by Heather Boyd
But Mama was already crying, her hands raised to her lips to control herself. Seeing her like that, so happy and proud, made his own eyes tear up for a moment, too.
Sylvia had styled her hair differently today, and she carried the posy of wildflowers he’d sent over that morning between both hands. Her cousins surrounded her, as they’d mentioned they might do in defiance of usual custom of having a man give the woman away. When he thought about it, Sylvia and her two cousins had walked Lord Carmichael’s wife down the aisle, too.
Sylvia met his gaze and then winked, like she had the first time he’d really noticed her.
This time he winked back, unwilling to pretend he wasn’t completely besotted with the woman.
The Hillcrest cousins handed Sylvia into his keeping, and stepped back to sit with Lord Carmichael’s wife.
“I had a dream about you last night,” he whispered as he raised her hand to press a quick kiss upon her glove.
“Tell me later,” she said, smiling.
Alexander laughed that she wouldn’t be diverted. Not in front of the priest and the whole of the ton, but later he’d tell her every wicked detail of what he’d done to her.
He gripped her fingers tightly as the priest extolled the virtues of humility and obedience in a loud, clear voice that should have carried to the far corners. The man obviously couldn’t be speaking to him, and certainly not to Sylvia. Their marriage would not be so boring as all that. He expected to be kept on his toes.
In the end, the ceremony was over quite painlessly and he was off the market, if he’d ever been on it, and a happily married man.
Sylvia’s husband and devoted lover forever.
They turned toward the guests as a great cry rang out, “Long live the happy couple!”
“Here, here!”
“That was Mr. Berringer,” Sylvia whispered.
Alexander was surprised. The man might have been a rival for Sylvia’s affections once, but he had conceded the field with little outward fuss. Though Berringer professed to be happy for them, Alexander wasn’t sure he would have felt the same if their situations had been reversed, and Berringer had won Sylvia’s heart instead.
That’s how he knew he’d done the right thing in marrying her. He’d never been at all possessive about his past women.
But he was with her.
Only Sylvia mattered.
They strolled toward the open church doors, or at least attempted to do so. They were waylaid by so many well-wishers, he feared they’d never win free. The Duchess of Exeter hugged Sylvia for a prolonged length of time, sobbing. As did Lady Carmichael, and Aurora and Eugenia Hillcrest, too.
But it was his mother, in the end, who managed to send them on their way.
She put her hands onto their backs and pushed hard. “Don’t you dare be late for your wedding breakfast after all the effort I’ve gone to.”
Sylvia smiled. “We won’t be, Mama.”
Mother burst into tears and hugged Alexander’s wife hard, but very carefully. “Such a terrible girl to make her mama cry.”
“I know,” Sylvia whispered. “We will see you as soon as I’m done with him.”
Mama laughed and rushed back to her daughters, chortling to herself, ordering everyone who’d come that they were expected at Wharton house for an afternoon and night of celebration.
He studied his wife’s impish smile as they swept down the stairs toward their waiting carriage, and decided not to question her about what she’d just said about being “done with him.” There was plenty of time for arguments and making up once they were safely away from everyone.
He helped her in, waved adieu to anyone seeing them off, and fell back into his seat untidily as the carriage suddenly leaped into furious motion. “What the devil?”
“We have a deadline,” Sylvia told him as she dug beneath the carriage blanket at her side. She produced a pack of cards and started to expertly shuffle them.
“What? You want to play cards now? This is no time for games, wife.”
“Exactly now.”
She dealt the cards onto his knee and hers to her lap, and then picked them up. Her expression one of extreme concentration.
He glanced around. “I don’t have any money to gamble with.”
Sylvia arranged her cards with her usual singlemindedness. “I don’t yet have my pin money from my new husband, either, so we will have to give up our clothing to wager with. One piece per round should suffice.”
It took him a minute to consider how quickly he’d end up naked, playing against Sylvia’s superior skill. When they had played against each other before, they’d usually play twenty rounds before he gave up trying to defeat her.
He did not have a good hand, but Sylvia’s knack of turning the game any way she liked made every game’s outcome a complete surprise. It was possible their game could go on for some time, since he’d told the coachman to take the very long way home before the ceremony had started.
A smile grew over her lips as Alexander considered what might be possible in this tiny space around them. He wisely drew the blinds down. Things were going to get very heated, very quickly, on their first long journey home as husband and wife.
Sylvia hitched up her skirts but only discarded a shoe. However, the sight of her stocking-clad limb made him groan aloud. Thanks to Mother’s interference, they’d not managed to be alone for a whole month. He felt a very deprived man, indeed.
He untied his cravat and threw it down over her shoe, grinning. “A kiss for the winner?”
“I thought you’d see things my way, my lord.” She suddenly laid down her cards, showing her winning hand.
All he could do was laugh and catch her as she launched herself across the carriage into his arms to claim her new husband’s lips as her well-deserved reward.
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The End
The Distinguished Rogues Series
Book 1: Chills (FREE READ)
The rogue she can’t have is the only one she wants.
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Book 2: Broken
His wicked ways could be the best hope for her future.
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Book 3: Charity
Reclaiming the love of his life is bound to break a few rules.
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Book 4: An Accidental Affair
Being good was a damned nuisance!
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Book 5: Keepsake
The runaway bride is back to cause trouble!
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Book 6: An Improper Proposal
Educating the innocent might have been a mistake.
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Book 7: Reason to Wed
Duty is the last thing on his mind once they kiss.
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Book 8: The Trouble with Love
Keeping a promise has never been harder!
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Book 9: Married by Moonlight
The marriage mart is murder!
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Book 10: Lord of Sin
In the battle between love and duty, the heart has the most to lose…
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Book 11: The Duke's Heart
He’s looking for love…just not for himself!
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Book 12: Romancing the Earl
Can a broken heart be won?
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Book 13: One Enchanted Christmas
He’s betting on love…
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Book 14: Desire by Design
It's the quiet ones that bear watching…
More Regency Romance From Heather…
Wild Randalls Series
Book 1: Engaging the Enemy
Book 2: Forsaking the Prize
Book 3: Guarding the Spoils
Book 4: Hunting the Hero
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Saints and Sinners Series
Book 1: The Duke and I
Book 2: A Gentleman’s Vow
Book 3: An Earl of Her Own
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/> Rebel Hearts Series
Book 1: The Wedding Affair
Book 2: An Affair of Honor
Book 3: The Christmas Affair
Book 4: An Affair so Right
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Miss Mayhem Series
Book 1: Miss Watson’s First Scandal
Book 2: Miss George’s Second Chance
Book 3: Miss Radley’s Third Dare
Book 4: Miss Merton’s Last Hope
See the full book list…
About Heather
USA Today Bestselling Author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after—no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes steamy romances that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Heather has published over 40 regency romance novels and shorter works full of daring seductions and distinguished rogues. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, with her trio of rogues and pair of four-legged overlords.
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You can find details of her work at
Heather-Boyd.com
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