Page 68 of Lady of Charade
CHAPTER29
Sarah could hardly believe her eyes. David was here, onTheMarjorie? How he had even known where to find her, she had no idea. And now he was on the ship, which had set sail but moments ago. She could hardly process everything as he crossed the deck to her, taking her hands in his.
“Sarah, thank goodness I found you,” he said with a sigh.
“David, the ship is leaving!” she exclaimed, looking back at the shore, which was beginning to recede into the distance.
He shrugged. “I do not altogether care — not as long as you are aboard. Now, had I been tricked, as I initially thought I was—”
The captain snorted behind him, and David turned a glare upon him before returning to Sarah.
“I do not suppose there is somewhere we could go where we could be… alone?”
“Not really,” the captain said behind them, clearly enjoying their exchange. David sighed in acceptance of his presence.
“Sarah, you cannot leave England — not yet.”
“Whyever not?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She wanted to be angry with him for following her, but the truth was she couldn’t help the relief that flooded through her at the realization that he was here, that she had another chance to see him, despite how angry and upset she was.
“Because Torrington—” he began but then shook his head. “No. No matter what Torrington said, I would be here regardless, pleading with you to remain.”
He paused, looking down and then up at her again, desperation within his wide eyes.
“Because I love you. Truly I do, they are not just words, Sarah. This is my soul speaking to you.”
“You… you love me?” she repeated, her words just above a whisper, and he nodded, leaning into her, his forehead coming to touch hers so that only she could hear what he had to say.
“I love you with more strength than anything I’ve ever felt before,” he said, searching his mind for the right words. He was far from any poet, and he was well aware that his charm typically stemmed from his physical appeal — he could smile and wink like the best of them, knew all of the lines to attract a woman. But that was not what would convince Miss Sarah Jones of his true feelings.
“Sarah…” he began, struggling but persisting. “Before I met you, I was certainly not a man any would recommend any reputable young woman to tie her name to. I’ve been irresponsible — foolish, really, in my acceptance of my role as a rake. Sure, I had my fun, but I’m also aware now I likely hurt more women than I made happy. The truth is, I really didn’t care about anything — I didn’t think there was anyone or anything to care about. In turn, I had no real relationships, no one who truly cared for me. Hell, I was gone for three days and no one even noticed!”
As though she sensed his need to say all he had planned, she simply held onto his hands as he spoke, her steady, even gaze upon him.
He took a deep breath.
“And then there was you. You who took care of me, who gave me more of yourself than I ever deserved. You had faith in me when I had no faith in myself. You shared your secrets with me, gave me your heart and your thoughts. I appreciated that more than you could ever know. I just… didn’t use the right words to tell you how much you meant to me.”
He closed his eyes tightly before opening them and fixing them upon hers. His green stare warmed her to her very soul, and Sarah mused that she could spend the rest of her life lost in the depths of those eyes.
“Sarah, I know you hate London. I understand that. It’s where my life is at the moment, but it doesn’t have to be. I have nothing holding me there. I can go anywhere in the world you wish to go. We can live in the English countryside. I can’t promise it will be much as I have no idea what my father will allow me after the breaking off of my apparent engagement to Lady Georgina, but I will find a way to work, whatever that may be. We can live in another country. We can sail all the way to America, if that is where your heart is. For my heart is with you, and, as long as you accept it, that’s where it will follow.”
Her eyes began to water now until tears slid down her cheeks, which he reached out and caught with his index finger.
“Don’t cry, Sarah,” he pleaded. “Please don’t cry.”
“These are happy tears,” she whispered, and that seemed to somewhat relieve him. “I am so sorry, David, for everything I was upset with you about, for what I accused you of. Instead of being angry with you, not trusting you, I should have simply asked as to whether or not you were truly going to marry Lady Georgina. I should have known you well enough to be aware that you would not willingly enter into marriage, especially to a woman chosen by your parents.”
She laughed through her tears at that, and David managed a slightly chastised smile.
“Fair point,” he said.
“I was so upset, I let all that I felt cloud my judgment — as well as the feelings I held for you,” she said. “Just now I was looking out over the river beginning to retreat behind us, and all I could think of was the fact that you were out there, somewhere, with no idea as to where I was or where I was going, and we would never see one another again. And I knew then, that my heart was out there, walking around with you. I was so disappointed in what I felt were the ultimate betrayals on all sides that I acted rashly and nearly lost everything.”
“So… does that mean you love me too?”
“Oh, David, I love you more than anything in this entire world, and yes… I will stay with you. You are home now,” she said with a choked sob, and he picked her up and kissed her soundly, twirling her around the deck as he did so, much to the enjoyment of the crew and the few others on board who applauded them and emitted some hoots and hollers.
When he finally released her, she kept her arms about his neck as she looked up at him.
