Page 122 of Aurelia

“Darling, if you make that noise again our wedding planning will come to an abrupt halt,” he warned her in a gravelly voice. “Now, who else?”

Aurelia chewed the inside of her cheek. “Would it be too strange to invite Nora?”

Roland’s hand stilled. “Nora?” he repeated, as if couldn’t believe he’d heard her correctly.

“She has been a great source of company while you’ve been galivanting all over Britain. And Celsa adores her as well. And Guustin will be attending, so it would be cruel to exclude her. If our ceremony is very small, then surely we could ask her to come without causing too much talk?”

“We can cause all the talk we want, my love. And of course, you may invite Nora. I was just surprised.”

“Why? Because I am not jealous of your past with her? As it happens,” she went on without waiting for a reply, “I am horridly jealous of all your lovers.” Aurelia gave him a slight shove. “You are smiling!”

“It is nice not to be the only one who feels such insecurity.”

“What reason have you to be insecure?” she demanded.

“Talbot.”

Aurelia huffed out a breath and shook her head. “I have never felt anything for him more than friendship.”

He caressed her throat, his gaze brooding. “Not even when he rescued you from those ruffians? I know the special status a hero can have—especially when they look like a damned prince out of some fairy tale story.”

“If I regarded him in any such light—and I’m not admitting that I did—it immediately dissipated the moment I saw you sitting behind your desk, looking like some feudal warrior lord.”

His lips quirked up. “Oh? Tell me more.”

She laughed. “You are shameless! I refuse to contribute to your already healthy sense of amour propre.”

He grinned and kissed her hard, and for a few moments there was no talk at all. When he’d sufficiently scattered her wits, he set his forehead against hers. “I have never in my life felt jealousy like this,” he confessed. “I wanted to leap across the table and thrash Arthur when he mentioned the man visiting you.” He sighed. “But I trust you and I do not want our marriage to start out with depriving you of any of your friends. So you can even ask Talbot to be one of our wedding guests. You see how generous I am in victory?”

Aurelia laughed.

“I do love the sound of your laughter. And I look forward to hearing it often in the years to come. Oh, there was just one other thing I wanted to discuss.”

“Hmm?” she murmured, tracing the fascinating curve of his full lower lip with one finger.

“Now that we are to be married, I don’t suppose you would consider a renegotiation of your wages?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Perhaps a lower rate for family?”

Yes, Aurelia thought as she laughed again and pulled him down to kiss him. With a man like Roland there would be a good deal of laughter in their marriage.

Chapter 27

Aurelia woke up far later than usual the following morning and could only assume it was the excitement and strain of the prior day that had caused her to sleep so soundly.

She was reinvigorated by her long rest and her mind too busy with everything that needed to be done to lounge about.

On her list of things to do was to talk to Sir Gideon. Aurelia wanted to tell him about her betrothal in person as it just felt wrong to let him hear the news from a servant.

Aurelia decided that she would ask Roland to row her over to the mainland. She suspected he would be less jealous if she involved him in the errand.

She was just about to go down to the breakfast room when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Ruby opened the door and dropped a curtsey. “Good morning, er, my lady.”

Aurelia smiled at how quickly Roland had spread the news. “Yes, Ruby?”

“The master was called out two hours ago to see to some problem at the mine. He was not sure when he would return but said he would send word.”