Page 74 of An Arranged Marriage with a Cruel Earl
“Of course, my lady,” Andrew agreed at once. They had ridden with Neville back to his estate and so they had the house to themselves for the morning. Lady Rilendale had departed for tea, and the seamstress was only visiting at two o’clock in the afternoon. Emmeline’s heart thumped with joy. Despite the fact that she had lived in Rilendale for several weeks, it was one of the first times they had been alone in the house.
Andrew smiled at her, his eyes sparkling. Her heart thudded rapidly, and she could barely think as they made their way to the drawing room together.
Andrew settled on the chaise-longue, and Emmeline sat down beside him. He held her in his arms as he had that night when they were rescued, cradling her against him. She rested her head on his chest, hearing the reassuring thump of his heartbeat.
“It feels good to hold you thus,” Andrew murmured. His voice was resonant and low, and it burred under her ear. She smiled and nestled closer.
“It feels good to me,” she agreed, wrapping her arms around him, and holding him close.
Andrew kissed her hair, and she closed her eyes. “You know, I loved you from the moment I saw you,” he said softly. “I just didn’t know it for a long time.” She could hear he was smiling; his voice had a rich warmth.
“I was scared of you at first,” Emmeline admitted. “But it did not take me long to consider that I must be mistaken. You are very dear, you know. Aloof sometimes, but very dear.”
Andrew chuckled. “Aloof?”
“Yes,” Emmeline teased. “Very, sometimes. But I can’t help loving it.”
She saw his eyes widen with surprise and her heart lifted as he cleared his throat. “I cannot help loving you either, Lady Rilendale,” he told her warmly. “I love you so much. Your ready wit, your humour, your sharp tongue, and your wisdom. I love all of you.”
Emmeline squeezed her eyes against tears, recalling what her father had said—that the world needed her as she was. She had learned that; and had learned that only when she was truly herself was all of her world in perfect harmony. She nestled close to Andrew and kissed his cheek.
“I love you too, Andrew,” she murmured. “I love your quietness and your strength. Your aloofness,” she paused and grinned, “and your wisdom. I love all of you.”
He gazed into her eyes, and she smiled back, and he leaned forward and kissed her.
Longing surged through her, and she clung to him, and his grip grew harder on her and she smiled, knowing that not only did they have the house to themselves for a few hours, but they would have it to themselves for at least a few hours every day, for the rest of their lives. She would always be by Andrew’s side, and he would always be with her. She had found the love she had never even dreamed of, and it had all come to her when she found the courage to be herself at last.
She squeezed Andrew tight, and he held her close, and the sunlight shone warmly on them, bathing them in its radiant light.
She knew she had never been so happy.
