Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

T hey sat in the carriage. Several hours had passed since they'd left the last village before entering the outskirts of London. They would return home today and would have to face Genevieve's parents.

Would they be disapproving? Would his lifelong friend call him out and want retribution for stealing his sister away and marrying her?

They had a lot of explanations to give, but when her family knew the truth and the trouble that Genevieve could have been in, they would understand.

They would have to.

His new wife, his in every sense of the word, leaned on her elbow, her chin resting in her hand as she stared out the window at the ever-growing number of houses that lined the road.

Several maids in Gretna had attempted to clean the silk ballgown for Genevieve to return home in, but whatever they'd used to remove the grime had only made the dress appear worse.

Right at this moment, in the lowly dress they had brought up for her to use, she did not represent the duke's daughter she was, or the countess she'd become only two days before.

Still, he could not help but admire how utterly beautiful she was, especially when she did not know she was being watched. Her pretty nose and perfect skin. Her large, green eyes looked upon everything with curiosity and hope.

Her lips… She kissed far better than he'd ever imagined. The memory of them being intimate… His cock twitched, desire twisting in his stomach for more.

With her.

"We'll be home soon. What will you say to Mama and Papa?" she asked.

He shifted on the seat and adjusted his cravat, attempting to tidy his clothing as best he could. "The truth. I will tell them what Mr. Venzellons attempted and what transpired afterward." He shifted his attention to the window also, anything but to be distracted by the sight of his beautiful wife.

A woman he could seduce whenever he wished.

He ground his teeth. He would not seduce her in the carriage only a mile or two from home.

As much as the thought intrigued him.

They traveled in silence the remainder of the way to Mayfair. As instructed, the driver brought the carriage to a halt near the Duke of Curzon's mews, ensuring their arrival back in town was unnoticed by the gossiping ton .

He helped Genevieve down from the carriage and, taking her hand, led her through the back garden gate and into the duke's expansive grounds. They ignored the startled, interested glances from several gardeners and were soon striding through the mansion's halls toward the duke's library.

A footman noticed them when they entered the foyer. "Lord Tyndall, the duke has been expecting you. Please do go in."

He frowned and glanced at Genevieve. She squeezed his hand, which he could only assume was in support, and he welcomed her courage. He may need it in the coming minutes.

They entered the duke's library together, and Genevieve dipped into a curtsy before going to her father and reaching for him.

The duke hugged his daughter, silent, but the relief on His Grace's visage gave Beckett hope that their meeting with him might not be all bad.

"My darling daughter, we have been worried sick." He clasped her by the shoulders and stared at her for several moments. "What happened? We received a hastily written note only from Lord Tyndall and could not make much sense of anything."

"May we be seated?" Beckett asked.

The duke gestured for them to do so, and they sat across from His Grace. "As you know, I attended the same ball as Lady Genevieve several days ago," he started, explaining what had occurred and what he'd stumbled into, and subsequently stopped. But he also noted the damage that Mr. Venzellons seemed determined to do if he did not get his way with Lady Genevieve.

"I could not, you see, allow Lady Genevieve to fall victim to such a man. He was a liar, a cad, and would surely have made her marriage a living nightmare. As her friend and a friend of the family, I would not allow him to mistreat her. I hope you can forgive me for stealing her away. We are married, Your Grace."

The duke showed little emotion, merely stared for some time at them both. Beckett fought not to fidget, to show his unease. Was the duke enraged? Would he demand the marriage be annulled? A little difficult considering they'd consummated it, plus there were other grounds that would make dissolving their marriage impossible.

Still, the duke was a powerful man. He could do anything if he wished it.

"You're married, well, that is some good news, I suppose. As for Mr. Venzellons, he has not caused any trouble in London. In fact, he's already left for India. Wanting a change of atmosphere was his excuse, but I think it was because Martin had words with him one night that he did not particularly enjoy."

Beckett chuckled, liking the idea of Mr. Venzellons getting an uppercut to his jaw. The man deserved no less. "I have the marriage certificate here, Your Grace." He pulled the document out of his pocket and gave it to the duke. "I do apologize for stealing Lady Genevieve from town. But after what I viewed, and given Mr. Venzellons's threats, I thought the best, and quickest way to put his threats to bed was to marry Lady Genevieve myself. She agreed after a little persuading, and here we are."

"Yes, here we all are." The duke's attention turned to his daughter. "Are you happy with this, my dear? I can always alter this outcome if you're not."

Genevieve was silent for some time. Unease churned in Beckett's stomach before she smiled at her father. "While Lord Tyndall is not the man I thought I would ever marry, it is not so vile that I dislike who is now my husband. We have formed a truce and get along well enough. I think our marriage will be pleasant, and there is little we can do about it now."

"Why, my dear?" the duke asked.

"Well, because we've been intimate, Papa. I could be carrying Lord Tyndall's child as we speak."

Beckett froze at her words. A child. His mind scrambled to think, to plan, to imagine. He'd never spent in a woman before, not without using a condom. He'd always been so careful. But with Genevieve, he had not been.

But a child?

He wasn't ready to be a father. He wasn't ready to be a husband for that matter.

What had he done?

"Oh, of course. Well, that would be lovely news. For some time, your mama and I had thought you would never marry at all. Since we were unable to attend the event itself, we shall have to host a ball in honor of your nuptials."

"We would love that, Papa."

Genevieve's hand slipped over his, squeezing it and pulling Beckett from the panic that assailed him. He hardly knew how to look after himself, nevertheless another human being. What if he failed and something happened to the babe? To Genevieve? He shivered, the horror not worth thinking of.

"Wouldn't we, my lord?" she asked him.

He nodded, knowing that was what he was supposed to communicate. "Oh, of course. And soon, if you will. Society ought to know our two great families have become one."

He could only hope that it would not increase anymore. Not yet, at least.