabelle laughed harder. Selina’s face heated all the more, but she smiled nonetheless. These two were utterly ridiculous! Edmund merely rolled his eyes and took Selina’s hand.
“Whatever shall they do?” Octavia wondered, finger tapping her lower lip.
“I’m certain they’ll sit quietly in a corner, waiting with bated breath for our carriage to return,” Annabelle confided in a mock whisper.
“In separate rooms, no less,” Octavia agreed with a serious and exaggerated nod. “Far, far from each other.”
She turned to Edmund, eyes wide, and sighed. “I know you’ll miss me terribly, dear brother, but do try to soldier on in my absence and keep Miss Lyndell entertained.”
“Yes,” Annabelle said in a high-pitched, giddy voice. “I’m so looking forward to sitting for all those hours, watching the seamstress fit Lady Octavia for her new gowns.”
Octavia turned to Annabelle in mock outrage. “Don’t forget your new gown, my dear. After all, we’ve nothing more to do than prepare for a certain wedding, do we not?”
Laughing outright now, Selina tried to cover her mouth but it was no use. Her shoulders shook and her lungs ached as she tried to catch her breath. Edmund snickered, his hand tightening around hers. She looked up at him.
He tried to glare at his sister, but it fell short. Pure amusement shone in his gaze, happy and light and Selina’s breath caught. Not because of her laughter, but because of the lightness to Edmund. The way his eyes danced.
“I do believe the duke did not make such lofty preparations for the Battle of Waterloo,” Annabelle said in that same high-pitched voice, hand clasped to her chest as if she were about to swoon.
“Oh heavens no!” Octavia gasped. “My brother and your cousin put every military strategist to shame.
“A proper earl plans for all contingencies,” Edmund inserted in what he probably hoped was his I’m the earl voice. It was hard to be that stoic, that pompous around so wide a grin. “Now, dear Sister, should you not make haste to the modiste before all the good fabrics are taken?”
“Yes, yes, you’re correct, Brother. I do know how concerned you are for me,” Octavia added with a wink.
She gathered her skirts in one hand, clasped Annabelle’s hand with her other, and made to sweep from the room. Selina stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“Oh, but we are concerned, Octavia,” she insisted. “We wouldn’t want you to miss the tea the fine madam serves. Such a unique flavor.”
Annabelle sniffed. “Yes. The tea. And we’ll be certain to take Camden Road around.”
She looked at Selina and in her cousin’s eyes she saw laughter there, yes, but also understanding at the circuitous route she explained.
“To Grosvenor Square and back again,” Annabelle continued. “To avoid the crowds, of course.”
“Of course.” Octavia nodded solemnly.
Selina knew Camden Road and Grosvenor Square were nowhere near each other. She appreciated the sentiment, exaggerated though it was. From the corner of her eye, she saw Edmund glare at the theatric pair.
“Come,” Octavia said and continued her grand sweep from the room, dragging Annabelle beside her.
Not that Selina thought Annabelle was being dragged. If anything, her cousin met Octavia mocking line for mocking line. The pair were thick as thieves; they’d been close since the start of her and Edmund’s courtship and their friendship only deepened from there.
“Let’s leave through the carriage door. Where none might see us,” Octavia whispered conspiratorially.
In the silence of their departure, Edmund shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her,” he muttered.
“Very little,” Selina answered.
Before she had the chance to catch her breath or think of anything more to say, he looked around and retook her hand. He led her away from the parlor — and the windows which left them on full display.
Edmund walked down the hall slightly, deep enough in the shadows to hide them. Not, she thought as he turned and cupped her face, that any servant dared to interrupt them.
But then his mouth covered hers and thoughts of servants, dresses, or propriety vanished. He deepened the kiss, tongue sweeping over hers, fingers drifting in light caresses over the side of her neck, along her shoulders.
Selina tangled her fingers in his hair, stood on tiptoe to better feel him against her, despite their layers of clothing. His fingers were warm, light brushes that sent tingles dancing along her nerves.
And his mouth, he took and took and as their tongues caressed each other, and as each touch sparked her arousal hotter, Selina gave in. She whimpered against his mouth, nails scrapping along the nape of his neck. Kissed him harder and deeper.
Selina might never know how it happened, how this beautiful man fell in love with her. Shared her love. But she was grateful for it and would be until the day she died. Edmund was so easy to love, full of laughter and passion, knowledge of the world and willing to listen to her in a way so few were.
He walked her backwards, pressed his hard body to hers, trapped her against the wall.
Eventually, long, long minutes after they started, he pulled back. Selina struggled to catch her breath even as she wanted more.
“I missed you,” he whispered, lips brushing hers.
“We saw each other but yesterday.” She smiled against his mouth, tilted her head back as he kissed down her sensitive skin.
Tugging him back to her mouth, she kissed him, uncaring of where they were. “Yes,” she gasped. “It was far too long.”
He pulled back again, put a little distance between them. But his fingers continued stroking her shoulders, dipped down her back beneath her gown. Heart racing, breath trapped, Selina looked up at him and saw the hunger she felt reflected in his dark gaze.
Selina brushed her fingertips over his jaw, his lips. Leaned in and pressed one final kiss gently against his mouth.
Swallowing hard, she pushed Edmund back another step. She took deep gulps of air and tried to calm her racing heart. Cool her heated blood. But her heart continued to pound and her body yearned for him. To feel his touch along every inch of her bare skin, to feel his mouth follow in his touch’s wake.
Selina shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it. She looked around, but knew the hallway was deserted. One last touch, she promised herself and brushed her fingertips over his jaw.
“Tell me of your evening,” she said, voice low and intimate in the quietness of the hall. “Did you retire early?” Her lips ticked up and she wiped her tongue over them. “Or did you attend a soiree without me? Did a young maiden catch your eye?”
“I believe the entire city to be devoid of any other young, beautiful women.” The words caressed her cheek. “With the exception of Octavia and Annabelle, of course. No,” he continued and pulled back enough to see her.
“They’ve fled the city, intimidated by your loveliness.”
Selina laughed, and stepped from his embrace. She danced another step away when he made to grab her back to him. “You are such the liar, Lord Granville.”
“No lies.” And the words rang with truth and devotion. “I simply see no other woman.”
Her heart flipped and Selina didn’t care how sappy it sounded, all she heard was the truth in Edmund’s words.
“Edmund,” she whispered.
Unable to say more, to think of words adequate to express all she felt for him, Selina kissed him once more. Slow and soft, she hoped she conveyed every ounce of love she had for this man in that single kiss.
“Let’s walk,” he murmured against her mouth. “I want to spend every minute of time we have together.”
“Yes” she agreed with a laughed. “We have hours and hours alone.”
She slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow and leaned her head on his arm. He guided them through the hall into the library. The doors overlooked the gardens, and though autumn gripped London firmly in its grasp, hints of greenery continued to dot the ground.
Edmund leaned against the door and gathered her into his arms. Sighing, Selina rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. His fingers caressed her jaw, her neck, and she looked up at him, head tilted.
Once more he leaned down and kissed her, long, slow kisses that tasted and aroused. Selina sighed into his mouth, whimpered when his fingers brushed over her breasts. He pulled back and set her a step in front of him.
“You are a temptation, my love,” he told her.
But his gaze remained steady and heated on hers and Selina was sorely tempted to forget propriety, forget everything and lead Edmund upstairs. Her heart sped up and she saw the answer in his gaze.
He wanted to do this right, however, and as much as Selina wanted to fling decorum aside, she let him have his wish in this.
“I spoke with your father about his business,” Edmund said at length. His fingers rubbed up and down her arms, but he made no move to hold her close again. With a start, Selina realized he kept his control by a mere thread.
She licked her lips, heady with the power she had over this man. And the love she felt for him. The respect he had for her and she for him.
“Father?” she repeated and shook her head. Gaze sharp, she forcibly brought herself back to the conversation at hand. “What about the business?”
“Because of the death of his associate, your father plans to settle a generous sum on Mrs. Ashworth and take full control of the business.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “He informed me of his intentions. Why do you bring it up?”
“Arthur intends to run the business for some time yet,” Edmund continued, hands still rubbing her arms.
“But when it’s time to move on, he wishes to leave it to us. However,” he said slowly, “I’m not certain I’m comfortable with my wife handling such affairs. Or if I’d be so inclined to do so myself.”
She stood straighter and tilted her head. “Oh, Edmund. You cannot possibly think of letting the business go!”
Selina paused and drew in a deep breath. She wanted to make her arguments practical, not from the heart and chose her words carefully.
“I know you have lands and investments and whatnot,” she acknowledged. “But the business is very profitable. And with an estate of your size, additional income should never be discarded.”
Edmund’s lips tilted in a small smile. “It’s a very different experience, speaking of such things with—”
He cut himself off and grimaced. Selina raised her eyebrow in confident understanding.
“A woman?” she asked, proudly.
“Well… ”
Selina cleared her throat. “I do hope you become more comfortable with it as I am used to knowing such things.”
For a long moment, Edmund watched her quietly. She saw him considering her, the light of acceptance so clear in his dark eyes she had to swallow, hard. This man loved her with everything in him and wasn’t afraid to show her.
“You’ll have much to do as the Countess of Granville.” He paused and grinned, a wide, slow smile that transformed his entire face.
“And Octavia will not help,” he continued. “She’s vowed to relinquish all duties to you so she need not think of them until she, too, is married.”
Selina nodded but shrugged it off. She wasn’t concerned about clashing with Octavia. They’d discussed the household, of course, and Selina was quite confident in her abilities to run the household. After all, she helped her father for years.
“I shall teach a steward what they need to know,” she promised, “should it come to that eventuality.”
Edmund nodded and kissed her forehead. “I shall be the envy of all other earls with a wife such as you.”