Page 121 of Aurelia

Roland brought Aurelia a small portion of brandy. “Here. Drink this darling, you are chilled,” he said, lightly rubbing the goose pimples on her bare arms with his hands.

Aurelia chuckled and gestured to the roaring blaze in the enormous fireplace. “I don’t think you can build the fire any larger without endangering the books.”

“I would burn it all down to the ground for you, Aurelia.”

Aurelia gawked up at him. If anything, she got even more goose pimples at his words—and the ardent look in his eye. She hastily took a gulp of brandy and then coughed as it burned its way down her throat.

Roland chuckled and sat down beside her on the settee. “Don’t look so serious, love. I won’t be burning anything.” He kissed the soft, fragrant skin of her temple. “Besides, fire is not the only way to warm you up.” He pulled her onto his lap and spent the next few minutes doing exactly that, not drawing back until they were both breathless. He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “How long will you make me wait until you marry me?” he asked in a voice roughened with need.

“We shall have to wait at least three weeks,” she reminded him.

“You have forgotten where you are, my dear—there is no waiting period in Scotland.”

“Oh. That’s right.”

“I daresay you wish to have your family here?”

Aurelia chewed her lip. “I don’t know,” she finally said.

He looked surprised.

“I feel terrible saying that. I have always been so close to my sisters. And yet…”

“Yet?”

“And yet I think back to the letters I have received over the past months. First my sister Phoebe married, then Hyacinth—which none of us ever expected—and right before you returned to Crewe I received word that my sister Selina was to marry. They have all gone on with their lives. Why should I wait to get on with mine?” She felt a sharp pang of guilt at her words. “Is that terribly selfish?”

He caught her up in a tight embrace, covering her face with kisses. “If it is, then I am selfish too, darling. I want you in my bed and in my arms every night. And I want that to happen as soon as possible.”

Aurelia gave herself up to his passion, allowing his kisses and caresses to carry her along. Allowing herself to imagine a life where she could have his love and affection every day and night.

“You have the dreamiest look on your face,” he said when he released her just enough to allow her to breathe.

“I am happy.”

“Does that mean that you will be satisfied by a small ceremony? Quickly?”

“Yes. But I would like to invite a few people.”

“Invite whomever you like, sweetheart,” he said in between kisses.

“And I also think we should wait for Guustin to return.”

“On that, we agree. I will send word of our news tomorrow morning, first thing.”

“The ceremony will have to be on a Tuesday because I want to invite Miss Clifford. If I can persuade her to ask for an extra day off work from her employer, might she come and stay the night before the wedding?”

“She may come and stay as long as she likes, sweetheart.”

“Thank you. It will be nice for her to have a few days in comfort. She has been living in that cottage with scarcely a stick of furniture and nobody for company.”

“I feel a great deal of sympathy for that poor woman and her sisters,” Roland admitted.

“Me too. I will miss her dreadfully when she leaves.”

“I daresay you will, but London will be a far better place for her and her sisters to go unnoticed. So,” he said, “who else did you want to invite, sweetheart?” He slid a big hand around her nape and massaged the taut muscles.

Aurelia all but purred, her eyes drifting shut. “That is nice.”