Dangerous 01 - Dangerous Works (27 page)

Peaked
? Andrew looked in the direction of the kitchen. His tiny garden lay beyond it.

“I will bid you good evening, Mallet, and give you my congratulations one last time. Mother and I will take our leave in a few moments,” Dunning said.

Andrew merely nodded. He headed through the kitchen before Dunning could finish. He heard others making their departures behind him.

“Georgiana, is there a problem?” he asked, coming out the door. “Your brother is preparing to leave and—”

He stopped short at the sight of his bride, pale as linen, bent over in the shadowy garden. Edwina Potter sat next to her on a stone bench against the brick wall that surrounded his small patch of green. The old woman had an arm around her shoulders.

Andrew rushed forward.

“What is it, Love?”

“I fear champagne didn’t agree with her,” Mrs. Potter told him. “She’s had a bit of nausea.”

He knelt in front of Georgiana.

“I’m sorry,” his new wife mumbled. “It should pass.”

“Indeed it will, young man. Nothing to be concerned about,” Mrs. Potter told him with a smile as she rose to her feet. As if to confirm that, Georgiana sat up straight.

Mrs. Potter beamed at both of them. “I’ll leave you two together. You’ll want some time alone.” She scurried away without another word.

Georgiana leaned her forehead against his. “Andrew, I’m so sorry, but it has passed already. I’ll be fine. I won’t let it spoil our wedding night.”

He kissed her softly. “Nothing could, no matter how you feel or what we do. We have hundreds of nights ahead of us. Are you certain you aren’t ill? Do you want me to fetch Peabody?” He stood up. “I’ll have to run to catch him.”

She grabbed a hand and pulled him back.

“I’m not ill, Andrew. I fear I may have misled you, however. This house is very small.”

He looked at her, confused. “I told you we didn’t need to stay here,” he said, struggling to understand her meaning.

“Mr. Peabody may have been wrong.”

His puzzlement deepened.

An impish smile crossed her lips. She pulled him down to the bench to whisper in his ear. “I’m not quite sure, but I think we will have another collaboration to manage in seven more months.”

Still not making sense.

He felt baffled. Georgiana just smiled back until the radiant look on her face moved something inside him and the light dawned. He felt an explosion of joy great enough to fill their little house.

“Pregnant Georgie?” he whispered when he could breathe. He covered her belly with his hand. A child grew there, his child. The idea made him tremble.

She nodded, a happy laugh bursting forth. “I’ve never been so glad to be wrong about something.”

He kissed her then, as he wanted to do all evening. “I love you,” he said. She didn’t answer. She took his mouth with hers and kissed him until they both gasped for air.

Andrew stood and helped her rise. He slipped an arm around her waist, and they walked to the door.

“I think, dear wife, that, no matter what happens, my life with you will be a constant surprise.”

Georgiana let out a yelp when he swept her up into his arms. He carried her across the threshold, laughter trailing in their wake.

Author’s Note

Dangerous Works takes place in 1816. At that time Lord Hardwick’s Marriage Act of 1753 regulated marriages in England. The law stipulated that a valid marriage required the reading of banns in both parties’ home parish for three weeks before the wedding occurred. To avoid the public reading of banns, a couple could obtain a license as Andrew and Georgiana did. Technically, a special license had to be obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury or his representative, a situation that Georgiana wanted to avoid. For the purpose of the story, our characters needed a creative way around that stipulation. Luckily, Jamie’s uncle, whose diocese included Cambridgeshire, did have friends on Canterbury’s staff.

DANGEROUS WORKS

Copyright©2014

CAROLINE WARFIELD

Cover Design by Christy Caughie

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