The Announcement

Four days later, she was sitting in the drawing-room. Their families were supposed to arrive tomorrow for the dinner. She was reading a book on the window seat when Lilly walked in with a tray of tea and biscuits. She set it down and Nicole looked at her.

"What's all this?"

"His grace thought you might be hungry."

"That's very kind of him."

Lilly dipped her head and left her, knowing Nicole would want to pour her own tea. Nicole went back to her book after getting a plate with biscuits and poured herself some tea. Austin came in later and found the biscuits gone and the teapot almost empty. He smiled and came over next to her. He sat behind her and pulled her into his lap. She smiled when he kissed her and he told her to keep reading. He just wanted to enjoy her company. When Lilly came back a couples of hours later to get the tray, she found both of them asleep on the window seat. She grabbed the tray and excused herself and told the rest of the staf