Miss Hastings' Excellent London Adventure (Brazen Brides Book 4)(63)

 

 

 

He'd thought to initiate his courting by stealing kisses throughout the journey back to Stenson Keyes but Lady Sophia foiled his scheme. She had insisted on comforting her "dear sister" after the harrowing experience of the previous night.

 

Her intrusion into their little mobile love nest put Adam out of sorts. Instead of the intimate sweet talk and nibbly kisses between his wife and him, he was being subjected to Lady Sophia's overly dramatic tirade against the man who snatched Emma from her bedchamber. "It's a very good thing the vile creature has died after his abominable treatment of you! Tell me, my dear sister, were you not terrified when he stole you from your bed?"

 

"Indeed I was."

 

"I daresay, it was the most frightening thing that could happen. Did you think he might kill you?"

 

"It certainly crossed my mind."

 

"I was thinking," Lady Sophia mused aloud, "that since he was a lone man on a horse . . . do you suppose he may have been the very same man who followed us to Madame De Guerney's that day?"

 

Emma's gaze flashed to him. "Adam and I think there may be a possible connection between last night's abduction and my uncle's murder."

 

Lady Sophia shrieked. "How horrifying!"

 

"The abductor was not the man we suspect, but we believe he may be working for him," Adam said.

 

Lady Sophia's brows lowered. "Then he was bringing you to London so that awful man could kill you?"

 

"If we are right in our assumptions," Emma said, "I'm sure he planned to kill me—but not until he learned if I'd shared my suspicions with others."

 

"I am just so utterly relieved that you're not seriously hurt." Lady Sophia's gaze dropped to the raw circles around Emma's wrists. "And I will admit I had feared that the awful man might have . . . tried to take liberties with you. I suppose that's why I had to come. I wanted to comfort you."

 

"I'm deeply appreciative of your concern."

 

Adam hated this talk of Emma's wretched night. He wanted to block it from his memory, though he never wanted to let down his guard again, not when it concerned his wife's safety.

 

Last night could have been worse. Much worse. He let out a silent prayer of thanks that Emma was safe, that her innocence had not been compromised, that she had suffered no serious injuries.

 

In spite of his resentment of her presence, Adam, too, was grateful that Lady Sophia had so thoroughly welcomed his wife into the family. Before his siblings had married into the nobility, he'd never really trusted those of high rank. But the Earl of Agar and his sister, along with Lady Sophia, whose family was one of the oldest in the kingdom, could not have been kinder to him and his kinsmen.

 

Adam smiled when he thought of how dearly Lord Agar cherished their sister Verity. Someone possessed of a nature as sweet as Verity's deserved a happy marriage.

 

***

 

That afternoon he saw the Agars, along with his infant nephew, the heir to the Agar earldom. He was thankful neither they nor his mother referred to the wretched incident that had caused his and his wife's delay. He didn't want anything to detract from this moment when he could proudly introduce his wife to the rest of his family.

 

As he strolled toward Verity, holding his wife's hand and eyeing the babe in his sister's arms, he said, "It seems we each have new members of the family to introduce."

 

Verity's happy gaze moved to Emma, but she spoke to Adam. "You first." Her feminine voice trilled with delight.

 

"My dearest sister . . ." he bowed ever so slightly and gave a mock cough, "Lady Agar, my I present to you my wife, Emma?"

 

Emma dropped into a curtsey but did not speak until Verity addressed her.

 

Verity's eyes, so much like his own, shimmered as she regarded Emma. "How happy we all are that Adam now has a wife of his own, and how happy we are to meet you."

 

That was an exceedingly long sentence for shy Verity. Perhaps being a countess was building her confidence. She'd always exuded poise—remarkable, given that she was raised among three rowdy lads.

 

"I am so excited to finally meet you! You're a beautiful version of the man I adore most on earth."

 

He felt as if he'd just grown a foot. He was so proud of Emma, so delighted over her unfailing exuberance, and incredibly touched over the way in which she had referred to him. The man I adore most on earth.

 

Was she sincere? Or was she merely playing the role of a smitten bride? Knowing Emma, he could not imagine her speaking anything but the truth. Her youthful excitement must be contagious. He felt as if he were soaring.