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"Is this who I hope it is?" the younger girl asked, looking at Laurel, eyes bright with excitement.

"Who do you hope it is?" Julian queried and Laurel couldn't help but smile to see him tease his sister. Considering the barely-cordial relationship she’d had with her stepbrother, she felt a twinge of envy at this playful brother and sister banter.

"Lady Laurel Ashford," Julian addressed her and Laurel's heart clenched to hear him say her married name and title, "may I introduce, Lady Penelope Ashford, my sister."

"Ashford?" Penelope squealed. "You are my new sister?

Your new bride?" She grabbed both of Laurel's hands in hers and squeezed.

"When I saw you getting out of the carriage," she said, still squeezing Laurel's hands, "I hoped you were Julian's bride.

Of course, you are wearing a veil so that seemed like a good clue.

I am so happy to meet you. I hope you will call me Penny.

Penelope is too stuffy for family," she continued in a rush.

"Did you just get married today? I wish I could have been there. "

"Yes," Laurel said. "I would have liked for you to be there too, but it all happened rather quickly."

"Perhaps we can continue this discussion inside," Julian said. "I think we could all use some time to freshen up."

"Of course," Penny said. "Though I am bursting with questions, I shall hold them. Shall we reconvene for tea in an hour?"

"That sounds lovely," Laurel said.

Penny turned to go back into the house, then spun around and said, "I want to watch you carry your bride over the threshold."

Laurel gasped. Julian looked equally stunned. However, he recovered more quickly than Laurel did, turning to her with his arms outstretched.

"Shall we?" he asked. Before she could answer, Julian slipped one powerful arm beneath her knees and with the other wrapped tightly around her back, scooped her up from the front step of the house.

Penny clapped her hands and smiled broadly. "Oh, isn’t it romantic?" she said.

Laurel had to agree that it was, in fact, extremely romantic.

In her surprise at being plucked from the ground, her left arm automatically went round her new husband's shoulders to steady herself as his muscled arms held her close.

From this vantage point she could see the clear depths of his right eye, as well as the curve of his lips, the shell of his ear and the rough bristle of his whiskers.

More than that, she felt the strength of him as he lifted her easily and carried her across the threshold.

Penny bounced excitedly on her toes. "Best wishes to the happy couple!" she said.

"What the blazes is going on?" A bewhiskered gentleman with great tufts of hair sprouting from all sides of his head came rushing forward.

"Julian," he said. "Explain yourself. What are you doing sneaking into the house with a young lady? Or worse, are you actually sneaking out with her? What sort of example is this for your sister?"

Laurel felt herself blush crimson and did not know whether to be angry or humiliated by the implications of the old man’s words.

Julian set her feet on the floor but kept his arm about her waist. She appreciated the steadying force of his arm to support her.

Her lips began to quiver with anger at the implication of the gentleman's words.

Before she could say anything, Julian stepped in front of her, like a shield.

"Grandfather," he said most sternly and bluntly, "this is the bride you sent me to London to find. How dare you insult her?"

So this was Julian’s grandfather. She ought to have realized as much.

"Is that so?" The old man's demeanor changed completely and he rushed forward grabbing Laurel's hand between both of his and pumping it up and down.

"Welcome, welcome my dear. Please forgive my rudeness.

And also please forget I implied Julian was prone to leaving the house with young ladies in tow.

It has never happened and I have simply lost my head.

I shall ring for a bottle of champagne to be prepared. We must celebrate."

"That is all very well and good, Grandfather," Julian said. "But first I think I should at least make the introductions. And once that is completed my new bride and I both would like to freshen up."

Julian's grandfather raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh my, of course you need to freshen up. What was I thinking?" Although the words were said with all innocence, there was something in the implication behind them which caused Laurel to blush yet again.

Julian proceeded to introduce her to his grandfather, Lord Ebersole, who held both her hands in his and gazed into her eyes with such warmth, she found herself utterly charmed by him.

"Welcome, my dear. We are so very glad to have you at Hazelden. I hope you will be very happy here."

He was so sincere and kind. Laurel felt horrible knowing she was perpetrating a ruse upon him. Fortunately, there was a commotion in the hall as their luggage was brought in from the carriage and Julian insisted that they freshen up.

He escorted Laurel up the grand staircase of the home to the second floor. He stopped outside of a door in the long hallway. "This," he said, "is your room."

But when he turned the knob, it did not give way. He tried a bit harder with no better success. One of the footmen paused and said, "Pardon me, my lord. But that door is locked. The room is being renovated."

A look of surprise crossed Julian’s face. "Apparently I have been away longer than I realized. No matter, there are plenty of bedrooms."

He moved to another door and it also was locked. As was the next. Exasperated, he walked down to his own bed chamber where the footmen were busy with the luggage and said, "Are there any empty bedchambers on this floor?"

"No, my lord. His lordship has arranged for every bedchamber to be renovated before the gala for his birthday. They have all been emptied of furniture. However, your bedchamber is as you left it."

The implications of his words finally sunk into Laurel's addled brain. She would be sharing a bedchamber with her husband.