Page 79 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
Thomas hadn’t known that Sophia would be so anxious about that, or even that she knew the woman he had been briefly courting. But to see that she was wounded at their having been together at the dinner, he felt bad. He wished that he had made it known sooner.
Still, Sophia was willing to listen and her eyes were growing more and more prepared to hear what it was he wanted to say as he shared the news of no longer being involved with her.
“You must know how sorry I am for having run away all that time ago. I was a fool. I thought that you must love another man, that you would choose him for his station. I did not understand that it was a difficult position you were in. Perhaps I did not want to understand. Perhaps I chose ignorance out of my own foolishness,” he said.
“In truth, I never stopped loving you. I never ceased to think about you, not even for a moment. You were always the one that kept me going, even when I assumed that you had already been married to the Earl of Bastion,” he told her.
Sophia appeared emotional at his words, and Thomas felt his own throat catching as he spoke them. She looked beautiful as she stood before him and Thomas wanted to make her understand everything that he felt.
Lifting her hand to his lips, Thomas kissed it gently, daring to make his feelings known even further. He could not resist. He could not deny his love for her any longer.
“I was a fool to write you that letter. I was a fool to try all over again to push you away. And the fact that I thought any other woman might be able to help me forget my love for you was, perhaps, the greatest folly of them all,” he said.
Sophia’s eyes brimmed with tears and her smile was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. Thomas wanted to hold her, to keep her safe, to be the refuge that she had often been for him.
There were no words to tell her how he felt inside for just having this gift of being able to speak to her about everything. He wondered how he could ever make her understand what it meant to him to be there with her, to be in her presence in that moment.
“I wish for you to know that I am finished running from my feelings, Sophia. I am done trying to escape the love that I have for you. If you have moved on, if I am too late, I understand. I should never like for you to be stuck with me. But if you feel as I do, if you want a future together, know that I am more than ready. Know that I shall never run again,” Thomas promised.
“When you walked into the room this evening, there was only one thought that I was overcome by. Sophia Hastings, I want you to be my wife,” he said.
A gasp sounded from her lips and Sophia placed a gloved hand over her mouth. She was ever the sweet, delicate creature that he had loved all those years ago. She was entirely enchanting and he could scarcely help himself with how badly he wished to kiss her.
But Thomas wanted to do things right. He could not push further than what was acceptable. He could not pretend that they were already wed. He had only just expressed that desire to her.
“I would like your permission to formally court you,” he said, leaving the answer with Sophia.
Tears continued to brim within her eyes as she nodded.
“Yes,” she said through the tightening of her throat. “Yes, Thomas. Nothing in all this world should make me happier than to be courted by you and to one day be your wife.”
With those words, Thomas felt that his whole world was coming together for the first time.
He gazed into her eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that he had known for such a long time, yet had not been allowed to confess his love for her into.
Her eyes met his with the same gaze of affection. He knew that what was between them was eternal. It could never be changed. And no matter what stood in their way, their love would prevail.
“But, Thomas, I should like to speak in reply to all of these kindnesses which you have said to me,” Sophia said.
Thomas nodded, understanding that it was now her turn to share what was in her heart as she had allowed him to do. Although he still wanted to bask in her answer and in the knowledge that she was happy to be courted by him, happy for the future they would have together.
“Please, Sophia. Whatever it is you wish to say, tell me,” he said.
“I want you to know that I understand my part in all of the mess that we were in. I understand how miserable I made you,” she laughed.
“It was wrong of me to have hurt you. For even those briefest of moments that I considered the Earl of Bastion, I was terribly mistaken and I have to beg your forgiveness,” she said.
“It’s yours,” he replied in earnest.
“It was you that I truly loved all along. And while I do believe that we both knew that we loved one another, it was our selfishness and our stubbornness that got in the way. But for all the blame that I laid upon you, I fear that I was the worst,” Sophia said.
Thomas brushed his fingers along her cheek, sad that she should even consider that. He didn’t for a moment think that she was truly guilty of causing all of the issues, but he recognised that they both took the responsibility for their parts in the matter.
They had both been foolish. They had both denied the love they had for one another long enough and it had led them here. But as they stood on the balcony, Thomas knew that he was finally going to have the happiness he had long sought.
He was finally going to spend his life with Sophia.
With their hands clasped together, the two made their way back to the parlour where the others awaited them. The housekeeper grinned as she saw them pass by and Thomas nodded his head to her, but then noticed how Sophia gave such a sweet expression to the woman.
