Bad Brides
Page 45
On this excellent note, she handed the microphone to Tamra, but Edmund reached over for it instead.
‘My wife usually does the talking, and that’s more than fine with me,’ he said to the crowd, grinning down at Brianna Jade, who smiled back. ‘I’m discovering that one of the advantages of marriage is that one barely needs to say a word any more. I’m sure some of the men here will know how restful that is!’
This sally drew a laugh, and he went on: ‘Marriage is simply the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t recommend it enough. The main thing is to apologize for absolutely everything, constantly. And I have an apology to make to my wife right now. Darling,’ he said, looking directly at Tamra, his eyes so full of love that she couldn’t meet them for fear of bursting into tears, ‘when I met you, you were the Fracking Queen.’
He took her hand and kissed it.
‘And now, you’re just a lowly Countess. I’m going to spend my lifetime trying to make you forgive me.’
Tamra hadn’t expected this speech, so spontaneous, so funny and loving, and it took her completely off guard. Edmund hated speaking in public, had done his duty at their wedding, but it had been as formal and traditional as was appropriate for the Earl of Respers in his family home, surrounded by half the County and all the Stanclere dependants. This was such a demonstration of how much he loved her that she was almost overwhelmed by it.
Pregnancy was already making her extra-sentimental; she had been just the same when she got knocked up with Brianna Jade, crying at the least little thing. She hadn’t told him yet, had been saving it up for later tonight. She was only a few weeks late, but she knew her own body, and she was absolutely sure.
She bit her lip, hard, and, low enough so only he could hear, she hissed at him: ‘Hey, Edmund? Guess what? I’m pregnant,’ and watched with triumph the effect of her words. If he was going to knock her off-balance in public, she was damned well going to pull the same trick on him. They had found that they had the same give and take when talking as they did dominating each other in bed, each taking great pleasure when they scored a point. Tamra had certainly managed to do that now.
He gulped as the impact of her words sank in. Jodie, seeing that they were going to say no more into the microphone, retrieved it and went down the steps to get a much-needed cocktail which the efficient Catalina had ready for her.
Edmund and Tamra remained on the podium, staring at each other. Eventually, Edmund said, straight-faced: ‘I do hope it’s mine?’
Tamra burst out laughing.
‘You win,’ she said, as her husband pulled her towards him and kissed her, their reflections splitting in the mirrors behind them into hundreds of Edmunds and Tamras, wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing as passionately as a pair of teenage newlyweds.