The wedding hadnāt happened yet, and already the marriage was a disaster.
Kieran Ransome and his family stood beneath the portico of St. Georgeās before entering the churchās vestibule, and as his mother briefly lifted his sisterās veil to brush away a stray lock of hair, he caught a glimpse of Willaās face. Her cheeks were ashen, her lips drawn into a thin, tight slash. The countess twittered and fussed with Willaās gown, yet his sister barely uttered a word.
Last night, the family had enjoyed a prewedding supper, and Willa had been almost mute then, as well. Sheād had two and a half glasses of wine instead of her usual one, picking at her food rather than displaying her typically robust appetite. The groom had slumped in his chair, offering up grunts when spoken to, and had declined Kieranās offer of a post-meal drink at their favorite chophouse.
Something was clearly wrong.
āSomethingās clearly wrong,ā Kieranās brother Finn whispered into his ear.
Kieran shot a glance toward their father, the Earl of Wingrave, who stood close by, chatting with Simon, his eldest son. Alice, Simonās wife, hovered at her husbandās side. The earl and the countess ignored each other, which was unsurprising, but what did astonish Kieran was the fact that no one seemed to notice how anxiety emanated from the bride like a silent scream.
Ordinarily, Willa charged ahead into everythingāplaces, discussions, opinionsāyet this morning she was rooted in place.
āDo you think she wants to cry off?ā Kieran asked lowly.
āDifficult to blame her,ā Finn returned. āDomās been an utter ass these past weeks. Hell, the way heās been carrying on, I wouldnāt marry him.ā
āSheād jilt Dom?ā
Finn exhaled, and a rueful expression crossed his face. āI wouldnāt take that wager, little brother. Remember how she insisted on eating a handful of sand when we told her she shouldnāt?ā
āShe was five years old at the time.ā
āIf anything, her stubbornness has only increased in the intervening years.ā
Kieran couldnāt argue against that. Heād initially believed that Willa and Dominic Kilburn were perfectly matched. Two more obstinate beings didnāt exist with arguments that involved slammed doors and broken porcelain. Yet Kieran had also seen the adoring way in which Willa and Dom looked at each other, how they always had their hands interlaced as if unable to bear a moment without touching. Surely, they would have a happy, if tempestuous, union.
He wasnāt so certain of that anymore.
Something he did know for a fact was that churches made him deucedly uncomfortable. They were physical manifestations of temperance, solemnity, and quiet reflectionāall conditions he studiously avoided. Merely standing outside St. Georgeās caused restless energy to pulse through his limbs, and it was all he could do to keep from leaping onto the back of a passing dray and riding off toward a tavern or the theater or anywhere that wasnāt soaked with staid gravity like this house of worship.
God knew he had no intention of ever standing up as a bridegroom in one of these places.
āChrist,ā he muttered to Finn, āI havenāt seen this side of the daytime in years.ā
āTompkins owes me five quid,ā his brother answered. āHe said you wouldnāt make it, let alone show up sober. But I knew that youād make an appearance, if only to gorge yourself at the wedding breakfast.ā
āThank you for your faith in me,ā Kieran said dryly. Louder, to his family, he said, āAs groomsman, Iām off to check on Dom. Iāll offer my early felicitations for joining his cursed line to ours.ā
āOn this day of all days,ā his father said distractedly, āspare us your histrionic pronouncements.ā
His mother rolled her eyes, though it was difficult to say whether it was her son or husband who irritated her the most.
Giving the earl an ironic salute, Kieran wrested open the church doors. He raised a brow as Finn fell into step beside him.
āIāve a wager with myself to see if you are struck dead the moment you set foot inside the church,ā Finn explained genially.
āThere will be two charred spots on the floor, then. Yours beside mine.ā
The moment the doors opened, Finn threw Kieran a rude hand gesture, eliciting gasps from guests seated in nearby pews. Kieran shared a grin with his brother.
āA new part of the Ransome Brothers mythos,ā Finn murmured as they walked down the aisle toward the chancel. At least, Kieran believed it was called a chancel, but he couldnāt be certain, as he hadnāt been particularly attentive when schooled on the aspects of faith.
All of Londonās elite packed St. Georgeās, drawn from the countryās most esteemed and respected families. The groomās side of the church was filled with titans of industry and commerce, since Domās kin was part of that world, and their elegant garments easily rivaled those worn by the aristocracy. Yet both the nobility and those with newly made fortunes stared uneasily at Kieran and Finn as they walked down the aisle. Perhaps they, like many in the city, had read of the Ransome brothersā exploits in the scandal rags. Everyone was eager to hear of someone elseās misbehavior, if only to feel marginally better about their own paper-thin lives and spongy morality.
Kieran threw a roguish smile to the guests, delighting in the way the ladiesā hands fluttered at their throats and the gentlemen puffed out their chests. What did their discomposure mean to him?
One particularly engaging woman on the brideās side caught his interest, her fingers dancing along the lace of her fichu, her lips curved upward in an intrigued smile. Kieran winked at her, and she batted her lashes.
āHell.ā Finnās chuckle was dry. āOnly you would attempt to arrange an assignation in a bloody church.ā
āI join a long and storied tradition of defiling houses of worship. But Iāve found someone even more captivating. Get a look at the neck on the one in the second row, groomās side.ā
It was a most enthralling neck. Sweetly curved, with just a hint of soft, chestnut-hued down where the hairline began. Kieranās mouth watered as he imagined gently nipping his teeth into that neck and hearing the ladyās shocked, thrilled gasp of pleasure.
Some men loved breasts, others were enthralled by arses or legs. But Kieran could write stanza after stanza on the allure of a womanās neck.
The lady in question turned to the person seated beside her, presenting her profile.
DamnāKieran knew her.
He swore aloud, earning him more censorious looks from nearby guests.
Finn laughed again. āMentally seducing our best friendās sister. A new nadir has been reached.ā
āDonāt tell Dom,ā Kieran muttered.
Though Dom accompanied him and Finn for nightly carousing, Kieran was the one who truly engaged every variety of wickedness known in London. For all his boisterousness, Dom remained on the side, placing bets, bellowing songs, yet eschewing female company. He did have a habit of getting into spontaneous brawls.
Given that Dom knew exactly what kind of a rogue and scoundrel Kieran was, heād never countenance Kieran contemplating debauchery with his younger sister.
As if sensing Kieranās salacious regard on her, Celeste Kilburn turned in her seat, her gaze catching his. Her eyes widened slightly, then she offered him a tentative smile.
He did his best to return it as though he hadnāt been mentally disrobing and seducing her moments earlier. It was a neutral smile, verging on fraternal. Several years ago, Celeste had returned from finishing school as a striking woman, no longer a girl. From the time of her debut to now, she was also the model of proper decorum, faultless in her behavior.
He always made certain to give Celeste a wide berth. Doing so remained the only thing in the whole of Kieranās existence that could be considered wise or safe.
Celeste tipped her head toward the front of the church, and he followed her direction, expecting to see her brother standing in front of the altar. That was usually the way with grooms, or so he believed in his limited experience, since he was never invited to weddingsāor anywhere where respectable people congregated. Today was his first sortie as a groomsman, since Simon had asked a friend from Oxford to be his attendant, so he knew little about his responsibilities in this arena.
Instead of seeing Dom standing nervously but eagerly in his nuptial finery, awaiting the appearance of his bride, Kieran only saw the robed vicar. The vicar did appear so...
