Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 6

Four months ago Cedric had been appalled and infuriated when his friend, a rakehell who could make Lucifer himself blush, and Cedric's sister had become lovers. It had felt like he'd lost his sister, a companion he'd relied on so much, and one of the two people in his life it was his duty to protect from rogues with wicked reputations. Now it was one of the most wonderful things in the world to know that his friend and sister were so in love and so happy with each other. Secretly, he'd feared that a marriage between them would put some distance between him and Lucien, but it hadn't.

Cedric and Lucien's friendship had been through a rough patch last December, but Cedric couldn't deny the truth. Lucien loved his sister with a depth Cedric hadn't thought possible. And soon Lucien would love the child who was on the way. Envy slithered inside Cedric, curling and twisting. He wanted a marriage like that, with love and children.

He sighed wearily. Lord, I'm getting sentimental. Time and circumstance had changed them all, it seemed.

The cheers and teasing commenced all around Cedric as the warmth of his friends cloaked him.

"Congratulations!" Charles and Ashton said from either side of Cedric.

"A baby Russell," Jonathan marveled with a devious chuckle. "Your mother must be pleased as punch, Lucien."

Cedric was unable to stop his grin. "I'm to be an uncle then?"

Lucien laughed. "Many times over, I hope."

Cedric glowered. "Have a care, man, that's my sister you married, not a broodmare."

"Very well, I'll let Horatia decide the number of children. But you will have to deal with my mother when she doesn't get her ten desired grandchildren."

"Now," Jonathan prompted. "Let us hear your news, Cedric."

"Oh...right. Well, Ashton and I have just come from the Doctors' Commons where I procured a special marriage license. I'm to be married within the week."

There was a spewing sound and brandy sprayed over Cedric's face.

"Bloody hell! Who did that?"

"Apologies," said Charles. "You just caught me off guard. Did I hear you correctly?"

Cedric removed his handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his face, trying not to scowl in Charles's direction.

"Married to whom?" Lucien asked, his tone echoing Charles's disbelief.

"Anne Chessley." He waited for any sort of reaction, but he hadn't expected the silence he met instead. What were they doing? Staring at him with gaping mouths or glancing at each other in concern? Damn my eyes. A chair creaked nearby as someone shifted in their seat.

"What? No congratulations?" Cedric tried to joke, but his grin faltered as the silenced continued.

Finally Ashton broke the quiet. "I think they are merely surprised as you gave up on courting Anne last year."

"Hold on, you're telling me that Anne, the ice maiden, asked you to propose to her?" Charles didn't sound convinced.

"She's not an ice maiden," Cedric growled.

"Weren't you the one who named her that?" Charles reminded him.

Cedric clenched his fists. "I was mistaken. I expect all of you to respect my wish that she never be addressed that way in or out of her hearing again."

"Of course, old boy, whatever you say," Charles agreed.

"So finish the story," Jonathan prodded.

Cedric gave a little shrug. "It is that and nothing more. She suggested the scheme, and I agreed and got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife."

There was another interminable period of silence that seemed almost to deafen his sensitive eardrums as he waited for his friends to speak. Even the other conversations in the room had died down, as if the men in the room were straining to overhear what was going on in their little corner.

"But why did you agree to ask her?" Godric inquired, the only one brave enough to shatter the quiet.