A week from today, he and Rose would attend the queen’s birthday celebration at Whitehall, then leave for Italy the day after that. A dream come true for them both. He would learn from the great architects, and Rose would be there to translate.
But first things first, Kit thought as his carriage drew up before the pawnshop. Before he could be happy with the new woman in his life, he needed to square things with the old one.
He drew a deep breath, hefted the bag of coins, and marched up to the pawnshop’s door. It was locked tight at this late hour, but as he was raising his hand to knock, it swung open. Ellen and her husband both stood there, wrapped in cloaks, obviously on their way out.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Where are you going?” he countered—then realized she’d actually spoken to him. Would wonders never cease? Just when he was ready to give in, she’d saved him from proving himself a coward.
“Now that the shop is closed for the evening, I was going to try to see you,” she said. “As I’ve done the past four nights.”
“I was away,” he said unnecessarily. “Here.” He held out the bag. “A down payment on your dowry. I never meant to keep it from you. My goldsmith is holding the rest for you in London.”
“I know. I’ve been trying for four days to thank you.” Instead of taking the money, she threw her arms around him, the hard bag of gold between them. “Thank you so very, very much.” She kissed both his cheeks. “I love you. I honestly don’t know what came over me. But I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, that I tried to punish you by remaining silent.”
Though clearly rehearsed, her words sounded sincere. But Kit was stunned. He pulled away. “How did you know I was about to give it to you?” Until a few minutes ago, he hadn’t been sure himself.
Ellen exchanged a confused glance with Thomas, then looked back to Kit. “What do you mean, how did I know?”
“There was no need to bring more gold,” Thomas added. “The first bag was sufficient proof of your intentions.”
Kit shifted the heavy weight in his arms. “The first bag?”
“The one you sent with Rose.” Ellen enunciated slowly, as though he were a half-wit who required the simplest explanation.
Which wasn’t too far off from the way he was feeling at the moment. “Rose? What does Rose have to do with this?”
Thomas looked even more confused than Kit felt. “She brought us your money. Or a thousand pounds of it, and a promissory note from your goldsmith for the rest. Abrahamson & Company.”
“My money is with Lazarus & Sons.” Kit’s thoughts seemed to be moving through a fog, until suddenly everything cleared. “Lord Almighty. It must have been her money. Her inheritance.”
Thomas blinked. “Is she mad?”
“Clearly,” Kit said. “Insane, infuriating—”
“Madly in love,” Ellen interrupted with a soft smile.
Reeling, Kit leaned against the doorpost. Not light to begin with, the bag seemed to be growing heavier by the moment. “Do you think I could come in and sit down?”
“ROSE IS anxious,” Chrystabel said later that night as she readied herself for bed. “Distressed. I never in my life thought I’d see Rose like this. Of all our girls—”
“You’re the one who’s anxious.” Joseph stepped behind to unlace her, pausing to kiss the back of her neck.
The little shiver that rippled through her wasn’t enough to really distract her. She reached up to unpin her hair. “I should have let her sleep with Kit.”
“What?” Though he sounded astonished, his practiced fingers kept unlacing. “You cannot mean that, Chrysanthemum.”
“I do. It’s the only explanation for Rose’s attack of nerves. It was a mistake keeping them apart. Our daughter should be happily anticipating her wedding tomorrow, and instead—”
“You explained so well all your excellent reasons for forbidding their early union.” He spread the back of her gown, drawing it off her shoulders and kissing the newly bared skin. “Fear of an eight-month baby—”
“We had a six-month baby and survived—”
“Loss of innocence before the wedding—”
“So what?”
“—when the wedding could be called off for various reasons—”
“What reasons? It was different with Lily and Rand, where his father was against the match. But Kit has no living parents, no one he has to please. He’s his own man—”
He laughed, pushing the gown and her chemise down to pool at her feet. “And you’re your own woman, my love. Truly one of a kind.”
Wondering if he meant that as a compliment or a complaint, she turned and kissed him anyway. “Thankfully, tomorrow it will all be settled, all three of our girls married.”
He skimmed his warm hands down her sides to her hips. “Do you find that sad? Another reason to be anxious?”
Nodding, she bit her lip. And reached for her night rail.
“Oh, you won’t be needing that.” Snatching it from her hands, he threw it artfully over his shoulder. “I suspect a prewedding night might take your mind off tomorrow’s anxieties.”
SEVENTY
NO NOTE HAD come from Kit.
Wearing a sapphire silk dressing gown, Rose paced her crimson bedchamber while her sisters and Judith watched. They were here to help her dress for her wedding.
But she couldn’t help wondering if she was going to have one.
She lifted the bouquet she’d made for herself and stroked the soft red and white petals. If she hadn’t given all that money to Kit’s sister, she wouldn’t think twice about the fact that he hadn’t arrived yet; in truth, she had no reason to expect him this early. And he wasn’t supposed to see her before the wedding, anyway.
But she’d thought she’d hear from him Thursday night. And now it was Saturday…
“You look worried,” Judith said.
Rose inhaled deeply of the sweet floral scent before she set the flowers down and forced a smile. “Wedding nerves. You suffered them, too, if you’ll
