Seduced at Midnight

'We wanted you, and her, to have a choice,' Daniel said.

'Before her damn father marries her off to some other useless Lord Something- or-Other,' Logan said. He grinned at Matthew and Daniel. 'No offense intended.'

Matthew uttered something under his breath that sounded like Bloody American, then said to Gideon, 'Everything is being readied for the ceremony to take place at my house at five o'clock. With us, our wives, and Lady Emily serving as witnesses.'

Gideon could only stare. 'Today?'

Matthew nodded then consulted his watch. 'Today. In precisely one hour and nineteen minutes.' He slipped his watch back in his waistcoat pocket. 'The only things missing are a bride and groom.'

Gideon looked down at the paper clutched in his hands. A piece of paper that had the power to give him everything he wanted. Everything he hadn't dared hope could be his. It appeared Julianne wanted him. In spite of his lack of social status and fortune. Not that he was poor. Yet neither was he rich. He nodded his chin at the special license. 'This must have cost a fortune.'

'Consider it a wedding gift,' Logan said.

'She'll lose her family,' Gideon said.

'Yes,' Matthew agreed. 'But she won't lose her friends.'

'We can promise you that,' Daniel said, and Logan nodded his agreement.

Hope burst through Gideon, so strong, he was grateful he was sitting down, because he felt a bit unsteady.

'I wouldn't have dared to ask her,' he said quietly.

'Which is why we're here, meddling,' Matthew said, 'at our wives' behest.'

'Right,' Daniel said. 'Because we're not normally meddlers, you know.'

Logan looked toward the ceiling. 'You Brits. Always talking in circles.' He fixed his gaze on Gideon. 'Well? What's it going to be?'

Gideon drew a deep breath. Then smiled. 'The only thing missing now is a bride.'

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, freshly shaven and wearing his finest garments, Gideon entered the foyer of the mansion on Grosvenor Square, Caesar at his heels. 'I'd like to see Lady Julianne, please,' he said to Winslow.

'I'll see if she's at home,' the butler said. His gaze flicked down to the small bouquet of flowers Gideon clutched but made no comment. He headed down the corridor, and Gideon had to force himself not to pace. Winslow returned a moment later and said, 'Lady Julianne is in the music room. She'll see you now.'

Gideon and Caesar followed Winslow's straight back, and with every step, Gideon's heart thumped harder. 'Mr. Mayne,' Winslow announced at the door.

Gideon crossed the threshold, barely noting Winslow's departure as his gaze settled on Julianne. She stood next to the pianoforte, wearing a pale aqua gown that made her eyes look even bluer than usual.

He walked slowly toward her and wondered how the hell he had ever been foolish enough to walk away from her. He was only halfway across the room when a series of sharp yips came from the hearth. Princess Buttercup, dressed in an aqua ruffled collar that matched Julianne's gown, had caught sight of Caesar. Caesar in turn had caught sight of his love, and a joyful canine reunion of sniffing and licking and grunting and yapping took place before they both plopped down on the hearth rug.

'Hello, Julianne,' he said, wading into the silence.

Now that less than six feet separated them, he could see that she'd been crying. Yet in spite of her puffy, reddened eyes, she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

'Hello, Gideon.' Her hands were clasped in front of her so tightly her knuckles showed white through her skin. 'You wished to see me?'

'Yes.' He took a quick look at the mantel clock, noted the time, then cleared his throat. 'You asked me last night if I had anything else to say to you, and I realize I didn't say everything I wanted to. Everything I needed to.'

'I see. Would you like to sit down?'

He shook his head. Went to plunge his fingers through his hair only to recall the flowers he clutched. 'These are for you,' he said, holding them out. Bloody hell, he'd clearly strangled the damn things, for they looked decidedly wilted.

But in spite of their less-than-perfect condition, a trembling smile curved her lips. 'Thank you,' she said, burying her face in the droopy blooms. 'I adore daisies.'

He hadn't known that. Hadn't even noticed they were daisies. He'd simply bought the flowers from a young girl selling them because, well, wasn't a man supposed to bring flowers when he proposed? Bloody hell, why hadn't he asked Matthew or Daniel for instructions when he'd had the chance?

She looked up at him with solemn eyes. 'What did you wish to say, Gideon?'

'I… I…' He let out a long breath. 'I wish I was good at pretty words, because God knows you deserve them, but I'm not. So I can only tell you plainly.' He stepped closer to her, stopping when less than an arm's length separated them, then took her hand, noting that his weren't quite steady.

'I love you, Julianne. Love you so much I just…ache with it. I think I loved you even when I thought you were nothing more than a spoiled princess, although I convinced myself I didn't. But then, as I discovered that you weren't a spoiled princess at all, realized the kind, loving, generous, brave, and wonderful woman you are, I couldn't deny to myself any longer that I'd fallen completely, utterly in love with you.'

He pulled in a deep breath then continued, 'I'm not a rich man, and I don't have a title. But I offer all I have, all I am, all my love, my heart and soul, to you.'

He dropped to one knee before her. 'Julianne, will you do me the honor of marrying me?'

She looked down at him, her eyes huge, her face pale. For several of the longest seconds of his life he endured the loudest silence he'd ever heard. Then her lips trembled and she smiled the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

'Yes,' she whispered. Then laughed. Then sobbed. 'Yes! Yes!' Laughing, crying, she pulled him up, and he yanked her into his arms and kissed her. And all the places inside him that only an hour ago had seemed so empty filled to overflowing with a happiness he'd never thought possible.

She leaned back and framed his face between her hands. 'I love you,' she whispered. 'From the first moment I saw you, you took my breath away. And now, when you tell me how you feel about me, instead of telling me I'm beautiful, you called me kind. Loving. Generous. Brave. Wonderful. You have no idea how much that means to me.'

'Well, you are undeniably beautiful. Just in case you thought I didn't think so.'

She smiled through the tears streaming down her cheeks. 'Am I really going to be your wife?'

'Am I really going to be your husband?' He pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at her wet eyes. 'I brought three of these,' he teased, waving the handkerchief before her.

She laughed. 'Good. Princess Buttercup was miserable, you know.'

'Caesar as well.' He rested his forehead against hers. 'Me, too.'

'Me, too,' she concurred.

He lifted his head. 'You know your parents will never accept this.'

'Then that is their loss,' she said without hesitation. 'I choose you. Now. Always.'

'Are your parents at home?'