14. 18 September, 1826

It was an earl-less Monday, and Adrienne sat up in her own bed whilst all the other mistresses gathered around her for their weekly tea.

Mrs. Collins sat close by, urging her to drink more chicken broth to build her strength after her ordeal on Maiden Lane. The others were not so solicitous. They all clamored for complete details on all that had happened. Most of all, the other mistresses were anxious to learn what part their handsome bodyguard, Obadiah, had played in the dizzying number of events leading up to her abduction. How had anyone managed to get past him.

Adrienne closed her eyes in anguish before giving a loud whisssht for silence. "I put myself in danger. I have no one to blame but myself. And as for Obadiah, he played a small part, but I do not fault him." At the looks of confusion around the room, she continued. "We had, ah, a disagreement a a week ago."

Sophia, her nearest neighbor, added a helpful explanation. "So that"s what all those loud cries were about."

That brought forth so much knowing laughter that Mrs. Collins had to shush them. "Quiet, all of you. Adrienne needs her rest and strength."

Margot interjected an opinion. "Yes, she"ll certainly need her strength if she"s carrying a son who"ll grow into the size of Obadiah."

Again, laughter filled the room, only to be interrupted by a fierce pounding at the front door. Young Rutherford came racing into the room so fast, he slid on the polished tile floor.

"Mr. Lassen is here, and he needs to speak to Miss Godet. Privately."

Silence descended immediately, and all of the women vacated the room. As Mrs. Collins passed Obadiah in the hallway, she spat out a warning. "If you upset her in any way, I will personally have you run out of London so far that it will take you weeks to crawl back."

Obadiah hadno idea where to start. All he knew was the next few minutes of his life were going to be the most important ones ever. He had to apologize, he had to make Adrienne understand how much she meant to him, and he had to claim her as his wife. He couldn"t think about how much he needed this woman, because he was afraid he"d be rendered speechless.

And so he sank to one knee next to her bedside and took her pale, fragile hand into his huge, scarred paw. "I don"t know the right words to let you know how sorry I am for how I"ve behaved, how sorry I am for how I let you down as your bodyguard, and how sorry I am I wasn"t there when you needed me most.

"You ran away because I acted like a selfish lout. I endangered your life when my only job was to protect you. I failed. I don"t know how to ask for forgiveness for a sin that"s not forgivable. If you never want to see me again, I"ll understand. The captain will send over her best guard, and I"ll never bother you again."

Adrienne placed her other hand on top of his dark curls and said, "I"d like to banish you from my life, but I"m afraid you"re the only man I"ve ever loved, or ever will love. Every other man is totally failing in comparison, so I"m afraid you"re stuck with me, Obadiah Lassen."

"So, you"ll marry me?" His face paled so much at his precipitous question that she feared he"d faint dead away at her bedside and she"d have to call up the entire Rutherford Gang again to carry him away.

"Of course I"ll marry you, you stubborn man."

"Thank God," he thundered. "The duke already has the special license with both of our names."

"He what?"

"Yes. We can be married this Sunday at His Grace"s home on Berkley Square. And the earl can come, because it"s his day off."

"So I was a foregone conclusion, then?" Adrienne gave him a half-hearted frown.

"Of course not. You could have married someone else, but I"m afraid I would have had to make you a widow in that unlikely event."

Adrienne could not imagine being happierbut later that afternoon Dickie showed up at her townhouse with two young men in tow.

Her heart leaped up into her throat when she was introduced to the new Duke of Ormonde. He had the same imposing height and piercing green eyes of the man who had stalked her for most of her life. However, his quirky grin immediately put her at ease. He gave her the new that his father had finally died, and she was no longer the object of his hatred. His companion and as, it turned out, his half-brother, was much more intriguing. Seeing his face was a little like looking into a mirror into the past. He had her mother"s thick, dark curls that she"d inherited as well, and they both had deep, dark eyes.

She had Young Rutherford call in Obadiah from his watch outside so that he could meet the brother she"d never known. After the two men gave each other serious, questioning looks, they both relaxed, and Obadiah invited them to the wedding. It seemed he"d invited most of London. She hoped there"d be room for her next to him in front of the vicar.