The Magnificent Masquerade (31 page)

Greg got to his feet.
"If I haven't mistaken. your vixenish daughter's mind, Birkinshaw-and I
warn you, I don't think you'll like this one bit!-she wants me to offer her a
carte blanche. "

"Good God!"
muttered Toby, his eyes popping.

"Kitty!"
squealed her mother.

"That's a damnable
lie!" Birkinshaw shouted, leaping up. "I ought to call you out for
that! Kitty, don't just sit there! Set the blackguard straight!"

"Sorry,
Papa," Kitty said calmly, keeping her eyes locked on Greg's, "but his
lordship is exactly right."

"Kitty Jessup,
stop this!" her mother demanded. "It is not amusing. Birkinshaw, I
blame you for this. Such vulgarity cannot have come from my side of the
family."

"Confound it,
Kitty," her father roared, "must you always stir up a to-do? Admit
that you're up to your usual tricks and have done."

"But it's not a
trick, Papa. Lord Edgerton has spoken nothing but the truth. I am only waiting
for him to say he agrees to the terms."

"But this is
insane!" Birkinshaw's face was turning purple. "If you like the
fellow, why don't you insist on marriage?"

"I've offered her
marriage," Greg put in, struggling to keep a straight face, "but no,
she insists on a carte blanche."

 "Greg!"
Kitty choked. "You beast! "

"I say Greg,"
his brother said, his brow clearing, "is there something going on here
that we've been missing?"

Lady Birkinshaw looked
at her husband dazedly. "Did he say he wanted to marry her? Edgerton
himself?"

Birkinshaw sank into
his chair and mopped his brow. "I don't know what is going on. This is all
beyond me."

"Well, Miss
Jessup," Greg said, crossing to her chair and pulling her to her feet,
"you are the injured party. It's all up to you. Are you willing to accept
my compromise?"

 She threw her
arms about his neck with shockingly unladylike alacrity. "Do you mean it,
my love? You're willing to risk it after all? Please think about it, Greg. If
you're to wed me, I don't want it to come to pass because of a silly
trick."

He cupped her face in
his hands. "It will come to pass, my love, because I can no longer live
without you."

Bedlam broke out around
them. Lady Birkinshaw shed tears of joy. Toby did a wild dance around the room.
Birkinshaw went to the door and shouted for everyone to come down and hear the
news. The commotion brought Naismith scurrying to the drawing-room doors in
alarm. Through it all, Greg and Kitty stood immobile, merely smiling foolishly
into each other's eyes. After a while, Kitty glanced over her shoulder and
caught a glimpse of the butler gaping at them. Half the household staff were
crowded behind him, their faces agog. Kitty, although she turned back to her
beloved, called to the butler.

"Mr. Naismith, do
I have permission to speak?" He rolled his eyes heavenward. "Yes,
miss, you know you do."

"Then may I ask
your opinion on a delicate matter?"

"Yes, miss."

"Can you tell me
if it is proper behavior for a gentleman to kiss his betrothed before dozens of
onlookers?"

"Very improper, I
should think."

"In that case,
since his lordship and I are a couple who are very concerned with propriety, I
would be very grateful if you would clear the room of all these onlookers in
ten seconds, because I have not yet been kissed, and ten seconds is all I intend
to wait."