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Adrian chuckled. “My past is no mystery, my lord. The ton loves to weave its tales, and I am sure you have heard them all. But let us set the record straight—I may have been a rogue, a scoundrel, and perhaps even a libertine, but I have never once taken advantage of an innocent lady.” His gaze softened as he looked at Georgina.

“And I certainly would never take advantage of my wife.”

Thaddeus scoffed. “You expect me to believe this?”

“I do not care what you believe,” Adrian said, his voice firm. “What matters is that Georgina and I understand each other. We love each other, and we have wed. There is no undoing what has been done.”

Georgina reached for her brother’s hands. She was desperate to make him understand what Adrian meant to her. “Thaddeus, I know you mean well. You have always been my protector, and I love you for it. But you must understand—I chose this. Adrian did not force me into anything. I love him.”

Thaddeus’s expression faltered, uncertainty flickering across his face. “You truly love him?”

“With all my heart.” She implored him. “Do not be difficult. This is what I want. I promise.”

Silence stretched between them as Thaddeus studied his sister, his jaw tight with conflicting emotions. Finally, he let out a slow breath. “I do not like this.” He shot a glare at Adrian. “Not one bit. But if you hurt her, I swear—”

“I know,” Adrian cut in smoothly. “You will ruin me. You will call me out. You will do your utmost to make my life miserable.” He smirked. “Trust me, my lord, I have no intentions of ever hurting her. She is my world.”

Thaddeus frowned, clearly reluctant, but something in Adrian’s tone must have reassured him, for he gave a grudging nod. “Then I suppose I must inform Father.”

Adrian arched a brow. “You will not drag her back home? Demand an annulment? How forward thinking of you to allow her to make her own decisions. I must admit I thought you would make it more difficult for us to be happy.”

Thaddeus sighed. “No. What would be the point? The deed is done. My sister is married.” He turned back to Georgina. “But do not think for a moment that this means you are free of my interference. I will be watching, and if you ever find yourself unhappy—”

“I won’t,” Georgina interrupted, squeezing his hand. “I promise you, Thaddeus. I have never been happier in my life.”

She was speaking her truth. Georgina adored Adrian and she could not imagine being married to any other man than him. He was her everything and it was good that Thaddeus had decided not to make things difficult for her.

Thaddeus exhaled sharply and pulled her into another tight embrace. “I am glad he makes you happy,” he muttered.

Georgina smiled against his shoulder. “He does,” she reassured him.

When Thaddeus finally released her, his gaze drifted back to Adrian, still filled with distrust but no longer blazing with fury. “Take care of her,” he ordered.

Adrian nodded solemnly. “You have my word.”

With a reluctant grunt, Thaddeus turned on his heel and stalked toward his waiting carriage, undoubtedly off to inform their father of the scandalous news.

Once he had disappeared from view, Georgina let out a breath and turned to Adrian.

“Well,” she said, arching a brow. “That went far better than I expected.”

Adrian laughed, pulling her into his arms. “He loves you. I can respect that.” He sighed. “I expect it will not be so easy with your father.”

Georgina winced. “I suppose we will find out in time. I honestly do not care. There is not much he can do.”

Adrian kissed her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin. “Whatever comes, we will face it together.”

She melted into his embrace, her heart full. “Yes,” she murmured. “Together.”

“Well,” a woman said from the entrance of the school. “I see you two have managed to create a scandal.”

They both turned to face the headmistress.

Her dark auburn hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon.

Her deep blue gown was a stark cut, but it suited her.

She smiled at them fondly. “With Charlotte married, and now you, that will leave poor Jaclyn all alone. I will have to move someone into that room with her.”

Oh dear… Jaclyn would not like that. Georgina swallowed hard. “You knew about us, didn’t you?” she asked Mrs. Havenwood.

“I did,” she said in a serene tone. “There is not much that I do not know regarding my students and my school.”

Georgina shook her head. The headmistress was a formidable woman.

“Thank you,” she said softly. She did not doubt that somehow she had played a hand in leading her toward Adrian.

Either way, her deciding to have her share a room with Charlotte and Jaclyn had done wonders to bring her out of her shyness.

“You are most welcome, Lady Foxmoore,” she said softly. “I wish you nothing but happiness. I will have your belongings sent to Easton Abbey. I trust that is why you have returned. Have a good life, dear.” With that, she disappeared back into the school, leaving her alone with Adrian.

She turned toward her husband and leaned into him.

Georgina melted into his embrace as he leaned down to press his lips to hers.

Perhaps they had caused a scandal, but what did that matter when his kisses set her aflame in the best possible way?

A kiss like his could lead any girl down a path to ruination, and she was oh, so glad, she had willingly fallen for her husband’s charms.