When She Said I Do (44 page)

She gasped.

And the author.

He looked up at last to find her clutching the volume and blinking at the spine. Then she opened the book and flipped to the title page with shaking fingers.

“Wildflowers of the Cotswolds,”
she read in a whisper. “By Calliope, Lady Porter.”

She sank down into one of the fireside chairs without looking, her rapt gaze on the pages and pages of color plates, each gorgeously depicting a Calliope Porter original botanical drawing.

“I believe there’s a dedication,” Ren said mildly.

She gazed at him with wide eyes, then looked back down to find it.

“‘When daisies pied and violets blue,’” she read aloud, “‘And lady-smocks all silver-white,

And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue

Do paint the meadows with delight.’”

Ren smiled slightly.
“Love’s Labours Lost,”
he announced. “Act five, scene two.”

She blinked and shook her head. “How—but you haven’t left the estate in months! However did you manage this?”

He leaned back in his chair, well pleased with himself, treasuring her dumbfounded joy. “Button, of course, with a bit of help from your mother. They worked rather brilliantly together, actually. I am much impressed.”

Callie blinked, clearly arrested by some errant thought.

“What is it?”

She shook her head. “No … it’s just a silly notion.” She shook her head again. “There is more than one theater in London, after all,” she said to herself. “They might never have met in those days…”

Ren frowned. “Iris and Button? I suppose they might have—”

He had that feeling, the woozy sensation of being a mere cog in some greater machine. The connection slid into place. “Callie,” he said slowly, “on the night the bridge washed out—where were you four going?”

Callie shook her head, the ghost of a smile lingering on her lips. “Mama wouldn’t tell me. It was meant to be a surprise.”

Just as he’d suspected. Slowly, Ren leaned forward and slid the paintbrush from her hair. As the wealth of silken waves fell into his hands, he smiled. “Happy anniversary … to me.”

She plucked the paintbrush from his fingers. “Meet you in the dining room.” She gave him a sultry look. “Don’t forget to bring your sword.”

Also by

CELESTE BRADLEY

The Runaway Brides

Devil in My Bed

Rogue in My Arms

Scoundrel in My Dreams

The Heiress Brides

Desperately Seeking a Duke

The Duke Next Door

The Duke Most Wanted

The Royal Four

To Wed a Scandalous Spy

Surrender to a Wicked Spy

One Night with a Spy

Seducing the Spy

The Liar’s Club

The Pretender

The Impostor

The Spy

The Charmer

The Rogue

Fallen

A Courtesan’s Guide to Getting Your Man
(with Susan Donovan)

Praise for
New York Times
bestselling author

CELESTE BRADLEY

and her previous novels and series

ROGUE IN MY ARMS

“Bradley doesn’t disappoint with the second in her Runaway Brides trilogy, which is certain to have readers laughing and crying. Her characters leap off the page, especially little Melody, the precocious ‘heroine,’ and her three fathers. There’s passion, adventure, nonstop action, and secrets that make the pages fly by.”

—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“When it comes to crafting fairy tale–like, wonderfully escapist historicals, Bradley is unrivaled, and the second addition to her Runaway Brides trilogy cleverly blends madcap adventure and sexy romance.”

—
Booklist

DEVIL IN MY BED

“From its unconventional prologue to its superb conclusion, every page of the first in Bradley’s Runaway Brides series is perfection and joy. Tinged with humor that never overshadows the poignancy and peopled with remarkable characters (especially the precocious Melody who will steal your heart), this one’s a keeper.”

—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“Part romantic comedy, part romantic suspense, and wholly entertaining,
Devil in My Bed
is a delight!”

—
Romance Reviews Today

“Laughter, tears, drama, suspense, and a heartily deserved happily-ever-after.”

—
All About Romance

DUKE MOST WANTED

“Passionate and utterly memorable. Witty dialogue and fantastic imagery round out a novel that is a must-have for any Celeste Bradley fan.”

—
Romance Junkies

“A marvelous, delightful, emotional conclusion to Bradley’s trilogy. Readers have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next, and they’ve also been anticipating a nonstop, beautifully crafted story, which Bradley delivers in spades.”

—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

THE DUKE NEXT DOOR

“This spectacular, fast-paced, sexy romance will have you in laughter and tears. With delightful characters seeking love and a title, [this] heartfelt romance will make readers sigh with pleasure.”

—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“Not only fun and sexy but relentlessly pulls at the heartstrings. Ms. Bradley has set the bar quite high with this one!”

—
Romance Readers Connection

DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE

“A humorous romp of marriage mayhem that’s a love-and-laughter treat, tinged with heated sensuality and tenderness. [A] winning combination.”

—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“A tale of lies and treachery where true love overcomes all.”

—
Romance Junkies

About the Author

CELESTE BRADLEY is the
New York Times
bestselling author of the Runaway Brides, Heiress Brides, Liar’s Club, and Royal Four series. Her novel
Fallen
was nominated for a RITA in 2002. “When you are overendowed with imagination and underendowed with punctuality, become a writer.” Years of dreaming on the job paid off when Celeste Bradley quit the mainstream in 1999 and started writing historical romance. “Handsome heroes beat out cranky customers every time!” Bradley lives in New Mexico with her family, her desert garden, and so many pets the house sometimes feels like an ark. You can visit her Web site at
www.celestebradley.com
.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

WHEN SHE SAID I DO

Copyright © 2013 by Celeste Bradley.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

www.stmartins.com

eISBN: 9781466806023

St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / February 2013

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.