Page 50 of One Night of Surrender
She looked up at him, her eyes alight with…something.“Perfect.”
“You shouldn’t be here.This is highly—”
“Scandalous, yes.But if my suspicions are correct, it won’t matter.”She shrugged.“Even if they aren’t, it doesn’t matter.”She straightened and looked him in the eye.“I came to tell you that I love you.”
Joy unfurled in his chest, but it was checked by a sliver of…disappointment?“I wanted to say it first.”
Her eyes widened briefly, and she covered her mouth to stifle a short laugh.“I beg your pardon?”
“I love you, Isabelle.I always have, even when I should have let you go.”He winced, then turned his attention from her, gazing into the flames in the grate while he pushed his hand through his hair.
She touched his sleeve.“What do you mean?”
He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back, her palm, her wrist.Then he looked at her once more.“I was a terrible husband to my first wife.Viola told you what she was like, but I think she was just trying to gain my attention.All she wanted was for me to love her, and I couldn’t.”
She cupped the side of his face.“My darling, I am sure you tried.I tried to love my husband too, and he didn’t particularly care.You’ve no way to know how things might have been.We can only accept the way things were and are.Please accept that I love you more than anything.”
Her words made his soul take flight.“More than your independence?”
“I feel confident you will allow me a measure of independence most duchesses do not enjoy.”
“You know me very well.What of your occupation?You love teaching.”
“Actually, I find I love being a librarian even more.Would it be scandalous if I started a circulating library?”
“I can’t say that I care.”He began to remove the pins holding her bandeau in place.“Besides, you’ve established a level of scandal by coming here tonight that a circulating library cannot remotely touch.”
She laughed again, a low, gorgeous sound that filled him with love and hope and joy.And desire.
He froze.“Does my grandmother know you’re here?”
“No, but Viola does.She’s covering for me.Your sister is a devious strategist.”
“Thankfully, in this case, she’s used her power for good.”He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.“To answer your question from earlier, if, in fact, it was a question, my proposal of marriage still stands, though the idea of making you my mistress holds a wicked appeal.”
She twined her arms around his neck.“Does it?Well then, perhaps I should be your mistress—at least for one night.”
He laughed softly.“Seems like we’ve done that before.”
“Not formally.”
“No, not formally.We’ve never done anything formally.”And he wanted to.She deserved that and so much more.He dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands on her waist.“Isabelle, will you do me the very great honor of becoming my duchess?”
“Before I say yes, and I desperately want to say yes, what of my inability to have children?”
“To that I say, time will tell.If we are not blessed with a child, I will never regret marrying you.Can you say the same?”He held his breath awaiting her answer, and thankfully, she was quick.
“Yes.To both questions.”She touched his cheek.“How did I get so lucky?”she whispered.
He saw the tears in her eyes and hoped they were from happiness.“I know you never wanted this, but I promise I will make all your dreams come true.”
She nodded, smiling broadly, and he knew she was as happy as he was.“You already have.Now stand up and kiss me.”
He did.
EPILOGUE
“This is hardly fair,” Colehaven complained as champagne was distributed around the drawing room.“You just had to marry before me.Again.”
