‘Lady Hathaway,’ Kirkwood continued on with admirable aplomb, given the circumstances and the audience. ‘I would like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.’
‘Oh my!’ Mama breathed.
‘What?’ Lady Allingham snapped. ‘What did you say?’
‘I find it hard to believe that you could have misunderstood but to recap, I have asked for Miss Hathaway’s hand in marriage,’ Kirkwood said, turning his head to regard his stepmother.
‘Good God, you must be mad!’ Lady Allingham said incredulously. ‘Offering for someone of Miss Hathaway’s status. As if she would ever dream of marrying somebody like you.’
‘Oh for God’s sake, Mother,’ Allingham said impatiently from the doorway. ‘Do stop this nonsense about his birth. Darius is practically royalty on his mother’s side. He is hardly descended from peasant stock.’
His mother switched her arctic stare to her son. ‘He is a bastard, Roderick. In case you have forgotten.’
‘You have never let me forget it for so much as a moment in the past twenty-three years.’
‘Thank you for your support, brother,’ Kirkwood said, before her ladyship could retaliate. ‘Believe me when I say, nobody knows better than I that I am punching above my weight but I love Miss Hathaway and intend to make her an unexceptional husband.’
Audrey smiled at this. She could not help it. The idea that Kirkwood could be anything but extraordinary was impossible to believe. ‘Mama?’ she said, turning to her parent. ‘You have said very little. I know this is a shock but please, say that you approve.’
Lady Hathaway hesitated, studying Audrey with troubled eyes. ‘I am not sure what to say,’ she admitted. ‘It is not that I have any objection to Mr. Kirkwood himself, my dear, but I am not at all sure this is suitable.’
‘I do not care what people will think,’ Audrey assured her. ‘Indeed, the only people’s good wishes I need are that of my family. I admit, I had not thought of Mr. Kirkwood as my ideal man.’ She glanced at Kirkwood and caught the gleam in his eye then blushed, recalling how quickly ideals, like expectations, could change. ‘But I believe he is the man for me.’ The man she had been wishing for since she had truly understood the way love could be between a man and a woman. She could go and find herself any number of suitable gentlemen but she was prepared to wager none of them would make her feel anything like the rush of extraordinary passion that blossomed between them with just a look. There was a great deal more to a relationship than passion; that much was certain. Passion could burn itself out with the passing years. But what could be depended on was a sense of homecoming that could be felt when a person found the one individual they could truly be themselves with.
She had no doubt at all that individual was Darius Kirkwood.
‘But you hardly know him, my dear,’ Mama persisted. ‘In fact, I cannot understand how you could have formed a tendre for Mr. Kirkwood based on the merest acquaintance.’
‘It happens all the time,’ Millie, who had been watching the proceedings with interest, offered helpfully. ‘In The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne, two men fall in love with Mary, despite the fact that she faints all the time and they don’t know her at all. Well, not really. And Alleyn is a peasant, too. A noble and virtuous one.’
This contribution made them all pause for a moment. Beth Fielding’s lips twitched. ‘Well there you are, then.’
Lady Allingham stared at Millie as if she were mad. ‘Really, young lady, what are you talking about?’
‘Mrs. Radcliffe,’ Mama said, sounding distracted. ‘Really Millie, I do wish you would stop reading those books as if they were a reference guide. I do not think -’
‘You did say anyone, Mama,’ Isabella interrupted her mother suddenly.
Eliza Hathaway glanced at her eldest daughter, bemused. ‘Excuse me?’
‘When we were discussing marriage some months ago. You did say that Audrey could please herself as to whom she married because Marcus and I had done so well for ourselves,’ Isabella said wryly. ‘And why should she not? Only think about it. We none of us are perfect in our choices. Harry is marvelously wealthy thanks to relatives in trade who very kindly left him a fortune.’ Harry Carstairs inclined his head with a grin. ‘And we all know about Mrs. Howeth.’
‘Mrs. Howeth?’ Beth repeated, clearly trying to keep up.
‘My brother’s grandmother-in-law,’ Isabella explained. ‘A delightful woman in every way but she would not be welcome in Society. Her Papa owned some mines in Yorkshire. If we are going to look closely at the antecedents of everybody, then I think it safe to say that none of our choices of a partner would have been considered sensible by the ton.’
‘Your children married people in trade?’ Lady Allingham said, obviously shocked by this information.
‘My children married people they fell in love with,’ Lady Hathaway returned, tone suddenly brisk. It appeared that, having observed the situation, she had gathered her second wind. ‘Which has been a source of considerable happiness to me, I might add. Thank-you Isabella,’ she added, with a nod. ‘You reminded me of something I should not have allowed myself to forget. And with this in mind…’ Rising to her feet, she held her hands out to Audrey. ‘Do you love Mr. Kirkwood, my dear?’
Audrey did not hesitate. Taking her mother’s hands, she nodded. ‘I did not think… That is to say, it took me by surprise but yes, I do love him.’
Mama nodded and turned to Kirkwood. ‘And you, Sir? I am inclined to think you are not accustomed to family life. Let me assure you, if you marry Audrey, you take on her family en masse for we have a tendency to live in each other’s pockets.’
‘From what I have seen of the Hathaways, I look forward to sharing that particular pocket,’ he assured her with a smile.
She considered him for a long moment, then inclined her head, apparently reassured by whatever she had found on his face. ‘Then yes, you both have my heartfelt blessing. I will not question the suddenness of this announcement any further. If life has taught me anything, it is that love is as inexplicable as it is marvelous. I am delighted for you both.’
Lady Allingham gaped at her. ‘You are consenting to this?’
‘Of course. I think I can safely say that all of my children know their own minds. And have made excellent choices,’ she gave Isabella a warm smile.
‘But he’s a -’
‘Mother!’ Allingham raised his voice and that one word carried all the weight of an earl who had suddenly discovered himself head of his family. ‘I will thank you not to say that word again.’
Judith Allingham rose to her feet. ‘I cannot believe you can all be so blasé about this!’
‘Well I, for one, will be thrilled to welcome Miss Hathaway into our family,’ Beth said firmly. She smiled at Audrey. ‘Roddy and I are to be married in April but perhaps you will not care to wait for so long. Perhaps we shall be attending your wedding before you attend ours.’
‘I think I can safely say that April is far too long to wait,’ Kirkwood said, but quietly. Audrey glanced at him and caught a glimpse of naked hunger, quickly hidden. No, she reflected as her own body surged in response. I do not wish to wait until April either…
‘This is so much better than Mrs. Radcliffe,’ Millie assured them. ‘Go on Mr. Kirkwood. As you’re getting married you might as well kiss her again.’
There came a short, appalled silence and then three female voices raised as one, a single word on their lips.
‘Millie!’