Page 96 of A Gentleman's Guide to Save a Lady
Belle stilled.
Surely he could not mean…
She shook her head. “Simon—”
“Is that your only reservation?”
“—you say that now, but you are anearl. I cannot sire you an heir.”
“I. Don’t. Care.”
“You will,” Belle pressed. “Perhaps not now, but one day you will come to discover the cost of your sacrifice and you will resent me for it.”
“I could never resent you. Iloveyou. Do you know what that means?Unconditionally. I’ve fallen madly in love with you. I’m starved for you, I cannot breathe without you.”
Belle took a step back, breaking the contact between them, shaking her head in denial.
Love—the reason that crushed all reasons.
It could not be as simple as that, could it?
“Do you love me, Belle? Or do you just love those damn lemon cakes of yours?” The last was growled on a sour note, causing hysterical laughter to erupt from her.
They stared at each other in silence, Belle contemplative as Simon watched her with weariness. Nothing remained but the truth. She’d come this far, hadn’t she?
“I do love you, more than I love those damn lemon cakes.”
“Thank God!” Simon replied, his voice hoarse with emotion as he hauled her into his embrace and pulled her tightly against him. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“Again.”
Belle shook her head in exasperation. “But Simon—”
He silenced her with a soft kiss, sensing her inner turmoil. “I don’t care about any of that, sweet.”
She felt the tears falling down her cheeks, then. Simply overwhelmed.
“Hell,” Simon continued, “We’ve kidnapped members of the ton, surely we can disappear for a few months to steal a baby.”
Belle laughed, wiping at her tears. “Steal a baby?”
“Or adopt, whichever you prefer.”
Hope blossomed in her heart. “But it must be a boy, heir and all that,” she teased back.
His hand came to rest on her cheeks, hisgreen eyes bright with love, “So you will marry me, Belle? Without me having to chain you to my side?”
Belle nodded, not certain she could say the word “yes” without bawling all over him. “You are hopeless, do you know that?”
“Only when it comes to you, my love. Usually, I’m just boorish.”
Belle choked back a laugh. “So you finally admit you are a bore. It’s about time.”
They stood there grinning at one another when someone started to clap, a slow rhythmic sound.
“How very charming.”
