with her dark hair and fair complexion, she virtually glowed with refinement and beauty. He had all he could do to keep himself from dashing across the room shouting “ Mine! ” and dragging her up to his bed.
“Though I sympathize with your reaction, gentlemen, you should close your mouths lest you attract flies,” Lord Broadshire quipped with a knowing grin.
Kolton shut his jaw with a click and shook himself out of his lustful daze. He tore his eyes away from the vision in the doorway and glanced at his younger brother. Victor was staring unblinkingly at Prudence, as if she had cast a spell over him as well, his mouth still hanging open. Kolton frowned and nudged him none too gently in the side.
“Oh, Prudence,” his stepmother, Victoria, exclaimed. “That’s the dress, isn’t it? The one you had made then refused to wear for us?” She crossed the room to Pru’s side and took her arm, leading her farther into the room. “Well, what do you think of our dear Prudence, boys?”
“Pru,” Victor said clearing his voice, the look of stunned disbelief still present on his face, “you look...that dress...your hair...I am at a loss for words.”
Pru blushed but lifted her chin. “Come now, Victor, ladling it on rather thick, don’t you think?”
“Not at all, my dear Prudence,” Kolton answered for his tongue-tied brother. “I have yet to see a lovelier sight,” he added, stepping forward and taking her hand for a brief kiss.
“So, is Pru’s transformation the reason you invited us all here tonight, brother?” Amanda demanded, curiosity bright in her eyes.
“Actually, no,” he said, turning Pru to face the assembled group. Draping his arm casually around her waist, he smiled softly down at her, willing her to smile back at him, and was rewarded with a tentative smile in return. “Pru and I have something we wanted to share with you.”
A collected gasp sounded from the group. Even pragmatic Lord Broadshire looked shocked.
“Kolton, are you about to say what I think you are?” Victoria squeaked.
“Well, if you are thinking that I have asked Prudence to marry me and she has accepted, you would be correct,” he replied with a broad smile.
“B-B-But you...but Pru . . .” Amanda babbled, unable to form a complete sentence.
“Yes, I agree with my stuttering sister,” Victor interrupted. “The two of you have never, that is, I mean, I have never noticed a particular attraction between the two of you.”
“What I believe my simple minded brother-in-law is trying to say is; congratulations,” the viscount interceded, stepping forward to shake Kolton’s hand and bow over Prudence’s.
This seemed to shake the others out of their shock-induced stupor. Amanda and the Countess stepped forward, embracing both Prudence and Kolton and offering their best wishes as well.
***
“So when is the happy event to take place?” Vincent inquired over dinner.
Prudence took a sip of her wine and let Kolton answer. “We haven’t set a date yet, but I thought I would post the announcement in the paper the day after tomorrow,” he replied waiving the footman away when he offered to refill his glass.
“Well, I suppose there is no rush,” the countess remarked, “but we must have some idea how long we will have to plan the most perfect of weddings for the two of you.”
“Oh, Victoria,” Prudence interjected anxiously. “I don’t want a lot of fuss, really and—”
“Oh, now, Pru.”
“I won’t hear of it!”
Amanda and Victoria chimed as one. With a sigh, Prudence realized ‘simple’ was not going to be on the agenda.
“Now, before you hens start planning for Pru to wear the crown jewels and scare her off entirely,” Kolton injected with an indulgent smile at his over-eager stepmother and sister, “I suggest you give us a week at least to decide.”
“Take as long as you like, dear brother,” Amanda said flashing Kolton a determined look. “We ladies will begin
“Though I sympathize with your reaction, gentlemen, you should close your mouths lest you attract flies,” Lord Broadshire quipped with a knowing grin.
Kolton shut his jaw with a click and shook himself out of his lustful daze. He tore his eyes away from the vision in the doorway and glanced at his younger brother. Victor was staring unblinkingly at Prudence, as if she had cast a spell over him as well, his mouth still hanging open. Kolton frowned and nudged him none too gently in the side.
“Oh, Prudence,” his stepmother, Victoria, exclaimed. “That’s the dress, isn’t it? The one you had made then refused to wear for us?” She crossed the room to Pru’s side and took her arm, leading her farther into the room. “Well, what do you think of our dear Prudence, boys?”
“Pru,” Victor said clearing his voice, the look of stunned disbelief still present on his face, “you look...that dress...your hair...I am at a loss for words.”
Pru blushed but lifted her chin. “Come now, Victor, ladling it on rather thick, don’t you think?”
“Not at all, my dear Prudence,” Kolton answered for his tongue-tied brother. “I have yet to see a lovelier sight,” he added, stepping forward and taking her hand for a brief kiss.
“So, is Pru’s transformation the reason you invited us all here tonight, brother?” Amanda demanded, curiosity bright in her eyes.
“Actually, no,” he said, turning Pru to face the assembled group. Draping his arm casually around her waist, he smiled softly down at her, willing her to smile back at him, and was rewarded with a tentative smile in return. “Pru and I have something we wanted to share with you.”
A collected gasp sounded from the group. Even pragmatic Lord Broadshire looked shocked.
“Kolton, are you about to say what I think you are?” Victoria squeaked.
“Well, if you are thinking that I have asked Prudence to marry me and she has accepted, you would be correct,” he replied with a broad smile.
“B-B-But you...but Pru . . .” Amanda babbled, unable to form a complete sentence.
“Yes, I agree with my stuttering sister,” Victor interrupted. “The two of you have never, that is, I mean, I have never noticed a particular attraction between the two of you.”
“What I believe my simple minded brother-in-law is trying to say is; congratulations,” the viscount interceded, stepping forward to shake Kolton’s hand and bow over Prudence’s.
This seemed to shake the others out of their shock-induced stupor. Amanda and the Countess stepped forward, embracing both Prudence and Kolton and offering their best wishes as well.
***
“So when is the happy event to take place?” Vincent inquired over dinner.
Prudence took a sip of her wine and let Kolton answer. “We haven’t set a date yet, but I thought I would post the announcement in the paper the day after tomorrow,” he replied waiving the footman away when he offered to refill his glass.
“Well, I suppose there is no rush,” the countess remarked, “but we must have some idea how long we will have to plan the most perfect of weddings for the two of you.”
“Oh, Victoria,” Prudence interjected anxiously. “I don’t want a lot of fuss, really and—”
“Oh, now, Pru.”
“I won’t hear of it!”
Amanda and Victoria chimed as one. With a sigh, Prudence realized ‘simple’ was not going to be on the agenda.
“Now, before you hens start planning for Pru to wear the crown jewels and scare her off entirely,” Kolton injected with an indulgent smile at his over-eager stepmother and sister, “I suggest you give us a week at least to decide.”
“Take as long as you like, dear brother,” Amanda said flashing Kolton a determined look. “We ladies will begin
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