Nick’s brows rose as he grinned at her. “You did that? You, my sweet little, shy bride-to-be, did that?”
“Br-bride-to-be? I d-don’t remember h-hearing a pr-proposal.”
Nick shifted in his chair and looked over Pamela’s shoulder. “Ernest, you can leave now.”
The man gave Nick a short salute and left the room. “No one is to disturb Mr. Smith.” He shouted as he walked away from the door.
Nick stood, still holding Pamela and turned to deposit her on the edge of his desk. He patted his jacket pocket, pulled out the box with the ring and got down on one knee. “Lady Pamela Manning, I love you with my entire being. You are the air I breathe and what makes my blood pump.” He winked at her. “In more ways than one.”
She blushed.
He continued. “Will you do me the great honor of accepting my hand in marriage?”
“Y-yes. I will.”
He opened the small box and took out the ring he’d carried for two weeks. Thank God in his wisdom he hadn’t thrown it into the fireplace the few times he wanted to. He slid the ring on her finger. It was a bit too big but that could be fixed.
“Congratulations!” The office door flew open again and several employees and a few patrons barged in.
“I thought you told everyone I was not to be disturbed.”
Ernest grinned. “We didn’t disturb you until you finished your speech. And a fine one it was, too.”
“Were y-you all l-listening at the d-door?” Pamela gasped.
Toby pushed through the crowd and deposited a bottle of champagne on the desk, along with two glasses. “Of course, we were listening. We weren’t going to let your man here mess it up again.”
“All of you being here is not going to stop me from doing what I wanted to do since my betrothed marched through that door.” He stood and pulled Pamela up. Wrapping his arms around her he bent her over his arm and kissed her with shouts and whoops from twenty or more observers.
Epilogue
“With this Ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” Nick’s words rang out firmly and clearly as he slid the wedding ring on Pamela’s finger.
It had been a whirlwind two weeks from the time they’d become betrothed to the cheers of a crowd until the time they stood before the vicar. Nick was all for asking Marcus to obtain a special license to have a quick wedding, but Addie, Lottie and even Lizbeth, the newest member of Pamela’s group of friends who called themselves The Merry Misfits of Bath, had all shushed him and said Pamela deserved a nice wedding.
Of course, he wanted his bride to have a nice wedding, but he also wanted to have her warm, soft, willing body next to him in bed each night. Mrs. Fletcher became an absolute tyrant, not allowing them any time at all alone.
“But Mrs. Fletcher, we will be married in a matter of days. What difference does it make if we anticipate our vows a bit?” He hated the pleading note in his voice because, after all, she was his employee.
When he pointed that out to her she merely laughed and walked away. When he shouted after her that she was fired she laughed harder.
But all the waiting was worth it with the ceremony behind them and the wedding breakfast nearly over.
The biggest surprise, and probably a nice one for Pamela’s sake was when Lord and Lady Mulgrave entered the church. It did appear to him that the man practically dragged his wife past the door, but at least Pamela’s brother was there for her.
Nick had made his peace with the man, too. If they were going to be related, he might as well try to get along. Lady Mulgrave? Ha. That was an impossible feat.
He looked over at his new sister-in-law. She was staring straight ahead, almost as if she was afraid to accidentally speak with someone beneath her.
Since the ladies wanted to go all out for the wedding party, they had arranged for music, which provided dancing when the meal had ended. Nick was grateful for Lord and Lady Berkshire offering to host the wedding breakfast at their house, despite Lady Berkshire growing near the time she would give birth to their first child.
When he thanked Grayson he pulled him aside and said, “You will be quite glad it’s at someone else’s house when you want to drag your bride off to the bedroom and you don’t have to ask your guests to leave.”
Nick’s attention was taken by Marcus Mallory who was in deep conversation with Miss Davenport. The girl had been welcomed with open arms by Addie when she had arrived from London after her ordeal. From what Marcus had told him she was working part time hours at the bookstore Addie once owned, Once Upon a Book.
Nick wasn’t aware that Marcus and Miss Davenport had become friends. Although right now their deep conversation had become quite heated, so maybe not friends at all.
Lord Berkshire strolled toward them where they stood near the orchestra and said something that made them both laugh. Marcus nodded, and Miss Davenport grinned.