"Now it's an engagement party."
With everyone watching us, I kiss Siobhan the right way. No peck on the lips. We kiss passionately, and everyone starts clapping and carrying on again. Just as we separate our lips, I open my eyes and see Rick shoving two fingers into his mouth to whistle.
For an hour, we mingle with our guests. My mother commandeers Siobhan for a full fifteen minutes. During one of the few stretches when I get to talk to my fiancée, we're interrupted by Bennett Montague. Not that we mind. My fiancée has told me several times today that she thinks Ben is "such a hot little sweetie-pie." There's no point in telling her he's not small. Ben is an average-size man.
The males of the species can never hope to understand the females.
When Bennett approaches us, Siobhan smiles at him. "So, Ben, when do I get to hear your secret? You said you'd tell me, eventually. This feels like that eventual moment."
No man can resist Siobhan Griffin when she's smiling.
"Oh, that," Ben says, staring down at the grass and hunching his shoulders. "It's not a secret, but I don't usually tell anyone when I first meet them. They don't really understand."
My fiancée touches his arm. "I'm very understanding."
"She honestly is," I say. "If Siobhan can overlook all my flaws, you know she'll be fine with learning the truth about you. But I've never understood why you act like it's a terrible secret. Women love it."
"A sexy secret?" Siobhan says. "Ooh, you have to tell me now."
Ben exhales a gusty breath, lifts his head, and winces. "I am Bennett Worthington Montague, crown prince of Mithoria."
"Prince?" Siobhan's eyes get even wider, then she grins and pushes her fist into Ben's chest. "You're pulling my leg."
"He's not," I say. "It's true. My employee is a prince."
"Seriously? I've never heard of Mithoria."
Ben groans. "No one has. It's a tiny country on a tiny island. But I'm also British since I have dual citizenship. I was born in the UK and went to boarding school and university here."
"You'll need to tell me all about your life as a prince."
"Not anytime soon. I have to leave this evening." He sighs, and his shoulders collapse. "Mother has summoned me. It's time for another round of 'find Ben a princess to marry,' and you know how she gets about that."
"Ah, yes," I say. "How long will you be gone this time?"
"No idea." He grimaces and scratches the back of his head. "Sorry to run out on you like this. I'd much rather stay here and do my job. Hopefully, I'll be back for Christmas."
"Your job will wait for you. Go, do your princely duty."
Ben wanders off to talk to the Dixon brothers, and I know they'll cheer him up.
As for me… The second the party breaks up, I spirit my fiancée away to our bedroom, and we have our own party in private. Afterward, I ask her the question I never got the chance to ask during the backyard celebration.
"What will you do now that you're unemployed?"
"Don't know. But I'll figure something out." She's lying on top of me, drawing invisible patterns on my chest with her finger. "I majored in math, but I minored in computer science. Maybe I could do something that uses all my skills, not just my math expertise."
"I have no doubts you will find the perfect job. Any employer would be lucky to hire you, and I'm sure you'll find something fast."
As it turns out, we're both right. Siobhan finds a job quickly, and it's one that makes use of all her expertise. My mate Grey Dixon hires her. He works as a business intelligence analyst, which involves lots of boring computer stuff and plenty of mathematical rubbish too. Maybe that's not my dream job, but I know Siobhan is over the moon about it. Grey wants to make her his official partner, legally, but she convinces him to wait so they can both make sure she's the right fit for the job.
What happened to the woman who started that rumor about me? Lady Prescott has moved to Mallorca with her lover. Lord Geoffrey, Georgina's husband, has filed for divorce, and I hear he's determined to hold on to all their assets. Apparently, I wasn't the first man Georgina propositioned, though I might be the only one who didn't accept her offer.
Who cares about the Prescotts? Siobhan and I will get married in five weeks.
And as for Bennett… Well, I hear the American Wives Club have convened an emergency meeting.
Heaven help us all.