There was joy in his eyes as he spoke. Suddenly, another thought struck her.
"Wait. A ball means people from Beaumont's house may hear about it too."
"Lionel has had that taken care of," he said.
Livia frowned. "How?"
"Let us just say Lionel can be quite frightening when he wants to be."
"Did he threaten them?" she asked.
"Probably. I did not ask for details."
She gave him a doubtful look.
He reached up and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "No one from that house will trouble you."
A breeze moved over the balcony. Livia shivered.
"Come on. Let us get you inside."
Before she could protest, he bent and swept her into his arms. He carried her back through the balcony doors into the warmth of his chamber. The shift from cool night to firelit intimacy made her body relax despite herself. The room was quiet, the candles low, the bed turned down from earlier disturbance.
Livia glanced at him. "Are you going to carry me all the way to my chambers?"
