Consequences

Part 99

Doug wondered about the pensive look in her eyes. Hopefully she wasn't about to get cold feet! "When?" Doug decided that as she was giving the matter serious thought, he ought to take advantage and iron out a few details.

"What?" Isabelle blinked. She was still contemplating whether to ask him to ask her to marry him!

"When do we elope?" Doug demanded quietly as his lips sought that sensitive zone just behind her ear.

Isabelle shrugged and leaned away just a fraction of an inch, she needed her wits about her, and with his lips on her skin that was simply not possible. "I don't know."

"In that case we go for the society bash." Doug said, enjoying fencing with her, knowing that she'd want a quiet, intimate wedding with friends and family.

"Ohh. No." She sounded baffled. Of course he was keeping her on the back foot with these decisions.

"That way I'll get a date out of you. Fixed, no messing around, booked...."

Her lips twitched. "Ok, ok." Isabelle let out a breath, she knew when she was beaten. "How about a few months time?" That would give them time to get organized.

"Not good enough." Doug replied succinctly. A few months sounded vague. He wanted definite. Dates and times pinned down and confirmed.

"When then?" Obviously the devious man had a plan.

"Next month." He stated it but in reality he was fishing, and waiting to see if she would take the bait. He wasn't really going to rush her, because he wanted her to have the wedding of her dreams. But he was going to make sure they had a date set.

"Next month." Isabelle pushed out of his arms. He could not be serious! How like a man to underestimate how much effort went into planning a wedding. She knew from making arrangements for her sisters' weddings that it took a lot of planning!

"Done. I'll get it organised." Doug reached for her hand.

"I wasn't agreeing!" Isabelle told him in exasperation, as she tried to pull away. She knew when she was played. And if he thought he could use this strategy then he was going to find out he was sadly mistaken! "I was..."

"We are getting married." Doug tugged her to sit back down on his lap. He waited wanting to see whether she would capitulate to such a tight timeline "OK?" He wasn't looking for a long lead up, heaps of preparations and lots of fuss. He hoped she wasn't looking for that either. But he was also willing to give her as long as she needed to make arrangements. All he wanted was a date to be confirmed.

Isabelle wasn't sure whether she was making a rod for her own back. But she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "On one condition." One month was ridiculous but if it was important to him, then she was sure she'd find a way to manage.

"One condition?" Doug mumbled against her ear. He was expecting her to negotiate the date. No doubt she was going to ask for more than one month to get ready. Which if he was honest, wasn't really a problem, for he'd only really proposed eloping to get her to set a date! And though he'd pushed for a month, that timeline was not a big issue. As long as she agreed to marry him and gave him a date!

"I'd like my sisters, and grandmother and Godmother and her husband, and Cara to be there."

Doug smiled in relief. "Ok, family and..."

"I don't want the date to get out." Isabelle sighed. "It will be a media circus."

"No, it won't" Doug twirled a lock of hair, "Your family are good at keeping secrets. My gran, Ryan, Charlie, Jared Caitlin, Jared, his wife Caitlin, and Ailsa and a couple of close friends. Rhianna, Jethro." Doug smiled. "We can do this." He brushed his lips against hers. He smiled at her. "And I wasn't serious about eloping or about the month. I just wanted a date set!" Isabelle wondered whether to push her luck. "I love you." He breathed against her lips.