∞∞∞

James tore into Nick’s letter—the response to one he’d sent out just the day after they’d arrived at Windclere—with a sense of acute dread. It could contain any number of terrible things, each of which would spell the end of his relationship with Jilly. She could find herself unexpectedly branded a whore across the length and breadth of England, and not even their swift marriage would save her reputation then.
Instead he heaved a sigh of relief as he scanned the lines contained in the note.

James,

You’re a bloody idiot, but rest assured that Lady Jillian’s reputation has been salvaged. I've told a few of the Ton’s more notorious gossips that you had been called away on estate business, and Lady Jillian’s aunt has put it about that she has sent her niece off to visit an ailing relative. Put on a good show of it, too—I’ve never seen so spry a lady pass herself off to be too old and infirm to travel quite so convincingly. Of course I will do as you have asked. I’ve arranged a meeting with the Archbishop tomorrow. I shall keep you apprised of the proceedings.

Nick

Thank God. Thank God. That was one worry vanquished, at least. Provided he could arrange everything else exactly in his favor, she would never know how very close she had come to ruin—how very close he had come to ruining her.
With Nick’s assistance, a special license—a real one—would hopefully be issued with all haste. Though he had no idea how he would explain the necessity of it to Jilly, with any luck they could quickly be married, and no one would ever know that she had been living with him here without benefit of marriage.
He crumpled Nick’s note in his hand, but stopped himself before he tossed it in the wastebasket. Better to throw it into the fire, where it could not be uncovered by prying eyes. If Jilly should happen to lay eyes on it...
No. It didn’t bear consideration. Letting himself dwell on such things at this juncture could serve no purpose. The guilt was flaying him alive as it was.
All he could do was devote himself to Jilly, to her happiness. So that if somehow she ever did discover what he had intended for her, she would remember, too, the husband who had adored her.

∞∞∞