Page 104 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
“I suppose I’ll see each of you again before I leave?” Harry ventured to ask.
“We’ll just be out in the garden,” Matilda said. Juliet’s cheeks were pink. “You can come and find us there if you’d like.”
Harry smiled. “You can count on it.”
The ladies left and pulled the door closed behind them.
Harry met Daniel’s eyes. Daniel still looked very stern, and Harry wondered whether he had any intention of saying what was on his mind. If he did mean to say it, he certainly wasn’t doing so yet. Daniel was sitting back in his chair and staring at Harry as if he expected him to say or do something offensive.
I thought he and I were all right after what happened?
He would discuss that with Daniel later, the Duke decided. For now, there were other matters that required his attention. He had come here to speak with Lewis, and Lewis was now waiting expectantly.
“Thank you for seeing me today, Lewis,” he began. “As you know, we’ve had a bit of an unconventional path leading us to this moment.”
“I should say so,” Lewis drawled. “The last I heard was that you were finished with my daughter.”
“It was a misunderstanding,” Harry said, not really wanting to go into the details about the curse and Lady Annie. Perhaps there would be a time to share those things with Juliet’s father, but right now, when he was about to ask for her hand in marriage, did not feel like that time. “And I apologize very deeply for it,” he added. “I’m sure it caused turmoil for your family, and for Lady Juliet in particular. I had no desire to cause anyone distress. The truth is that I’m in love with your daughter. All I want is to marry her and begin a life together, and I will do anything to make that dream a reality. I’m just sorry that there was so much trouble along the way.”
“Well, that’s all right.” Lewis tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “I remember what it was like to be young and in love for the first time. I suppose you do too, since you’ve been engaged before.”
“Well,” Harry said. “That was very different. My engagement to Lady Susan arose from a desire to honor my father’s wishes. I was fond of her and respected her, but I never felt for her the way I do for Lady Juliet.”
“I see.” Lewis turned to his son. “What have you to say about all of this?”
“Me? I don’t have anything to say.”
“You look a bit put out,” Lewis noted.
“As long as Juliet is happy, I have no complaints,” Daniel said.
“And do you think she’s happy?”
“I think she is. She says she is.”
Harry was relieved to see Daniel taking his side. He knew his friend had been under no obligation to do any such thing.
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“Well, don’t thank me.” Daniel narrowed his eyes at Harry. “I’ve done nothing but speak the truth in all of this, which is more than I can say for some.”
Lewis frowned at the pointed remark. “What is he talking about?”
Harry stared at Daniel. Was he really going to reveal the truth right here and now, with his father looking on? That would ruin everything.
Daniel closed his eyes briefly. “I only meant to refer to the misunderstanding between Harry and Juliet,” he said. “I only meant to point out that if everyone was always completely honest about their feelings, as they ought to be, such misunderstandings wouldn’t happen.”
“Very true,” Lewis agreed.
Harry nodded. He was just grateful that Daniel had apparently decided against telling his father everything that had happened. “I’ll certainly be much more careful in the future,” he said. “I’m very aware of the fact that I almost ruined everything, that I could easily have lost Lady Juliet. I’m not willing to risk that. Every day of the rest of our lives, she will know exactly how much she means to me, and I make that promise to both of you.”
Lewis smiled. “That’s a difficult thing to say no to.”
“I know you already know my purpose in coming here,” Harry said. “But I’ll say it to you anyway, if I may.”
“Of course.”
“I’d like your permission to marry Lady Juliet,” Harry stated. “She means the world to me, and with your consent, Lewis, I would like to begin our engagement here and now, and say our vows as soon as we possibly can. I have spent too much time waiting for happiness believing I would never find it, and now I’m finished waiting. Say you’ll permit me to marry your daughter.”
