Page 85 of This Earl of Mine
He caught her in his arms. “In that case, I promise I will never give you cause to regret your decision,” he said gravely. He gave the desk behind her a speculative glance and backed her up so she was trapped between the hard wood and his strong body.
Georgie’s pulse quickened. He reached around her and pushed the silver inkwell and paper to one side with distinct deliberation. Her limbs turned to water.
“I don’t think I’ve ever shown you my husbandly appreciation on a desk before,” he mused. “A bed, yes. And several chairs, certainly. The sofa in the sitting room.”
“Don’t forget the bath,” she reminded him judiciously, as a slow curl of excitement twisted in her veins. “That was particularly memorable.”
“How could I forget the bath? But a desk? No. Never.”
“I don’t believe so,” she said breathlessly.
“In that case, allow me to—”
“Letter for you, sir!”
Benedict swore roundly as the cheerful voice of Jem Barnes carried down the hallway. They’d retained the little terror as a general stable boy, errand-runner, and cook’s assistant, as a means of providing him with a regular source of income and food. He slept in the rooms above the stable, and his boundless energy paired with his youthful cynicism was usually a source of much amusement. Now, however, his presence was most unwelcome. Georgie pushed her skirts back down just as he bounded into the room without knocking.
“Letter just come,” he repeated, his face glowing with excitement. “Look, ’ere. It’s from the king!”
Benedict took the proffered envelope and frowned down at the embossed royal crest. “So it is.”
Georgie peered over his shoulder as he broke the seal. “What does it say?”
“It’s a summons, from Carlton House,” he said, reading slowly. “The Prince Regent has been instructed by his father the king to bestow an honorific title to—good God—toBenedict Wylde, in recognition of ‘invaluable services to the crown.’” He looked up with an astonished, bewildered expression. “He’s making me an earl. We have to go to Carlton House for the investiture at the end of the month. Bloody hell.”
Georgie threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
Three weeks later, in a private ceremony, Benedict knelt in front of the rotund Prince of Wales and became the newly minted Earl of Ware. Alex and Seb were also present and were made the new Earl of Melton and the new Earl of Mowbray, respectively. All three of them were wearing their medals.
“We know you’re well used to dealing with crooks, gentlemen,” the prince said jovially. “And sad to say,they’re not limited to the slums and docklands of this metropolis. Oh no. Plenty of ’em right here in Belgravia. And at Westminster too.” He sent each of the three men a steely look. “As earls, you can keep an eye on the House of Lords for me.” He chuckled, his belly shaking in mirth, then his gaze focused on Benedict.
“We are aware of the debts amassed by your father, Wylde, and your efforts to repay them. I wish you and your brother luck.” He shot Benedict a commiserating look. “Believe me, I knowall aboutdifficult fathers.” For a moment he looked aggrieved, and then he shook his head, dismissing the thought. “Admiral Cockburn tells me you took a bullet in the process of stopping this fellow Johnstone?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Brave man.” He glanced over Benedict’s shoulder and beckoned Georgie forward. She swept a deep curtsey before His Royal Highness and the prince smiled at her approvingly. “And you, Mrs. Wylde, who I hear had no small part in the adventure, are now Countess of Ware.” His blue eyes twinkled. “What do you think of that, eh?”
Georgie glanced sideways at her husband and smiled. “I like it very much, Your Majesty. And if I may say so, I think my husband will make a very good earl indeed.”