Scandalous. Part 31

"I-I am Elliot Pruett."

He looked at her blankly. "Pardon?"

"I am Elliot Pruett. I mean, that is my nom de plume." When Bryan still said nothing, she went on, "I write books."

"Yes. And...?" Bryan said encouragingly.

"And what?"

"The scandal. I thought you were going to tell me what the scandal was."

"That's it. I write books. Not just books. I write adventure stories."

"Really?" Bryan looked intrigued. He glanced over at the Duke. "Did you hear, Father?"

"Yes. It's rather unusual."

"You wrote that book that I read," Bryan went on in a tone of discovery. "That was good. Well, no wonder you always want to be in on the adventure. It gives you something to put in your books."

"I had never been on any adventures until I met you."

"You hadn't?"

"No. I think the adventure arrived with you."

He grinned. "Well, you performed admirably your first time, then."

"Bryan...aren't you even going to get upset?"

"No. Should I?"

"If it ever got out that I wrote adventure novels, it would be a terrible scandal, and the scandal would be far worse if I were the d.u.c.h.ess of Ranleigh."

"And that is why you refused to marry me? Because of the scandal of your writing books?"

Priscilla nodded. Bryan threw back his head and laughed. He laughed so hard tears came to his eyes. Priscilla, watching him, began to grow a little aggravated.

"Bryan! Would you stop? This is serious. Everyone else will take it seriously. They will talk. There will be gossip. I don't know how we could possibly keep it a secret forever, not when I am married to you."

"I'm sorry." He tried to calm down. "But I can't be serious about this. You think I should worry because a bunch of people I don't know and couldn't care less about will gossip and be offended if they find out that my wife writes novels?"

Priscilla hesitated. "Well, yes, essentially."

"Priscilla...when are you going to believe me? I don't give a d.a.m.n about the British people, most particularly the peerage. They could talk about me every day of the week, and I wouldn't much care. I won't be here to hear them most of the time, and when I am, I still won't care. As for their talking about you, I think I can guarantee that they won't do it long."

Priscilla looked aghast. "Bryan, you can't go around threatening everyone with all that Indian talk."

"I shall use a different tack." He reached out and took her hands, pulling her closer. "You silly goose. Did you honestly think I would care? That it would bother me that you wrote books?"

"It would many men."

"I am not 'many men.' I liked your book. And it fits in perfectly."

"With what?"

"With our life. We will be at sea a lot, and writing will give you something to do to pa.s.s your time aboard s.h.i.+p. You can see all the exotic locales you want to, write stories set there...."

Priscilla's stomach quivered with eagerness. She squeezed Bryan's hands hard. "Tell me this is not a dream."

"No one ever accused me of appearing in their dreams. Nightmares, perhaps. No, I would say that this is utterly, completely real."

"Oh, Bryan." She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you. I love you."

He turned his face into her hair, kissing it. "I love you, too."

Priscilla leaned back and looked up into his face, smiling. "Do you know what I've learned?"

"What?"

"You just never know when something wonderful is going to show up on your doorstep."

Bryan smiled and bent to kiss her.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-6412-4.

Also available from.

CANDACE CAMP.

and HQN Books.

The Courts.h.i.+p Dance.

The Wedding Challenge.

The Bridal Quest The Marriage Wager.

Promise Me Tomorrow No Other Love A Stolen Heart A Dangerous Man.

An Independent Woman An Unexpected Pleasure Secrets of the Heart.

So Wild a Heart The Hidden Heart Swept Away.

Winterset Beyond Compare Mesmerized Impetuous Indiscreet.

Impulse Suddenly Scandalous.