CHAPTER 21
A loud crash awakened Hetty followed by a swift curse. She had only been sleeping for an hour when the commotion started. Her wedding day was on the morrow, and Hetty could not help but be nervous.
Miles had seemed worried and withdrawn at dinner. He had excused himself quite early and left without giving her a goodbye kiss. Granted, her entire family had been in attendance as well has his.
But still, Hetty was terrified that perhaps he was having second thoughts.
“Hetty, are you awake?”
“Who is there?” Hetty was not in the mood for games. And obviously, this burglar knew her well enough to call her by her shortened name.
“I’ve come for you,” another crash, “damn it all to hell!”
Hetty had a sneaking suspicion who had dared to breach her bedchamber. She pushed the bed coverings back and peered onto the floor.
There he was, holding his knee, which apparently had just become better acquainted with her wardrobe.
“Miles, what are you doing here?” Hetty asked in exasperation. And then it hit her, “You aren’t coming to call things off. Please, tell me you aren’t cancelling the wedding.”
“Cancelling?” Miles looked insulted. “I would never allow you to call it off. I’m in love with you damn it. You must marry me.”
Hetty covered her mouth to suppress the smile that seemed adamant about appearing on her face. “Are you intoxicated?”
“Never touch the stuff!” Miles blinked, “You should stay away from strong spirits, Henrietta, they can give you a devil of a head in the morning.”
“I see,” Hetty agreed, “Is this a social call or do you have some purpose for breaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night? Wait a moment—my room is on the second floor! How did you get up here?”
Miles beamed at her, “Shimmied up the pipes—like a monkey!”
“Oh, good Lord,” Hetty rolled her eyes.
Miles looked slightly sober for a moment, “You sounded just like my godmomma. You would really like her, Hetty. She is amazing.”
Hetty laughed, “She sounds fantastic. Do you know, I think I know her?”
“Lady Genevieve? Nah, she lives terribly far away.”
“Would you like to get up off my floor?” Hetty coaxed as she climbed out of bed and went over to where he was sitting.
“I like your dress,” Miles smiled happily.
Hetty couldn’t contain the giggle that escaped her lips, “It’s my nightgown.”
“It’s lovely, you should wear it all the time,” Miles caught Hetty round the waist and pulled her down to him. “Umm, you smell divine.”
“That’s because I’m getting married in the morning,” Hetty took his handsome face in her hands.
Miles cheeks were scruffy with a day’s growth of whiskers. His blue eyes were bloodshot and his neckcloth was missing.
“You can’t do it, Hetty.”
The sadness in his tone melted her insides. “I can’t do what, Miles?”
“You can’t marry someone else, Hetty. I am in love with you!”
“Miles, I am not certain what I should do with you. I can’t send you back out the window. I am honestly surprised that you made it in here without killing yourself.”
“I am very tired, I think I need to close my eyes for just a moment.” Miles went to lay on the floor.
Hetty laughed, “No, you mustn’t sleep on the floor. Here, let’s get you standing. Goodness, I can’t carry the both of us. There, now one foot in front of the other. You have it. Climb into bed with me. No, Miles! Not with your boots on!”
But it was too late, he was already fast asleep.
And so, that is how Hetty’s maid found the two of them wrapped up together the next morning.
It was terribly unfortunate that she happened to scream like she was waking the dead. The fact that her older brother happened to be walking by and stormed in was just plain bad luck.
Daniel would tell it later that he merely the circumstances—a knee jerk reaction. He hadn’t meant to blacken the eye of his future brother in law. To anyone who would listen, Daniel insisted that he was protecting his sister.
The same sister that grabbed the bedpan and whacked him in the side. There was a bruise—he insisted. He was just too much of a gentleman to show it in public.
When upon asking his wife, Eva, she simply turned green and hurried off to find a chamber pot.
It was quite a day for a wedding.