Page 57 of A Christmas Miracle for the Frosty Marquess
But even amidst his internal uncertainty, there was the hope that she might reciprocate his feelings. He held his breath, watching the cool air forming little puffs of mist in front of Clara. She looked surprised, but there was something else in her eyes. Julian stared intently at them, longing to hear her say that she loved him, as well.
Chapter Twenty-five
Under the soft glow of moonlight, Clara's breath caught as Julian's words sank in. She wouldn’t have believed what he had said if she hadn’t heard it for herself. The surprise was so profound that she found herself unable to speak.Surely, he did not just tell me that he loves me,she thought, trying to regain her senses. As soon as she had the thought, it made perfect sense to her. She had simply misheard or misunderstood him. That was the only explanation. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she opened her mouth to try to speak. But before she could, Julian spoke again.
"I love you, Clara," he said in a deep murmur that made her heart start racing all over again.
She blinked in stunned disbelief, her mouth falling open in quiet shock. The silver light streaming from the heavens painted his features, accentuating the sparkle in his bright blue eyes. They shone brightly, reminding her of moonbeams on a frozen lake. Clara’s face flushed. She hadn’t misheard him which sent her heart into another wild frenzy. She stared at him, dumbfounded, studying his face with great care.
Just days prior, she had seen a man who wanted less to do with her than a perfect stranger plucked right from the street would. But now, what she saw was a man who looked exactly like the young Julian she had known, the young man who had teased her and chased her through the rose gardens.
Gone was the confident, unyielding man she had come to know in the brief time since their betrothal. Instead, before her stood a figure who, with just one gentle, timid smile looked just like the young boy she had played with in the gardens of their adjoining estates. The Julian she remembered chasing after butterflies, and the one who would pretend not to notice when she would secretly watch him from her bedroom window.
Clara felt an overwhelming warmth in her chest. As their gazes locked, her heart thrummed, each beat echoing a silent promise, an unspoken connection that needed no words. In that very moment, the emotions that reflected in his eyes were so genuine and pure that they made the twinkling stars overhead dim in comparison.
"You must think me foolish," Julian said, breaking their silent exchange. He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I never thought I'd be baring my soul like this to you. I never expected to have such feelings, especially with all the grief since my mother’s passing. I am pleased that I was mistaken. But I must admit that I feel very exposed and nervous now, as I do not know if you feel the same."
She searched his eyes for any signs of deception or determined duty. But to Clara, he had never looked more genuine. Stripped of the stoic façade, Julian was vulnerable, his emotions raw and exposed. This was the Julian she had not known she longed for. It was the Julian who had transformed from a mere obligation of marriage to someone who had unwittingly captured her heart.
"Julian," she said shakily. "What has made you change your mind so suddenly? Why is it that you are saying these things to me?"
She immediately regretted the question, cursing herself for not professing her feelings to him, as well. But she needed to know for sure that his words were genuine, that he wasn’t just saying them because he felt it necessary to do so.
Julian understood her concern. He gave her a sheepish smile and squeezed her hand. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"Because, Clara, amidst my terrible pain, you were the most healing and soothing balm,” he said. “Initially, the idea of our union was nothing more than an obligation. But as the days passed and I spent more time with you, I found solace in our conversations, in your grace and kindness, even in the face of my hardened disposition. And before I knew it, it wasn't obligation that drew me to you, but a profound affection, one I cannot deny."
Tears welled up in Clara's eyes, and the weight of his words held her captive. How could she have been so blind to the depth of his feelings? She had questioned the changes in his demeanor around her. But she had never truly considered that he might truly be feeling for her the way she felt for him. And as the reality dawned upon her, she too was swept up in the realization of her own emotions.
Clara took a tentative step forward, willing her mouth to open.
"Julian," she said. But words failed her once more. The surprise and the overwhelming emotion rendered her mute. But sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. And in that serene moment under the moonlit night, she knew that their hearts had found each other, even when she had believed the feat to be impossible. So, why was she struggling so much to respond to the man she loved?
She stood in the moonlight, feeling as though the world had stilled, every sound and sensation hushed, awaiting Julian's next move. His admission of love was a shock, but the ring he now held in his hand was beyond anything she could have ever expected.
The moonlight caught the emerald set in its center, making it twinkle in the radiant beams.
"My mother always said she wanted me to have this ring," he said with a tremor as he examined the ring. "She said she wanted me to have it for the day that I found my true love. And I believe that I have."
Clara's heart thundered in her chest, a mix of joy and surprise making her head spin. The significance of this moment was not lost on her. The heirloom, with its deep history and value, symbolized Julian's trust, respect, and undying love for her. She had once thought it impossible. But now, she could not deny that Julian, the man she had loved for much of her life, loved her in return. She, too, had dreaded their forced union. But in the days she had spent with Julian, she had come to realize that her old feelings for him had never truly died.
She reached out, her fingers trembling, taking the ring from Julian. As it slid onto her finger, it wasn’t just the cold gold metal she felt, but a warmth that radiated from within, binding them together. The ring, beautiful and timeless, seemed to pale in comparison to the profound sense of belonging it instilled in her heart.
"I love you, Julian," Clara said at last, finally acknowledging the depth of her feelings. The words hung in the air, raw and sincere.
Julian's eyes, blue and shimmering in the moonlight, matched the sparkle of the ring, revealing his own overwhelming joy. They mirrored his soul, clear and open for her to see, filled with hope and love.
“Truly?” he asked, his own voice cracking, sounding much like the preteen boy she had once known.
Clara nodded, taking a moment to collect herself before she spoke again. It was her turn to confess her feelings, and she wanted to do it right.
“Truly,” she said. “Julian, I have loved you for a very long time. I gave up on the idea of sharing such a powerful love with you when we were young. But since our betrothal, I have realised that my heart only ever belonged to you. I didn’t dare hope that you felt the same way about me, but to know that you do is a bliss I didn’t know could exist on this earthly plane.”
Julian’s smile immediately competed with the brilliance of the moonlight. Clara saw that he, too, had tears in his eyes, and he blinked them away and sighed.
“I feel the same, Clara,” he said.
As a tear of happiness slid down Clara's cheek, Julian closed the distance between them, his fingers gently tilting her chin up.
