“I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Eight
IT TOOK ANOTHER WEEK before Robert began feeling like his old self. Christ, he’d been sick. The fact that he scarcely recalled anything beyond vague visions of people moving about the room and distant voices conversing was testament to the half-conscious state he’d been in. His rooms had now been completely aired out. Five days had passed since Athena had returned home with Lady Roxley. He missed her terribly, but they’d both needed time to recover and the small reprieve had allowed him to spend some time with his mother, for which he was grateful.
Donning his hat and gloves, he prepared to leave Mivart’s for the first time in a fortnight. Lord and Lady Roxley had invited him to dine, providing he felt up to it, and he’d happily accepted the invitation. When he arrived, he was glad to discover that it would be a small, intimate family dinner, without the rest of the Townsbridges present.
“I’m sorry I ruined our wedding,” he told Athena softly once the initial greetings had been concluded. “Are you certain you still want me, after everything I’ve put you through?”
She stared at him as if she failed to comprehend the words coming out of his mouth. “After everything you put me through? How about everything I put you through, Robert? You suffered years of torment because of me. As for your influenza, I was more than happy to make sure you survived it. Good lord, I love you, you daft man.”
“And I love you, you brazen vixen,” he said with a grin. “The headlines do too, it would seem. This morning you were mentioned as the lady who saved Lord Darlington from certain death, though there’s still some question as to whether or not we’ll marry.”
“Of course we will,” Athena told him firmly. She frowned. “Won’t we?”
The uncertain vulnerability filling her eyes was so rare and so raw it speared his heart. “If you’ll still have me, then I’m all yours.”
Her mouth broadened into a smile that transformed to a grin as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. It didn’t matter that her parents were standing mere feet away or that the butler had just stepped into the room to inform them dinner was served. Athena didn’t care and neither did Robert. The only thing that mattered in that precise moment was that they were back in each other’s arms.
“I can have a word with the vicar tomorrow,” Robert suggested once they were seated at the table.
“Actually,” Athena said, “I’m thinking it might be nice to avoid a big to do for our second attempt.”
“We could host something here,” her mother suggested, “if you’re aiming for a more private event.”
“What do you think?” Athena asked Robert.
He loved that she cared about his opinion. From what he gathered, most women tended to take over the wedding arrangements without any thought to their fiancé’s wishes. When he’d planned on marrying Bethany, no one had consulted him about anything. “I think a small affair with only the closest family present sounds perfect.”
Athena beamed. “Thank you, Robert.”
“And if you’re amicable to the idea,” he said, “I suggest departing for Darlington House immediately after the wedding breakfast. It won’t take more than three hours to reach it as long as the weather holds, and as much as I like Mivart’s, I must confess I’m not eager to spend any additional nights there.”
“You could stay here,” Lord Roxley offered.
“Papa,” Athena said, her voice so aghast Robert had to stifle a laugh. “I will not spend my wedding night in the same house as my parents.”
“I have to agree with her, dear,” Lady Roxley murmured. “It’s not really done.”
Lord Roxley sighed. “I only meant to tell Darlington that he is welcome.”
“Thank you,” Robert said, and raised his wine glass toward his future father-in-law. He drank, then glanced at Athena. “Well? What do you think?”
“If we’re married by noon and Mama is able to restrain herself to three dishes for the wedding breakfast’s menu, then we ought to arrive at our destination by six. Seven at the latest. All in all, I like the suggestion a lot.”
Robert couldn’t agree more. In fact, the idea appealed tremendously. He was more than ready to make Athena his and could scarcely wait to get her home so they could begin their life together. It pleased him, knowing they were of like minds. It also pleased him to know that she’d never once doubted his love or devotion. When Charles had come to call on him a couple of days ago, he’d told Robert that he’d imagined the worst when Robert had failed to appear at the church, but that Athena’s belief in him had never wavered – that she’d been convinced something must have happened to keep him from her. And so it had.
“My sister has matured significantly since you came back into her life,” Charles had said. “You have somehow managed to calm her tempestuous nature, which is something I would have sworn wasn’t possible.”
“I suspect I gave her a dreadful fright. In truth, I’ve never been so ill before in my life and hope I never shall be again. Athena cared for me with diligence. She’s not as irresponsible as you and the rest of your family think.”
“No. I’m beginning to gather she’s not.” Charles’s gaze had grown pensive. “I believe she’s as lucky to have you as you are to have her. I’m glad the two of you found your way to each other. And I wish you both an endless amount of happiness.”
MUCH TO ATHENA’S SATISFACTION, the ceremony was completed one week later in under ten minutes. It was followed by a wedding breakfast consisting of exactly three dishes, of which one was the cake, so the meal was over in record time. And since it was a sunny day, the journey to Darlington House took only a little over two hours. They arrived by six in the evening.
“Although I stand by the apology I gave you when I first came here,” Athena said once she’d greeted the servants and Robert had shown her upstairs, “I’m not sorry I prevented you from marrying Bethany. Can you imagine if you had? It would have been awful for me to grow up and fall in love with you only to have you married to someone else while Bethany and Charles loved each other and—.”
“I fell in love with you,” he murmured to complete her sentence. She occupied the chair adjacent to his near the fireplace in the bedchamber they would now share. The glass of port he’d offered her when they’d entered the room was cradled between her hands. The drink had already produced a pleasant swirl of heat in her stomach.
“Yes. What a tangle it would have been.”
“It’s a good thing we avoided it then.”
“I like to think so.”
“And I’m inclined to agree.” Reaching out, he took the glass from her and set it aside. With a tug on her hand he pulled her from her chair and toward him, until she landed in his lap. His eyes gleamed in appreciation of her nearness, causing her own body to hum with pleasure. “Everything turned out as it was meant to. They have each other and I have you.”