Page 34 of The Dandy Lyon

A sharp pain shot through Marcus’s midsection, just where the knife had sliced into him. In the back of his mind, he did fear that Longford would have last-minute doubts about agreeing to the marriage. Then he imagined the look of absolute outrage that would appear on Joanna’s face in the event her brother reneged on his promise and his apprehensions eased. Hell would be the only place to hide if Longford betrayed his sister that way.

“Not in the least. I just want the day to go smoothly—for my bride’s sake.” Which was true enough, although Marcus suspected Joanna would be the most calm of all the wedding party. “Do you know if the others are up?” It was eight o’clock and the children were known to dawdle in the mornings. “We must all leave for the church by quarter past nine.”

“Mother and her maid are making certain everyone will be ready on time.” Anthony signaled to a footman who brought him coffee into which he dumped five or six lumps of sugar and a lot of cream.

“How can you stand to drink that sweet mess?” Marcus’s stomach gave another turn at the mere thought and he pushed his cup of black coffee away. He’d wait and see if he could manage something at the wedding breakfast.

“It suits me just fine.” His brother sipped the pale brew with relish then peered at Marcus. “Are you all right?”

“No, I don’t believe I am.” Marcus stood, the waiting suddenly more than he could bear. “We need to leave now for the church.”

“Now?” Anthony looked at him like he was a madman. “But I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“If you live until the wedding breakfast, you can fill your face at Lord Longford’s table. Come with me.” If Marcus didn’t do something, he was going to go mad. He headed out the door, ignoring Anthony’s loud protests. His brother would follow him despite his grousing, of that he was certain. Marcus had paid for all of Anthony’s schooling, including his stint at university, from which he’d just graduated with the expectation of a Grand Tour to begin in the spring. If he wanted to remain in his elder brother’s good graces, he’d follow at Marcus’s heels and not complain about it.

Sure enough, by the time the carriage had been brought around, Anthony appeared beside Marcus, a biscuit in hand and one in his mouth. “If we leave now, how will Mother and the children get to the church?”

“All seven of us were never going to fit in the carriage to begin with.” Marcus peered at his brother, wondering if he’d learned anything at all at Cambridge. “You and I will go ahead and send the carriage back for the others. The wedding carriage will take me and my wife to Longford Manor after the ceremony, so you will have to squeeze in with them to follow us or walk. I understand it’s less than a mile.”

Anthony made a face but followed Marcus into the carriage where they rode in silence the short two miles to the church at Longford.

When they arrived, they found they were not the first. Two carriages stood outside the gray-stone church and several people were milling around the courtyard. Marcus jumped down and hurried to the door, concerned that he’d misjudged the time. But the people in the church were relatives of Joanna’s who’d come from the north for the ceremony. He’d met them the night before at dinner. His pounding heart slowed and he walked slowly toward the altar and sat down on the right-hand pew. Anthony joined him, sitting beside him with hands clasped, gazing around as the church continued to fill.

As the sounds of the swelling crowd increased, Marcus could think of nothing save seeing Joanna coming down the aisle toward him. He really was going to marry her, spend the rest of his life with the only woman he had ever wanted. Despite all of his misguided efforts, Fate had for once aligned with him and given him his heart’s desire.

A sudden feeling of foreboding washed over Marcus, stopping his breath in his chest. Everything was going too well. Something was about to go terribly wrong. Marcus Dandridge may have made a fortune on the turn of a card in each of his gaming establishments, but his luck with anything else had always been sorely lacking. What if Longford was this moment spiriting Joanna off to God knew where, a last-minute change of heart that would devastate both him and his love?

Hands shaking, Marcus wiped his brow. Wasn’t it time for the ceremony to begin? He glanced back over his shoulder to find the church half full of people. His mother and all his brothers and sisters were there. Joanna’s relatives sat across the aisle from them, their curious gazes fastened on their soon to be in-laws. But where was Joanna?

Mr. Paxton emerged from the rectory and motioned for Marcus to stand. With an effort, he did so, Anthony at his side. The door of the church was thrown open and Marcus jerked toward the sound to find Joanna, a vision of loveliness in a pink-silk gown embroidered with pink and white flowers, begin to make her way toward him on the arm of her brother. To his surprise, Lord Longford had a slight smile on his lips. That might simply mean Joanna had given him his marching orders to put a good face on this ceremony. Or the man might have truly had a change of heart toward him.

None of that mattered to Marcus. Lady Joanna Longford was striding down the aisle toward him, smiling as though she was about to burst, ready to marry him. Absolutely nothing else mattered in the wide world.

They arrived and he nodded to her. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Her eyes were merry, filled with excitement and joy.

His single purpose in life from this moment forward was to make certain that excitement never palled and that her joy was everlasting.

“Dearly beloved friends, we are gathered together here, in the sight of God and this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”

The ride to the wedding breakfast was strangely quiet. Marcus kept glancing at Joanna, seated to his right, wondering what she was thinking, though the smile had not left her lips since he’d first seen her coming down the aisle. He wasn’t sure what kept her silent, but for him it was the very familiar way their hips pressed against one another, inciting his nether parts to riot.

There was plenty of space on the carriage seat on either side of them, but Joanna had chosen to sit directly beside him, not only making his cock stir alarmingly in his breeches but taking Marcus’s thoughts far beyond the breakfast and into their bedroom tonight. He’d scarcely allowed himself to think about their wedding—not wishing to jinx anything after Joanna had accepted him—much less the wedding night. But now that Lady Joanna Longford had actually become Lady Joanna Dandridge, and her body was pressed so firmly against his, all he could do was see her in his mind’s eye standing in their bedroom at Heart’s Haven, surrounded by a myriad of candles, her naked body glowing as he took her in his arms, reveling as her soft flesh met his bare skin. Their lips would meet, his tongue sliding naturally into her mouth, plundering here and there. Then, his cock almost bursting, he’d hoist her up, press her against the wall, and impale her—

“Marcus?’

He gasped, the spell of his erotic daydream broken, and turned to her. “Yes, my dear?”

“Are you quite all right?” Her brow was furrowed in that charming way that made him want to kiss it and smooth away all her troubles. “You were moaning quite loudly just now. Is your wound troubling you?”

Marcus puffed out a breath and laughed sheepishly. “No, my love. I promise you I am well.” He peered into her face, searching for even a hint of doubt. “And you are well too?”

Joanna laughed, the sound so joyous he gasped. “I am beyond well, Marcus, for I am married to you.” She took his arm, squeezed it, and laid her head on his shoulder. “If there is a happier woman in Christendom I would like to meet her, because I don’t believe she exists.” Sighing, she snuggled down against him and Marcus believed he would die of happiness. “We are going to have the most wonderful, most perfect life, don’t you think?”

For the first time that day, Marcus allowed himself to relax and believe in a future filled with the greatest contentment he’d never quite allowed himself to imagine. “I do, my love. I truly do.”

Chapter Sixteen