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Define inappropriate…

A lovely rose hue tinted Evie’s cheeks, but she bravely rallied again. “His Grace has only ever acted with utmost propriety towards me. Please—you need not worry on that account, I assure you.”

“Very well then.”

The sharp look the Dowager Duchess gave him, however, told him that she would not let this matter rest easily.

Daniel returned it with yet another of his smiles. “Now that we have all that settled, perhaps I should go get that special license.”

“Are you sure you will be able to manage it?” Evie asked him. “The Archbishop of Canterbury rarely accepts these petitions…”

He smirked at her. “Oh, you of little faith.”

It was a little galling to know that his betrothed did not have much faith in his capabilities.

Very well then. Perhaps I should prove her wrong on that account…

It took only a matter of moments to have a letter drafted in his study. It took another hour for said letter to make it to the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Nearly three hours after that letter had been sent out, Daniel was ushered into his private office with much deferential bowing and scraping.

Moments later, he left with the special license safely in his hand.

But before he could return home, he had to make one last stop…

“Good god, Ash! Has no one ever bothered to tell you to knock?” Ethan exclaimed as Daniel burst into his study without prior announcement. “Most would send a card beforehand, you know?”

“Come off it,” Daniel scoffed in response. “I am not one of those desperate mamas begging you to take their daughters for a turn about the park. And there is no need to act so surprised.”

Ethan simply laughed as he poured another glass of brandy and handed it to Daniel. “You are late, by the way.”

Daniel took the proffered glass and was immediately reminded of a certain lady who downed an entire glass of wine before him just that afternoon. More vividly, he recalled the drop that lingered on her bottom lip before her tongue delicately swiped at it.

“And what made you think that I was coming over, anyway?” he muttered gruffly.

Ethan shrugged and sat back on his chair, casually propping his feet up on the hardwood desk. “Because you made a hell of a mess back at the park and you needed my insight to sort things out?”

Daniel smirked and drank the entire glass of brandy. He poured himself a new one as he sat back in the seat opposite his friend. “I would have much rather have gone to Hudson, but that damned recluse lives so far away.”

“And that is precisely why he stays there,” his friend replied, wrinkling his nose. “One would think that he is purposely avoiding his friends.”

“Well, if living closer affords him to be more accessible to your schemes?—”

“Hey!” Ethan cried out in mock affront. “I resent that!”

Both men shared a look and shook their heads, laughing. Daniel refilled their glasses and sat back with a somber look.

“I have already obtained a special license,” he said softly. “We shall be married in a week.”

“That fast?” Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow. “I was not aware that the Archbishop had become so free with handing out special licenses.”

Daniel smiled humorlessly at his friend. “Everything is a lot easier when you know a lot of things about people.”

The Duke of Sinclair’s eyes widened. “What did you—on second thought, do not answer that question,” he amended quickly when he saw the sinister glint in Daniel’s eyes. “I do not think I wouldwantto know.”

“You never know when such information might come in handy, you know,” Daniel replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Heaven only knows that out of the four of us,youare the most likely to need a special license. Eventually.”

“I shall have you know that I am far too wise to be outsmarted by their cheap tricks!” Ethan scoffed. “But really, your time at the gaming hell starts showing when you do crazy things like this.”

“It should make sense, seeing that Iownit now,” Daniel snapped.