Page 80 of Refining the Debutante
“No, not at all.” A knowing smile came to her lips. “I fully support you.”
“You do? I mean, I am so glad to hear it. I thought you would be angry. And... and I would not blame you for a moment.”
“Why would I be angry?” Miranda furrowed her brow.
Ethan took several steps toward her. “Because of the awful things I once said to you, only to have a change of heart.”
Miranda processed his words not once but twice. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Suddenly, her breath was in short supply. “Change of heart?” The question came out significantly louder than she’d intended it to.
Ethan gaped back at her. “Ah, er, I thought that was what we were talking about.”
Miranda shook her head violently. “I was speaking of you helping the starving farmers, which I ardently approve of.”
Ethan pulled at his cravat, turning the knot to face his shoulder. “Starving farmers? Yes, I am hoping to, ah, help them.”
Miranda clasped her now-trembling hands in front of her. “And... and then you will...”
“Marry,” Ethan said abruptly. “That is, I hope to marry.”
“Oh?” Miranda asked, feeling her courage mount. “Miss Withers?” She said the name breathlessly.
“No, not Miss Withers,” Ethan said, stepping closer until he was but a foot away. His gaze fell to the exposed wood arm of the settee she had been sitting on, and he reached out and ran his finger along it. “We spoke the day before yesterday and mutually agreed not to pursue an alliance.”
She could hardly believe such miraculous news. She attempted to process what it meant for her, but Ethan was too near for her to think straight. “Truly?”
“We were not quite matched.”
She agreed. In fact, she was surprised she hadn’t seen it all along. There was only one woman for Ethan Roderick. “You must have a plan to marry someone else, then. You always have a plan.”
Ethan finally looked up and met her gaze. “I want to make plans.” He paused. “I want to make them with you.”
She could barely breathe. His smell intoxicated her. She nervously reached forward and straightened his cravat. She had wanted to do that for the longest time. “I might have a fit of jealousy and be unkind. Would you change your mind about me again?”
Ethan grinned. “I’ll have you know I have been insanely jealous of Captain Grant. I think I can stand a jealous wife now and then.” His hands found their way to her waist. “My love for you is stronger than it was before. There is no changing my mind.”
She could see no indecision in his eyes or posture. His words were sure, like his character. “I saved the muddy gown I wore in Folkestone. I promise to wear it often so you will not worry about my vanity.”
Ethan slid his hands up along her arms and rested them on her cheeks, cradling her face. “You could wear rags, and I would still find you enchantingly beautiful. Or you could dress like a queen, and I would worship you as your faithful, passionate servant.”
Miranda melted against his touch, and her whole world shifted. Surely this could not be possible. “I had no idea you cared so much.”
“Do you care for me?” Ethan’s brown eyes were pools of vulnerability.
She nodded. “Can you not see how your touch affects me? You have had my heart since the moment I met you.”
Her words were an invitation, and Ethan pulled her close. One of his arms wrapped around her back, and the other slipped down to her neck. He dipped his head, and their lips met—his soft and tender against hers. He loved her. He finally loved her. How she had longed for this. She had kissed him a thousand times in her mind, but this was real. His mouth moved around hers, deepening their kiss. She stood on her tiptoes, letting him hold her up. All the worries of the world faded away. He was warm and wonderful, and new hope seemed to spring up between them.
Ethan broke free for a moment and smiled like a boy on Twelfth Night. “That... was worth waiting for.” Miranda grinned. He captured her mouth once more, stirring her with his heartfelt embrace. When he pulled back the second time, his smile faded and his expression turned serious. “If I had simply discussed my concerns in a more open manner, perhaps together, we could have worked through our problems.”
Miranda put her finger to his lips. Their differences had shaped them into people who fit together as nicely as two pieces of a puzzle. She could not wish away their year of challenges, because it had made this moment possible. “Only look back to see how far we have come.”
Ethan studied her, his fingers playing with the curls by her face. “I’ll have only to look at you to know it was worth enduring it all. My future will be bright with you in it.” He bent down as if to kiss her once more. “Our future,” he added, grazing his lips against hers.
“I rather like the sound of that.”
Ethan grinned. “I will have to make a list of people I want to tell. I think everyone in the entire world should know how happy I am this very moment.”
Miranda giggled. “Your parents are not going to like this at all. We should caution ourselves until we speak with them.”
