“Alex, there you are. You’ve got to help me, old boy. Lady Cynthia won’t leave me alone,” Sir Marcus said plaintively, running his finger around his cravat in his anxiety. It was obvious he was laboring under a strong emotion, as he had ruined the perfection of its folds with that unconscious gesture.

“I wish I could help you, Marcus, but I do not see what I can do. You are clearly irresistible.”

“You could pay a little attention to her yourself,” Marcus suggested.

“I am sorry, but I am already engaged,” Alexander replied, gesturing at Emily, who stood a little to one side, to allow the gentlemen their privacy. However, she could still hear everything that was being said.

“I thought I heard a rumor to that effect,” Marcus said. “Are you sure you know what you’re about?” he whispered quite audibly. “She looks demure enough, but I have reason to know she can be the very devil when she wants to be.”

Alexander struggled with a reply, and Emily gave up pretending not to listen. “I am sorry, Sir Marcus, but you are too late,” she told him, moving to take Alexander’s arm.

“What’s that?”

“I have witnesses, you see. He cannot renege on his proposal.”

Sir Marcus looked with pity at Alexander, who was attempting to control his mirth. “I see. I thought it was Lady Cynthia you were after, or I would have warned you.” He returned to the ballroom, leaving Emily and Alexander by themselves.

“I still do not understand whatever prompted Sir Marcus to propose to me in the first place,” Emily said in wonder, when she had stopped laughing.

“After further thought on the matter, I believe that is my fault. I suggested to Marcus that you preferred him to me. Which you yourself said, if you recall.”

“I do not remember saying anything of the sort,” Emily replied.

“Emily! You most definitely said it. When I proposed to you in the drawing room of your mother’s house. You said if you had to choose between him and me, you would choose him.”

“I believe I said he would be the wiser choice. But then, I have never been known for my wisdom, or I would never have fallen in love with a penniless curate in the first place.”

“No, that would not have been wise, had I in fact been a penniless curate. Neither was it wise on my part to fall in love with a devilish, headstrong girl who will torment me all of our lives.”

Emily, although she did not have the benefit of Lady Cynthia’s experience in front of the mirror, was able to pout quite enchantingly, which she proceeded to do. Alexander was unable to resist the temptation of those puckered lips, and, looking around the refreshment room to ensure they had no audience, dropped a quick kiss on them. When Emily reached up and pulled him closer, Alexander realized his lifetime of torment had already begun.