Robert moved his sword to the ready. “Don’t know. How warm did you get?”
Izzie stepped between them and held up her hands to each of them. “No! You will stop this at once.”
“A matter of honor.” Valen nudged her aside with his hand and the guard of his sword. “Stand aside, marmot.”
“I will not. Robert, listen to me. It was one small kiss. Not nearly warm enough to merit a scratch.”
Valen let his blade fall to the floor. “You crush me to the core, my lady. Your kisses certainly warmed me.” He raised his sword again. “Heated me to near the boiling. Quite warm, I should say.”
“Izzie!” her brother scolded.
“Well I...” She had the good grace to blush.
“And on several occasions,” he added with enthusiasm.
“Several occasions.” Robert snorted angrily. “If this is true, Izzie, why the devil won’t you marry him?”
Valen answered for her. “As I said—my lack of funds.”
“It’s that ridiculous plan of yours, is it?” Robert cradled his sword in his arms and frowned at her. “Still fancying yourself as Joan of Arc out to save the family?” He shook his head. “Would you really do it, Izzie? Choose that milquetoast Horton over St. Evert?”
Elizabeth looked from Valen to her brother. Both had riveted their attention on her, intently awaiting her answer. Indeed, neither took a breath. And suddenly she comprehended their scheme.
She whipped to Lord Ransley, astounded. “Were you part of this conspiracy, as well?”
Lord Ransley coughed and conveniently turned his head.
She inhaled deeply. “Well, it may interest all of you to know that I came to a decision several days ago.”
Their collective countenances were a gratifying assortment of shock and amazement.
The Red Hawk quickly recovered from his disadvantage, his eyes sharp and assessing. “And what, precisely, did you decide?”
He had no right to know, not after confronting her so meanly and trying to trick her into confessing her love for him.
Elizabeth stamped her foot and fought to control her emotions, which meant of course elevating her chin. “A simple ‘I love you, Lady Elizabeth, will you marry me?’ would have sealed the bargain.”
“You can’t mean it!” Valen plopped down on the edge of the bed and pointed to his father. “You heard her.” He turned back to Elizabeth, baffled. “That day, when I explained to my father about how you refused me, you failed to express even the slightest regret—”
“That?” Elizabeth couldn’t believe her ears. “That was supposed to win a profession of love out of me?”
“Well.” He hesitated, groping for words. “I was testing the waters. You didn’t seem very receptive to the idea.” He slumped and winced because of it, straightening his back again to relieve the pain.
Valen got up, set his sword in its case, and took Elizabeth’s shoulders in his hands. “So am I given to understand you’ve had a change of heart?”
She nodded and smiled at him. “Almost since the moment we left the garden. Indeed, I could not escape my regret through this whole ordeal.”
He answered with a broad grin and bent to kiss her.
Robert’s sword came between them. “Here now. I would hate to have to call you out again.”
Lady Alameda stood in the doorway. “Well, well, so our wily marmot has stopped bearing her claws and making a muddle of it, has she?”
Elizabeth was too happy to be completely annoyed, but she had to draw the line. “I do wish everyone would stop calling me that. I am convinced there is no such creature. A mythical invention—”
“Oh dear. What ith happening? Robert, deareth, why do you have your thword drawn?”
Elizabeth groaned and teetered on the brink of demanding to know what the devil Miss Dunworthy was doing here, when Lady Alameda answered the question.
“Only look, Valen, dearest, I have brought you some visitors. They were waiting downstairs until you and Robert concluded your business. Naturally, I thought you would be anxious to see Miss Dimworthy and her brother.”
“Dunworthy,” Elizabeth murmured.
Lady Alameda tilted her head, as if considering the correction. “Oh yes, so she has. Done quite worthy, I should say.”
Robert set down his rapier and went to greet the paragon whose noodle-like curls were artfully arranged inside an adorable straw lace capote. “Lord Ransley, Lady Alameda, Lord St. Evert, Elizabeth, allow me to present my betrothed, Miss—
“Your what?” Elizabeth’s hand went to her mouth to stifle the rest of her outcry.
Robert beamed proudly. “Miss Susannah Dunworthy has agreed to be my wife.”
“She hasn’t.” Elizabeth’s hands fell to her side, and if Valen hadn’t guided her to the edge of the bed so she might be seated, she might have collapsed to the floor. Luckily Elizabeth was not the swooning type.
“She has, indeed.” Robert patted his beloved’s shoulders. “I warned her that I have nothing to offer her. Yet still, she would not say nay.” He and Miss Devious gazed into each other’s eyes, and Elizabeth felt slightly queasy.
Miss Dunworthy smiled at all of them. “Indeed, my father was in thuch high alt over dear Robert’th devothion to me that he offered to pay all of his debts in addithion to my dowry. Dear papa, he thinks only of my happineth.”
Her brother, young Mr. Dunworthy, didn’t appear quite so convinced of this statement. While assessing the condition of his fingernails, he muttered, “Daresay the promise of a title didn’t influence him at all.”
Miss Dunworthy ignored her brother and rushed out of Robert’s embrace to take Elizabeth’s hands in her tiny little gloved palms. “Thay you are happy for uth, Lady Elithabeth.” She smiled so hesitantly, as if she sincerely desired Elizabeth’s approval and feared she might not win it, that Elizabeth was on point of opening her arms to the girl. But the little minx added, “I’m thertain we will become the deareth of friends, you and I. We have tho muth in common dethpite our great age differenthe.”
Lady Alameda clapped her hands together. “Isn’t she adorable.”
Some less than adorable descriptions rumbled around Elizabeth’s ferocious marmot brain. Haughty rejoinders like; take your tentacles
