Striding back into the bedroom, he stared down at the sheet. As he suspected, evidence of her maidenhood was plain to see. “What do you want to do about it?”
Georgie took the shift he held out. “If we gather the bedding into a pile, perhaps no one will notice.”
“We can give it a try.” He’d have to make sure they announced their engagement as soon as they returned. He wrapped the remaining cheese in the rest of the bread she’d cut as she entered the room. “Here. This will tide us over until we can get something more substantial.”
“Thank you.” After gobbling the sandwich down, she grinned. “That was perfect. I do not feel as grumpy now.”
“There is something I must remember.” Gavin drew her into his arms. “Will feeding you always improve your mood?”
“Almost always.” Georgie rose on her toes and kissed him. “I wish we could remain here for a while longer.”
The sound of Lochinvar whinnying and moving around made Gavin tilt his head toward the window and listen. “We’ve been found.”
“I’m glad we have clothes on,” she said in a rueful voice.
“As am I.” He took her hand. “Let’s meet them outside.”
Sitting on his horse, Johnson shook his head slowly back and forth. “Thought you had more sense than to let the storm catch you.”
“There was a little more to it than that.” Gavin pulled out his pocket watch. It was after five o’clock. “We need to return. However, I am fairly certain that there is a man lying dead near the curve in the lane.” He’d go with the groom, but he didn’t want to leave Georgie alone nor did he want her to see a dead man, again.
Johnson rubbed his chin. “I’ll go back and get help. We stopped at the tower first, now I know why you weren’t there.”
“As I said. There’s more to this story. We need to saddle our horses. I’ll see you back at the house.”
The groom nodded and rode off toward the lane. Less than thirty minutes later, Gavin and Georgie strode into the hall to find a servant reporting to Adeline.
“We were caught by the storm,” Georgie announced as she went straight to her friend and embraced her. “Is Frits here?”
“No, he’s out looking for the two of you.” Adeline turned toward the servant. “Sound the signal, please.”
“Right away, my lady.” The servant bowed.
“Now then.” She glanced first at Georgie then at Gavin with an intensely curious look on her face. “Was it just the rain?”
Georgie gave a small shake of her head. “No. There is more.” She grinned and wrapped her fingers around his arm. “You may wish us happy. We are going to marry.”
Suddenly writhed in smiles, Adeline managed to embrace both of them so hard, he could feel the baby kicking. “I do wish you happy. But you appeared so grim when you walked into the house.”
He exchanged a look with Georgie. “Let us bathe and change first. Littleton should be here when we tell you what occurred.” Suddenly a loud, low horn sounded. “I haven’t heard that in years.”
Georgie’s eyes had widened. “What is it?”
“It’s called an alpenhorn. This one is from the French Alps. One of the earlier Lord Littletons brought it back from his Grand Tour.”
“It saves a good deal of time when Frits or someone we need to speak to is out,” Adeline explained. She linked her arm with Georgie’s. “Come along and tell me how your betrothal came about.”
Gavin followed the ladies up to the landing where the stairs parted, wondering how much she would actually tell her friend. “I’ll see you in the drawing room.”
Smiling, Georgie blew him a kiss. That was unexpected. Still it put a spring in his step that he’d never had before. He couldn’t wait until this evening when he could tell the world and all the gentlemen at the house party she was his. But he still had to deal with Lytton.
“Gavin.” Adeline’s voice was filled with laughter. “You are staying at The Lilacs.”
“Oh.” She was right. “Thank you. I’d forgotten.” Light laughter followed him as he made his way back down the stairs and out the door. Ah well. This would give him a chance to tell Lady Littleton, Georgie’s grandmother, and the duchess what had occurred. They might have some ideas about how to handle his lordship and enable him to marry Georgie in less than two weeks.
* * *
Adeline covered her mouth in an attempt to hold back her laughter.
Georgie gave up the attempt as a lost cause and dissolved into whoops. “I take it the chamber he usually uses is in the other wing.”
“It is.” Adeline fanned her face with her hand. “I have never seen him so distracted. I must not be thinking either. It would have been easy to send a message to his valet and have his kit sent over.”
“You are not the only one not thinking. It did not even occur to me and apparently not to Gavin either.” Other than the problem with Lytton, Georgie was happier than she ever had been in her life. She felt like dancing to her apartment. “I cannot believe we are finally engaged.”
“I want the whole story about it.” Her friend led her into her rooms where she saw a bathtub already set up in the dressing room. “The water will be here shortly.” Adeline sat on one of two chairs near the bank of windows. “Tell me everything that happened.”
Georgie felt as if she were floating on air. “Well, perhaps not everything.”
“Oh, my.” Her friend’s eyes rounded. “I suppose it is a very good thing that you are betrothed.”
“You know nothing would have occurred if I had not agreed to marry him.” Her maid entered with a tea tray and left immediately after setting it on a small table. “But I need to start at the beginning.” While she poured tea, she told Adeline about the abduction attempt, the possibly dead man, and how the thought of her being harmed made Gavin realize that he loved her. “We talked about his fear of falling in love, and he now realizes that he is much stronger than his father was. I must tell you that in an attempt to hide the . . . er . . . well what we did after he proposed again, we bundled the sheets together.” Georgie pulled a face. “We did not know what else to do.”
“Do not worry,” Adeline said briskly. “I shall send my maid to deal with them.” She took a long sip of tea. “You showed great forethought in making Gavin promise not to place himself in harm, but what is he going to do about Lytton?”
“I have no idea.” Georgie finished her cup and poured another. “Whatever he does I shall be there with him.”
Leaning back in her chair, Adeline rubbed her stomach. “Frits and I will come with you. If Gavin attempts to harm Lytton, or vice versa, my husband will put an end to it.”
Or finish what Gavin started. “That is a good idea. I suppose we could find something to hit one or the other over the head with if need be.”
“As long as it is not breakable.” Adeline glanced at the fireplace. “A poker would work well, and they are readily available.”
Georgie chuckled. “As long as we did not aim for the head.” She thought back over the past few events at the house party. “It was a shock to recognize his coach. I had no idea Lytton was so interested in me. I quite believed he had turned his attention to Lady Aurelia.”