myself and Miss Prine
today." He raised his voice so it carried across the entire square.
"Anyone here will tell you I don't swear oaths lightly. If I give you my
word, you can take it on faith. Right, Johnson?"
"Aye, Tremayne," came the
laughing reply.
Rachel was mortified to discover
merchants and customers alike had gathered on porches and stoops to witness the
spectacle. Men prodded one another and smirked. Women strained on tiptoe to
peer at her. One let out a gasp and tugged at her companion's sleeve.
"By the saints, Hermione! Look at
that! Morgan Tremayne's proposing to that American girl who works for
him."
Morgan's voice was soft and cajoling.
"You believe me, don't you, Rachel?"
"Yes, I believe you. Now will you
kindly get up?"
"Well, as I'm down here, there is
one other point."
Her words came as a hiss between
clenched teeth as she kept a smile frozen on her lips. "For God's sake,
get up!"
"I'm leaving on business, Rachel. I
don't fancy the notion of other men calling on you while I'm away. I've
considered the matter, and regret to say the only solutions I could come up
with were limited. Either I can demand you go back into mourning—which doesn't
seem a reasonable alternative, or—"
" Morgan ," Her eyes were
huge now. "Boyd and the men are coming! The squire and his associates.
Stand up and greet them properly."
He ignored her and finished his
statement. "Or we can cement our relationship with a betrothal."
Rachel groaned and closed her eyes even
as a wave of shocked gasps and comments rose from all sides.
"He said 'betrothal,' I'm right
positive he did," one fellow insisted.
"That's twenty quid you owe me,
Jarvis," a deep voice announced loudly. "Told you some lass would
snatch him up before another year was out. Bargainer down on one knee. 'Pon my
soul, that's good as standing before the vicar! He never breaks his word."
Rachel opened her eyes and looked down
into Morgan's silvery gaze. She tried and failed to see a glint of mischief
there. "Why are you doing this to me?" she murmured.
"I should think it's obvious. I
happen to love you." She numbly stared at him, unable to think of a single
thing to say. "Should I speak up?" he asked. "Perhaps Squire
Martin and his cronies didn't catch it."
"Don't you dare!"
His mustache curved up in a slow grin.
"I hate to be tiresome, Colonial, but men of trade are waiting on me. I've
now soiled the knee of the clean breeches I just donned for my meeting with
them. Which, by the by, is why I was fastening my clothing when you saw me in
the hallway. Now my leg is going numb, but I'll be no use in any discussions
until I get my answer from you. I beg of you, madam, will you kindly nod or say
yes, or do something so I can get up now?"
She nodded, meaning she'd do something.
Morgan rose. Boyd rushed forward. "I say, Morgan, you've certainly ended
any speculation about the two of you in a most dramatic fashion." Boyd was
as red as Rachel knew she must be. "Now if you'd—"
Morgan cut him off, rising to his feet
at last. "Boyd, why don't you take these gentlemen over to the inn and
have a round on me? Have some of Emily's fresh biscuits, too. She just put a
batch in the oven."
Rachel burst into a helpless fit of
nervous laughter, unable to shake the mental image of Emily's buttocks whacking
the oven door shut. Morgan's arm slid around Rachel's waist.
"As you can see, gentlemen, my
intended is positively giddy, overcome with happiness at my proposal. I'll see
her home and join you anon."
Rachel finally stopped laughing. She
confronted Morgan as soon as they were safely inside the cottage. "I've
never been more humiliated! Making everyone in the village think we're—"
"Betrothed. I think you Americans
call it promised. It means the same as affianced."
"I know what it means! I
just don't know how you could play such a terrible jest on everyone. First
thing when you see Boyd and the others you must tell them you were teasing
me."
"I'll do nothing of the
today." He raised his voice so it carried across the entire square.
"Anyone here will tell you I don't swear oaths lightly. If I give you my
word, you can take it on faith. Right, Johnson?"
"Aye, Tremayne," came the
laughing reply.
Rachel was mortified to discover
merchants and customers alike had gathered on porches and stoops to witness the
spectacle. Men prodded one another and smirked. Women strained on tiptoe to
peer at her. One let out a gasp and tugged at her companion's sleeve.
"By the saints, Hermione! Look at
that! Morgan Tremayne's proposing to that American girl who works for
him."
Morgan's voice was soft and cajoling.
"You believe me, don't you, Rachel?"
"Yes, I believe you. Now will you
kindly get up?"
"Well, as I'm down here, there is
one other point."
Her words came as a hiss between
clenched teeth as she kept a smile frozen on her lips. "For God's sake,
get up!"
"I'm leaving on business, Rachel. I
don't fancy the notion of other men calling on you while I'm away. I've
considered the matter, and regret to say the only solutions I could come up
with were limited. Either I can demand you go back into mourning—which doesn't
seem a reasonable alternative, or—"
" Morgan ," Her eyes were
huge now. "Boyd and the men are coming! The squire and his associates.
Stand up and greet them properly."
He ignored her and finished his
statement. "Or we can cement our relationship with a betrothal."
Rachel groaned and closed her eyes even
as a wave of shocked gasps and comments rose from all sides.
"He said 'betrothal,' I'm right
positive he did," one fellow insisted.
"That's twenty quid you owe me,
Jarvis," a deep voice announced loudly. "Told you some lass would
snatch him up before another year was out. Bargainer down on one knee. 'Pon my
soul, that's good as standing before the vicar! He never breaks his word."
Rachel opened her eyes and looked down
into Morgan's silvery gaze. She tried and failed to see a glint of mischief
there. "Why are you doing this to me?" she murmured.
"I should think it's obvious. I
happen to love you." She numbly stared at him, unable to think of a single
thing to say. "Should I speak up?" he asked. "Perhaps Squire
Martin and his cronies didn't catch it."
"Don't you dare!"
His mustache curved up in a slow grin.
"I hate to be tiresome, Colonial, but men of trade are waiting on me. I've
now soiled the knee of the clean breeches I just donned for my meeting with
them. Which, by the by, is why I was fastening my clothing when you saw me in
the hallway. Now my leg is going numb, but I'll be no use in any discussions
until I get my answer from you. I beg of you, madam, will you kindly nod or say
yes, or do something so I can get up now?"
She nodded, meaning she'd do something.
Morgan rose. Boyd rushed forward. "I say, Morgan, you've certainly ended
any speculation about the two of you in a most dramatic fashion." Boyd was
as red as Rachel knew she must be. "Now if you'd—"
Morgan cut him off, rising to his feet
at last. "Boyd, why don't you take these gentlemen over to the inn and
have a round on me? Have some of Emily's fresh biscuits, too. She just put a
batch in the oven."
Rachel burst into a helpless fit of
nervous laughter, unable to shake the mental image of Emily's buttocks whacking
the oven door shut. Morgan's arm slid around Rachel's waist.
"As you can see, gentlemen, my
intended is positively giddy, overcome with happiness at my proposal. I'll see
her home and join you anon."
Rachel finally stopped laughing. She
confronted Morgan as soon as they were safely inside the cottage. "I've
never been more humiliated! Making everyone in the village think we're—"
"Betrothed. I think you Americans
call it promised. It means the same as affianced."
"I know what it means! I
just don't know how you could play such a terrible jest on everyone. First
thing when you see Boyd and the others you must tell them you were teasing
me."
"I'll do nothing of the
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