Page 42 of A Lady's Beloved Novelist
“I was pleased that you asked me,” Andrea said. “Though, I must ask, are you sure that you are not too tired this morning?”
“Me?” Cecil’s eyes widened suddenly before he averted his gaze down to the gravel path that they were following. “No, no, I am…I am just…I am a little tired.”
Andrea found his response a little strange, he was unable to meet her eye as he spoke. She wanted to lean in and fix the collar of his shirt, which was incredibly creased, but stopped herself.
Andrea eventually spoke up, “That is all right, we can go walking another time, if you would like?”
“No,” Cecil said too quickly. “No thank you, I am fine. I was just…I was up late because I was thinking about something very important.”
She did not like that she was not sure if he was telling the truth or not. Andrea could recall people talking about Cecil being out at taverns and drinking until late. She wondered if that was really what had happened.
“What could be so important?” Andrea asked, laughing nervously. Cecil was shifting uncomfortably next to her.
“Well, it is quite a big question to ask, but to me, it feels right,” he began before pausing for a moment to clear his throat. “I want to ask for your hand in marriage.”
Andrea blinked a few times as she realised what was happening.
“You do?”
“I think I can speak for us both when I say that I feel something growing between us. I want to pursue it, and I want it to work. I feel that it is easy to talk with you, and I hope you feel the same.”
Andrea was at a complete loss for words.
“I know, it is quite sudden.” Cecil laughed and shook his head. “I do not expect you to say yes, though I would like it very much.”
“I would like to marry you,” Andrea said before she could consider it too much. She could feel her heart racing and her mind flashing images of James before her, but she simply tried to block it all out.
“Really?” His eyes lit up and a smile worked its way onto his face. “Oh, I am so relieved.”
Cecil stopped walking and took her hands in his. Andrea remembered what Lily had said only a few days before, her hesitation had been filled with such confidence. She could not understand where it came from. Cecil appeared to have honourable intentions, and he appeared genuinely pleased that she was going to marry him.
“I do have one request though,” Andrea spoke up. She watched his smile falter slightly. “I would like to wait a time and get to know you more. We will have lots of time to plan the wedding, but this way we can still court and grow our affections for one another.”
Cecil’s eyes narrowed, though he was still trying to keep his expression light.
“How long would you like to wait?”
“I would like to be wed in the autumn time,” Andrea said.
“Of course.” Cecil nodded suddenly.
She was shocked by how compliant he was being. Andrea had expected she was going to have to argue her case for why she wanted to wait so long, but it appeared as though she was going to have no such need for it.
“Really?” she asked.
“I am willing to wait for you,” he said. “I want to be the one to marry you, and for that, I would wait as long as you want me to.”
It was the reassurance that Andrea had been needing to hear.
“This has made me so pleased,” she admitted, unable to keep the smile from her face.
Whilst she would not yet call it love, she did believe she could develop deeper feelings for the man before her. Of course, she knew that she could be marrying for better reasons. But Andrea did not have the luxury of waiting for that anymore. She had to do what needed to be done in order to escape spinstership for the rest of her life. “I am looking forward to learning more about you, Cecil.”
“As am I,” he said before nodding to her.
“I would love to hear more about your travels and what made you want to go out and seek such adventures. Also, we are engaged yet I have not met your parents!”
“There will be no need for that,” Cecil stammered quickly.
