Page 35 of An Unforeseen Kiss (Captivating Kisses #4)

V al had arrived in town late last night and gone straight to the ducal townhouse. He planned to be in town only for a few hours this morning and hoped to see Con before he left. In fact, speaking to his closest friend was the only reason he had come to London.

He had missed Eden more than he thought possible.

He had written to her once, not expecting any kind of reply, merely making contact with her so she would know he was thinking of her.

Of course, he did not let anything he felt for her be expressed in his letter and simply discussed the fete, saying he hoped all the planning was going well and reminding her if she had any problems to go to his mother.

He had written Mama three times in the six weeks he had been gone, never mentioning Eden to her.

He told her of where he was and the state of affairs, including some of the changes which he had recommended a few of his stewards make.

Overall, he had been pleased with how each property was being run.

Someday, he hoped to visit them all again, Eden with him.

If she would agree to wed him.

Had she hankered for him as he had her? Or had the planning of the fete and her governessing duties kept her so busy that she hadn’t a moment to devote to missing him?

Val supposed he would discover the lay of the land once he returned to Millvale.

For now, he wanted to see Con and talk things over with him.

Fisham shaved and dressed him, and he decided to walk to the rooms he had once shared with his cousin. Those had been good times for the both of them, but now he looked to his future. Many people were counting on him, and Val was not going to let any of them down.

He rapped on the door loudly. It was only ten o’clock.

In the country, he would have been up for hours, but this was the city during the Season.

If Con had attended one of the nightly ton affairs the previous evening, he might not have arrived until dawn and would still be sleeping.

Since they only had a woman who came in twice a week to clean up after them, he knew there would be no servant to answer the door.

He knocked again, harder, and could hear a voice call out, causing him to stop.

After a few moments, the door swung open. Con appeared sleepy-eyed, his hair sticking up, wearing nothing but his banyan.

“I suppose you had a late night,” he said, sweeping past his cousin and sitting in what had been his favorite chair.

Con closed the door and took a seat opposite Val. “Not as late as usual. It was a card party. I was home a little after one.” He stroked his unshaven jaw. “You look as if you have been up a while. When did you reach town?”

“Late last night. I wanted to stop and see you before heading back to Millvale. I do not have time to stay longer and visit with Uncle Arthur or Aunt Charlotte or meet all Lucy’s suitors and recommend which one she should focus on.”

His cousin chuckled. “That will not be necessary. My sister wed early last month.”

“Lucy is already married?” He paused, his mind jumping to the worst conclusion. “Please, no. I hope she was not compromised.”

“She was—and she wasn’t,” Con said mysteriously. “Do you recall Lord Eaton or Lord Humley?”

“Only that Eaton has a terrible reputation, and Humley is one of his toadies.” Val gasped. “Tell me my cousin is not wife to either of them.”

“Relax, Val. Lucy is now the Marchioness of Huntsberry. I will not go into the sordid details, but Eaton cooked up a scheme to ruin Lucy merely for the fun of it, and Humley went along, as usual. Judson—Lord Huntsberry—came upon them and ruined their evil doings. Unfortunately, in comforting Lucy, it led to a kiss. Or several. I did not ask. I did tell you Huntsberry had been sniffing about her, and it was obvious to me the two had feelings for one another.”

Con raked a hand through his wild hair. “Unfortunately, Lady Billingsley found them together.”

“The young widow who is a vicious gossip?” he asked.

“The very one. Apparently she had made a play for the marquess, and Huntsberry had turned her down. She was out for revenge and ready to spread malicious lies about Lucy and him. Judson offered for Lucy, and they wed quickly and quietly by special license.”

“Are they happy?”

His friend guffawed. “Sickeningly so. They are madly in love and quite affectionate with one another. Of course, Mama is thrilled that her daughter wed a wealthy marquess. That was what was most important to her. Lucy was looking for love, however, and was fortunate to have found it.”

“Where is Huntsberry’s country seat?” Val asked.

“Huntsworth is in Surrey. Ironically, it is adjacent to Aldridge Manor, so Lucy and Ariadne are neighbors.”

“I cannot believe Ariadne did not write to tell me of this. My sister has always been good at correspondence.” He shrugged. “Then again, I have been away from Millvale almost seven weeks. I may find more than one letter from her waiting for me when I return to Kent.”

“I went to see you.”

“You did? When?” He wanted to ask if Con had met Eden, but Val thought he would hear about Con’s visit first.

“Once Lucy was taken care of, I thought I would slip away for a few days and see you and what you were up to at Millvale. After all, you had told me I had an open invitation and could visit at any time.”

“I regret not being there to greet you,” he apologized. “I thought it was time to tour my other properties and see how they fared. I had already gotten a good grasp on Millvale and did not want to be remiss with my other holdings and the tenants living on those estates.”

Val took a deep breath. “I also needed to get away for personal reasons.”

“You mean you had to leave Miss Snow.”

“You met her? What did you think of her?”

Con said, “I am not certain I have ever met a more capable woman—and you know Mama sets the standard for capable women.”

He laughed. “Yes, Aunt Charlotte has always been a force of nature.”

“Mama thinks she would have been a better duke than your father,” his cousin confided.

“Most likely, she would have. But back to Miss Snow. You truly liked her?”

“I did.”

His cousin explained how they had met. “She is most impressive, Val. You look at her and think she is merely a beautiful woman, but much is going on inside her head. She has planned this fete of yours with confidence and creativity, leaving no stone unturned.”

“I am in love with her,” he blurted out, feeling his nape go hot. “No one else will do. I even told Mama how I felt before I left Millvale, and she had no objections.”

Con rose and placed a hand on Val’s shoulder.

“Then my advice to you? Follow your heart, Val. Miss Snow is worth ten times what the young lady who is diamond of the first water this Season is. She may be a governess, but her father was a viscount. Her life may have been difficult in recent years, but she would make for an excellent duchess.”

He looked at his cousin, asking, “How much time did you spend with Eden? You seem to know a great deal about her.”

Laughing, Con said, “I raced against her. She and Andromeda were as one. I have never seen a more magnificent rider. Not even you.”

“She is magnificent. In every way possible,” he agreed.

“Then why are you still here?” his friend teased. “If I were in love with Miss Snow and had yet to tell her, I would now be on my way to Millvale. In fact, if you do not leave town in the next half-hour, I just might have to ride to Kent myself and offer for her.”

Even though he knew Con was teasing, jealousy poured through Val.

“Stay away from her,” he warned. “Eden is mine.”

“Then go claim her,” his cousin encouraged. “And I hope you will invite me to your wedding. I suppose you will need to return to town for a special license because I believe you will be in a hurry to wed.”

“What a brilliant idea!” Val proclaimed. “Why waste time with another trip back to town—when I can purchase it while I am here. Get dressed, Con. And shave, as well. We are off to Doctors’ Commons in order to see the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

“Won’t we need an appointment?”

Val grinned. “In case you have forgotten, dear cousin, I am a duke. Dukes do not need appointments. I will breeze into the offices. Offer my card and smile. We will leave minutes later with the special license—and then I will hurry to Millvale and pour out my heart to Eden.”

“Not to put a damper on things, but are you certain she will have you?”

Determination filled him. “She will have me, Con. Our fates are joined together. I can love no other but Eden.”

“Then give me an hour to ready myself.”

“Half an hour. No more,” he declared. “I need that special license in hand today before I leave town for Millvale.”

They arrived at Doctors’ Commons an hour and a half later. When he announced to the clerk who he was and that he needed to see the archbishop in order to obtain a special license, the clerk shook his head.

“I am sorry, Your Grace. His Grace is not in town at the moment.”

An expletive escaped his lips.

“But do not fear, Your Grace,” the clerk said cheerfully. “A representative has been authorized to issue a special license in His Grace’s absence. Wait here a moment. I will tell him you are here.”

The clerk returned momentarily, leading them to an office.

Con stood by his side in support as Val spoke to the representative.

The man had obviously been told it was a duke seeking the license, because Val was quickly assured that his request would be granted.

They waited for about twenty minutes while the documents were drawn up, and he left Doctors’ Commons with the folded license resting in his inside pocket, next to his heart.

He dropped off Con at his rooms and said, “You will hear from me soon. In fact, you should return with me. The wedding will be in the next few days.”

“That is if Miss Snow says yes to you,” his cousin reminded.

“She will, Con. She has to,” he said fervently. “I cannot imagine life without her.”

“Then give me time to pack. I do not have a valet as you do.”

“I will go home and collect Fisham and my things, and then we will be back for you. Be ready.”

“You certainly have become tyrannical since you have become a duke. Ordering me about,” Con teased. “Then again, something tells me that Miss Snow will be the one telling you what do.”

Val laughed boisterously. “You know, I believe you to be absolutely right.”