Page 60 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
Gemma gasped at his question, wondering if she heard him correctly.
“What?” she muttered, utterly confused.
“You gave me your virtue, and I do not want your reputation to be ruined. It only makes sense for us to wed,” Gabriel explained.
Gemma stood there shocked and heartbroken. The garden’s tranquility was disrupted by the weight of Gabriel’s words.
“But do youwantto marry me, Gabriel? To love and to cherish me all of our days?” Gemma asked.
Gabriel paused and that was enough for Gemma. He didn’t want her. He was doing his duty. She walked away from Gabriel, back into the manor, still holding the rose. The softness of the rose in her hand was a stark contrast to the harsh reality she now faced.
As she walked back to her bed chamber, she wondered if she could agree to a marriage proposal that seemed more a calculated solution than a sincere offer of love?
Deep down, it pained Gemma, as she had fallen madly in love with Gabriel.
She truly wanted to marry him but only if he wanted her as well. She didn’t care about her reputation at that moment. Gemma only wanted Gabriel to love her as she loved him.
***
Gabriel stood in the garden, stunned, wondering what he had done wrong. He knew proposing was the correct path to take but maybe he had gone about it the wrong way.
At that moment, it felt right. He though with the rose he understood what she meant and what he had meant but apparently, he hadn’t been forward enough. He had regretted letting his passion for Gemma get the best of him and worried about the potential aftermath of their intimacy. If they wed, that would solve everything.
No one would question their intimacy as long as they were married.
Gabriel thought that handing Gemma a rose was romantic and, in the moment, it felt as if he was meant to propose but she had walked away from him. Leaving him in the garden with his own thoughts.
He truly wanted to marry Gemma but when she asked himthatquestion, he had no clue how to respond. At the time, it felt right to propose but as he stood there alone, he knew he had made a huge mistake.
It was a spontaneous gesture, and he didn’t have a ring. He thought the rose would make the moment romantic, and show her he loved her. Gabriel shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.
How could he have been so daft? He kept bungling things up with her. He would surely drive her into the arms of the conman.
Gemma deserved a proper proposal.
One that was planned out and romantic. Not one out of pity and guilt.
Gabriel was determined to make things right between them, but he was unsure how to go about it.
Gemma seemed rather upset and he did not want to make things worse. He worried he ruined what was growing between them, but he had to think of his next course of action.
Gabriel headed inside to his study. Once there, he sat down and thought.
He thought long and hard about what he wanted to do next. How to make it up to Gemma and give her the proposal she deserves. As he sat alone in his study, there was a knock on his door.
“Come in,” Gabriel called out.
The door opened slowly, and Gemma entered the room.
Gabriel was taken aback by her presence, but it was welcomed.
“Lady Gemma, what can I do for you?” He asked.
Gemma tilted her head to the side as she stared at him. She was silent for a moment before speaking.
“I accept your proposal,” Gemma said with a neutral look on her face. “It makes sense for us to wed, and I appreciate you asking me.”
Gabriel was stunned. He had not expected Gemma to seek him out, but he was beyond joyful.
