Izzy offered her hand playfully. "Perhaps we ought to renew
our introduction. Hello, Julian, my name is Isadora."
He clasped her small hand and brought it to his
lips. "Good afternoon, my dear Isadora." He smiled at her,
enjoying her play. Still holding her hand, he brought it to
his heart and slid from his seat to kneel before her.
"And now that we have been properly
introduced...Isadora, my heart, my love," he teased, "will
you make me the happiest man on earth? Marry me, my
Isadorable!"
He must have imagined the tremor that went through her
at his words, for then she merely laughed and smacked him
on the shoulder with her free hand. "Stop it, you great
buffoon."
"Not until you agree, my precious bon-bon!" He brought
her hand to his lips, then loudly and repeatedly smacked
it. "My sweet, my only, my sugar-dusted comfit."
"Oh, very well, Julian, you silly lout, I will marry you
if I must." She assumed a bored tone and studied her nails
with a distracted air.
Their play halted when the parlor door flew open with a
bang and Hildegard Marchwell surged into the room. "Izzy,
you wretched girl! Spears informed me that you are
entertaining a man alone--" Stopping with a gasp, she
surveyed the two on the settee and the classic pose of the
marriage proposal.
"Oh! Oh my. Lord Blackworth?" Bug-eyed with surprise,
Hildegard could only gape for a moment. Her opportunistic
nature, however, made a swift recovery.
"Oh, I should have known a man such as yourself would
never dishonor an innocent girl like Izzy. Oh, we must--we
must plan the wedding! It must be soon. We can have the
banns read the coming two Sundays and then--"
Rising, Lord Blackworth cut into her flustered
babble. "No, Mrs. Marchwell. This will be no hurried
affair." Pulling Izzy to stand with him, he placed an arm
about her waist. "Isadora will not be embarrassed by an
emergency ceremony. We plan to wed at the end of the
Season."
"But...but that is more than three months off,"
Hildegard stammered. "What if...I mean to say--well, there
may be circumstances--" She gulped to a halt at the
thunderous look upon Lord Blackworth's face.
"My dear lady, I hope I may count on you to disregard
common gossip. Isadora's virtue shall not be questioned, by
you or any other. The future Duchess of Dearingham must
have no stain follow her."
"Duchess!" Hildegard paled, then reddened as her gaze
locked on Izzy.
Izzy fancied she could see the wheels turning in her
cousin's head. Perhaps Hildegard was remembering the many
small indignities she had heaped upon Izzy over the years;
the small cold bedchamber, the cheap gowns, the rudeness
and the demands. As Izzy watched Hildegard's color deepen,
she wondered if she was recalling the last hellish week
with its accusations and shrieking tirades.
Izzy smiled serenely at her. No more abuse from that
quarter, at least for four blissful months. Then she would
be gone. Across the sea and far away.
© 2003-2026