Page 49 of A Dash of Scot
“Is she friends with Lucia? Maybe she wants to see you happy and believes the union would do that.”
Her willingness to see the good in people was one of the reasons Dougal adored her. “That is verra charitable of ye to say.”
“Which part? That Lucia would make you happy or that Mary wants it for you?”
“All of it.” Dougal let out a long sigh. “Whatever Mary’s reasons are, Lucia is no’ going to make me happy.” He stopped walking then, turning and taking her hands in his. She didn’t pull away. “No’ when I’m in love with someone else.”
Poppy’s eyes widened. “Who?”
“Oh, dear heavens, woman, ye.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her eyes glistening as she blinked. “You love me?”
“I have from the moment I met ye. And I’m ashamed it has taken me so long to say it. I was scared. Afraid I wasna going to live up to what ye deserve in a man, a husband. And I ran. I ran from ye, I ran from a future with ye, and I ran from my own happiness.”
“You love me,” she said again, but this time it wasn’t a question. “All this time.”
“Aye.”
She laughed softly. “You really are an idiot.”
Dougal was stunned by her words until he saw the spark of mischief in her eyes. “Perhaps I am, but this idiot has fallen completely head over heels for ye.”
Her laughter died down, and she gave him a serious look. “I’d be an idiot to marry an idiot.”
“Ye’re the smartest woman I’ve ever met.”
“Alas, it’s true. I do have a brain, though it’s currently turned to mush.”
Dougal dropped to his knees, her hands still clasped in his. “Poppy Featherstone, will ye do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She pursed her lips, eyeing him. “By what birthday? Thirty-nine?
“Today, right now.”
She laughed. “Oh no, you’ll not get out of this so easily.”
“No?”
“I have lived the last year thinking I did something wrong. Then you came waltzing back into my life, and I thought maybe you’d changed your mind, only to find out you were engaged to another.” For all she was saying, she didn’t let go of his hands, and Dougal took that as a good sign as he listened. “It’s going to take a lot more than you getting on your knees for me to say yes. Although, I will say, I do rather like seeing you in this position.”
Dougal bit back a laugh, knowing this moment, though she’d added a tease, called for sincerity. “Anything. What do I have to do to prove to ye that I’m here, for ye, always?”
Poppy straightened her shoulders as she made her request. “I want to be wooed.”
“I will woo ye until the end of our days together.”
“Courted.”
“I will never stop courting ye because even when we say I do, I want to win your affections every day that I’m lucky to call ye mine.”
“My, you’re good at this.” Her lips curled. “I want to feel…”
“Important?”
“Desired.”
Dougal stood then, tugging her toward him, holding her hands to his chest. “Poppy, I desire ye more than any woman I’ve ever encountered. Ye are exquisite. Your lips have the flavor of strawberry iced cream. So delicious that I could never desire to stray. I’ve no’ kissed another since the moment I kissed ye in the gardens last year.”
