Eight Hunting Lyons (The Lyon’s Den Connected World)

Chapter Twenty-One

Dining with a Purpose and a Proposal

Meanwhile, in the dining room at Excelsior Park

A s promised, James and Eloise were seated next to one another at a rectangular table that could have comfortably seated eight. Ensconced in the only chair on the other long side, Stephanie looked as if she were the queen at a medieval banquet, her subjects seated at the ends and beneath her. She also appeared annoyed.

James didn’t mind that Eloise’s sister sat across from them, quietly fuming as she refused dish after dish with the comment that she wasn’t hungry.

No wonder the girl was so thin.

His proximity to Eloise allowed him to occasionally rest his hand on her thigh or lean slightly so their shoulders touched. He had to suppress the urge to gasp when her hand wandered over his lap, sliding down a thigh or up to where his arousal had once again made itself apparent.

When they were married, they would be expected to sit across from one another. If the table was short enough, they might manage a game of footsie, or mayhap her foot could reach his chair and her toes might…

James cleared his throat in an effort to tamp down both his arousal and his erotic imaginings.

After dessert was finished and the port was served, Marguerite stood, as did the gentlemen. “We’re off to the parlor,” she said as she moved to place a hand on her husband’s arm. “Don’t be too long, darling.”

“Ten minutes, my sweet,” Huntsford announced.

When the ladies had taken their leave of the dining room, James gave the marquess a nod. “I take it you heard my declaration of love for your daughter, El.”

Huntsford folded his arms and leaned onto the table, a smirk appearing. “My oldest is not very happy with you.”

James sighed. “I cannot understand why. She’s going to marry Weatherby, who apparently finds her quite beautiful—”

“And beddable,” Huntsford stated. “He needs an heir like all of them. Walked around here with a cockstand all three days he was here…as if he had to prove he could plow my daughter.”

Wincing, James wondered at the mention of Weatherby being a young man. He was sure Weatherby was old enough to be Lady Stephanie’s father. “Do you think she’s jealous of her younger sister?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s green with it,” Huntsford acknowledged. “Weatherby didn’t declare his love for Stephanie. Not like you did for Eloise.” He shook his head. “El,” he corrected. “Now… is there any truth to your claim?”

James considered what had happened to him in only a few short hours. Never in his wildest imagination would he have had a young woman kissing him—not once, but twice. That moment, in the corridor, just before dinner…the way she had looked at him and told him she would marry him. So unexpected and such welcome words—especially after what she had done to him out in front of the house, having him believe she lived somewhere else until she walked into Excelsior Park’s front door.

James took a sip of his port and grinned. “I am in love with El,” he stated. “I want her to be my wife. My countess,” he quickly added, hoping the reminder of his title would give him an edge with the marquess. “The mother of my heir.” He inhaled softly. “My best friend.”

Huntsford chuckled. “Well, I’m certainly not one to turn down any offers for my daughters,” he said quietly. “But know this, Leicester. You’ll require a good deal of courage to take on that little hoyden.”

James shook his head. “Perhaps it would be better if I let her be the courageous one, my lord. In the span of a few hours, I’ve learned she possesses it in spades, and I rather like that about her. She’ll have all the old biddies of the ton turned on their ears in London.”

The comment had Huntsford laughing out loud. “Fair enough. Her dowry is fifty-thousand pounds—”

“My lord?” James asked in shock.

Huntsford shrugged. “Trust me, Leicester. You’ll earn every pound,” he warned. “Marry her quickly, and I’ll throw in one of the townhouses I own in Mayfair. In Park Lane.”

James struggled to breathe. “I…I don’t have a marriage license, sir.”

“Well, get one. There’s a bishop in Ely. Go there on the morrow,” Huntsford ordered.

“Uh, yes, sir,” James replied. “I’ll do that.” He cleared his throat. “Might I be allowed to escort Lady El in the gardens this evening? So that I might make a proper proposal?” He rifled inside his waistcoat pocket, relieved to feel his mother’s ring was still there.

“Of course.” Huntsford pulled out his pocket watch. “Finish your port, Leicester. It’s time we make our way to the parlor to join the ladies.”

Although James had very little left in his glass, he drank it and murmured his appreciation. Remembering the older daughter’s behavior during dinner, he said, “I shouldn’t want Lady Stephanie to despise her sister over the arrangements, sir.”

“I’ll see to Steph,” the marquess said. “Remind her of Weatherby’s devotion.” He waggled his gray brows as he made the comment. “Besides, she and my Margy will be off to Cambridge on the morrow. They have an appointment with the modiste there.”

“Ah,” James replied. “Why do you suppose Lord Weatherby waited so long to seek a wife?” he asked as they made their way up the stairs.

“He’s younger than you, isn’t he?” Huntsford replied with a chuckle.

James’s eyes once again rounded. “Lord Weatherby? The…the marquess?”

“The new marquess,” Huntsford stated as he raised a brow. “The old fart was a widower, yes, but he died a month ago. Apparently, word hasn’t reached the capital as yet,” he added with a grin. “His son is a strapping young lad. Country born and bred. Good horseman. He looks at Steph the same way you look at Eloise, but I can’t say he has your brains.”

They were about to enter the parlor when James paused and said, “I’ve never had this happen before, sir.”

“What? Love at first sight?” the marquess teased.

James dipped his head. “I suppose that’s what it is,” he agreed. “I came here to…” He was about to mention Lady Stephanie as his reason for making the trip to Excelsior Park when he caught himself. “To merely make a plea on behalf of the Ionian Islands, and now I’ll go home with a beautiful countess.”

Huntsford chuckled as he entered the parlor. “You’ll have to take her to the Ionian Islands for your wedding trip.”

Their arrival had the three ladies quickly quieting. Whatever it was they had been discussing obviously had the sisters upset, for Lady Stephanie had tears streaming down her cheeks and Eloise’s arms were crossed in a defiant manner that had her rising moons well displayed. Marguerite held a fan in one hand that fluttered so quickly, it looked like a hummingbird’s wings.

Huntsford didn’t bother bowing, but James made sure to do so before he continued into the room.

James caught sight of Eloise and gave her a deep nod. “Ladies,” he said. “I do hope we didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Stephanie gave a huff, pushed herself off the settee, and rushed from the parlor, nearly colliding with James as she did so.

His gaze followed her, his brows furrowing as he turned his attention to the marchioness. “Oh, dear. I do hope it wasn’t something I said.” He made his way to Eloise and took one of her hands in his.

Marguerite rolled her eyes. “You’ll have to excuse her, Leicester. She’s merely overtired.” She paused. “I trust the Heptanese will be saved from future conquerors?”

James nodded. “Indeed. Huntsford has agreed to back the legislation, which means there will be a trip to Greece in my future.”

“Yours as well, my sweet,” Huntsford chimed in, his attention on his wife.

Marguerite’s fan came to an abrupt halt. “Oh, Hunty, you say the most delightful things when you want to visit my bedchamber.”

Huntsford returned her grin as Eloise rolled her eyes and turned her gaze on James. “You see what I must put up with?”

“Will you join me for a walk in the gardens?” James asked in a quiet voice. “I have your father’s permission.”

Eloise quickly sobered. “Now? It’s already dark out there.”

James feigned surprise. “Does that mean I’ll need a chaperone to protect me from you?”

Dipping her head, Eloise whispered, “I suppose turnabout is fair play.”

Trusting Huntsford to tell his wife of what they had discussed, James turned to the marchioness and bowed. “My lady, I thank you for a most wonderful dinner. Lady El and I will be taking a walk in the back gardens.”

Marguerite’s shook her head before Huntsford captured one of her hands and gave her a look of triumph.

“Oh,” she murmured as Eloise placed a hand on James’s proffered arm.

They were out of the parlor and halfway down the stairs before Eloise asked, “What just happened back there?”

James paused on the stairs. “I was about to ask you the same thing. Whatever happened to have Lady Stephanie so upset?”

Eloise huffed. “It’s what didn’t happen.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You didn’t fawn over her. You didn’t treat her as if she was the most important girl in all of England,” she answered on another huff.

“Well, of course not,” he replied. “Not when it is you who is the most important young woman in all of the world.”

Eloise stared at him as they stepped off the last stair. “Bounder,” she accused.

James angled his head to one side. “Mayhap. But I’m your bounder. And only yours Come. Show me how to get to the gardens.”

Her manner a cross between hesitancy and excitement, Eloise pointed the way to a corridor that led toward a set of back doors. “I was quite serious when I said it was dark,” she warned. “And I rather imagine it will be chilly.”

“Unlike what we can see in London, there is a moon tonight,” James countered. “And a sky full of stars.” He opened one of the doors and held it as Eloise came up alongside him. “Is there a path through your gardens?”

“There is,” she replied, a slight tremble in her voice. She watched as James removed his topcoat and then wrapped it over her shoulders.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked.

Eloise blinked. “It feels as if you’ve wrapped me in a hot blanket. Are you always this warm?”

James chuckled. “Apparently, I am when I’m with you.”

Although there was the suggestion of a faint walkway covered in crushed granite, James had to pause a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. As he had promised, the night sky held a blaze of stars and a half-moon that provided enough light by which they could make their way.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” James asked as he placed his free hand over hers, wanting to be sure he kept her hand warm.

Eloise inhaled softly. “Do you?”

He chuckled quietly. “If you had asked me this morning when I was having breakfast in a most unfortunate coaching inn—all alone—after having experienced one of the worst nights of my life, I would have said a resounding ‘no,’.”

“What happened?” Eloise asked in alarm.

“I discovered the most wonderful young woman walking on a yew-lined lane.”

Scoffing, Eloise said, “I meant last night.”

“Oh. A wheel broke on my coach a mere ten miles from here. I was fortunate enough to catch a ride to the Crown and Thistle with Lord Blackburn—”

“He was just here yesterday,” Eloise said.

“Yes…he told me,” James said. “Although his trip was not successful, he didn’t seem particularly disappointed.”

“That’s because Steph treated him horribly. She said she would never consider a title below that of marchioness. Oh, but do go on with your tale of woe.”

Glad he could look back on the night before with some humor, James chuckled. “After arranging accommodations for my driver and groom, I ended up in a room the size of a closet with a bed at least a foot too short for me. The inn was quite full, and most who were there were quite drunk and rather noisy.”

“The vagaries of travel,” Eloise said with a sigh.

“And all the while, all I could think of was…” He paused, realizing he hadn’t been thinking of Lady Stephanie per se , but rather how much more tolerable the night would have been if he’d had his arms wrapped around a young woman. One he would not only fall asleep with, but with whom he could wake up in the morning. A tavern maid would have been willing, but she wouldn’t have spent the entire night with him. Neither would a prostitute. A mistress, maybe, but he couldn’t afford such a luxury these days. “All I could think of was—”

“The Heptanese?” Eloise guessed.

James had to suppress a grin. “Yes. And how I would take my wife there for our wedding trip.”

“Bounder,” she accused in a whisper.

“Will you go with me?” he asked as he pulled the ring from his waistcoat pocket.

Eloise stopped walking, which had James turning around to stand before her. “Lady El, will you be my wife? My countess? The mother of my heir?”

Inhaling softly, Eloise stared at him. “Me?”

“My best friend?” he said as he lifted the ring and held it up. Despite the dark, the gold band gleamed, and the diamonds surrounding the sapphire matched the stars with their brilliance. “I do hope you weren’t joking when you said you would marry me.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond but simply slipped the ring on her finger. “I’m going to Ely tomorrow to secure a marriage license. Your father gave me permission to marry you, and I wish to do so before…before any other men show up with the intention of courting you. It’s a wonder one of the eight or nine who arrived before me didn’t sweep you off your feet and carry you off to their…”

He was prevented from saying more when Eloise kissed him. Despite his desire to grin at her enthusiasm, he returned the kiss and then wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from her feet as he deepened the kiss. When he finally came up for air, he continued to hold her up and said, “Promise me we can kiss like this every night,” he whispered.

“Only at night?”

James chuckled. “Any time you wish.” He paused a moment. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

Eloise giggled. “Yes,” she replied before displaying a huge grin.

“What is it?”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t understand why Steph was so upset in the parlor, but she must have known.”

“Known what?”

“That I might end up married before her.”

“How? I never spoke with her before I met her in the parlor,” he replied, holding Eloise close against his body. It was chilly, but she was ever so warm.

Eloise sighed. “She said something about having to wait to wed. How humiliated she was that Parliament came before her.”

His eyes widening with understanding, James stepped back and said, “It’s true, we will be wed before her if Weatherby waits for the next session of Parliament to end. At least, we will if that’s all right with you. Your father insisted I accept a townhouse in Mayfair on your behalf. I should like you to be the mistress of that house as soon as we arrive in the capital.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” he asked again.

She fell against him and giggled. “No, but mayhap second or third?” she offered with a teasing grin.

James dropped his head until his forehead rested on hers. “All right. Second, then. The moment I called you ‘Lady El,’” he remembered. “That look on your face? I thought you were going to kiss me right there and then.”

“I almost did.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. Your mother would have—”

“Fainted!” she claimed with a giggle.

He chuckled and then his gaze was caught by a streak of light in the sky. “A shooting star.”

“Make a wish,” she said as she turned to see the tail end of it disappear from the night sky.

“I already have everything I need.” James once again pulled her close.

“But what do you want ?” she countered.

James held his breath a moment. “You. In bed with me tonight. But…”

He was prevented from finishing his comment when Eloise kissed him.