and the magistrate. Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of exhaustion, he dropped into an ugly carved chair near the end of the hall.
It wasn’t me, he thought with relief. It was at once joyous and heartbreaking. All those years of guilt. All that time he’d wasted in self-flagellation over something he hadn’t even done.
And now, he wondered. What now? He leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. What if the scandal that was sure to follow this incident with Tretham proved too much for her to bear? She’d finally emerged from the cloud of scrutiny brought on by James’ untimely death so many years ago. Was she ready to endure another round in the public eye? Would linking her name with his prove too much for even a woman with Portia’s strength of will?
“Here you are.”
He hadn’t heard her approach, but now that she stood before him, Tony had to willfully restrain himself from reaching out to take her in his arms.
Unaware of his struggle, however, Portia simply lowered herself into his lap and hugged him tightly to her.
“I am so relieved you weren’t hurt,” she whispered. “If Tretham had taken you away from me as well…” She did not finish the thought, but they both knew what she was thinking.
“Your mama will be scandalized if she finds you like this,” Tony said, though he made no move to eject her from his lap.
“I can manage my mother,” Portia said without remorse, kissing him on the nose. “Besides, it is perfectly unexceptionable for engaged couples to--”
Tony felt his heart soar. “What did you say?” he interrupted.
Her eyes fell. “Well, I thought perhaps that now Tretham has been caught, and your name has been cleared I might think about making an honest man of you.” Her words were playful, but the gaze she turned on him was deadly serious.
“Anthony,” she said carefully, “I know I said before that I couldn’t bear any more scandal, but that was less about fear of scandal, than fear of, well, you.”
“Me?” He frowned. “Why would you be frightened of me?”
Portia hid her face in his neck and held on to him tighter.
“Because I suspect, or rather, I know, that you are my destiny. And when you didn’t come for me all week I almost went mad with fear that you would simply pack your bags and leave London straightaway rather than link yourself to the family that has caused you nothing but trouble since you first met us.”
She felt his chest rumble and thought perhaps he was shaking with anger. But the sound that emanated from him sounded oddly like…a laugh?
“Portia.” When she looked up Tony’s green eyes were bright with mirth. “I was just sitting here thinking you wouldn’t want to ally yourself with me, for precisely the same reason.”
“You were?” She looked at him with suspicion.
“I was.”
“Then you could perhaps be persuaded to marry me?”
His lips quirked. “Depends on your methods of persuasion.”
After several minutes of negotiations, they came to a most amicable agreement.
Epilogue
“You aren’t falling asleep are you?” Portia, Countess of Leighton, asked her husband from within the shelter of his arms.
For their first anniversary he’d insisted that they visit the place where they’d had their first kiss. The dark walk at Vauxhall.
“Darling, how could you ask such a thing?” Tony asked, his lips pressed against her neck. She felt his body tense as he tried and failed to stifle a yawn. “Though if I were to close my eyes for a mere moment,” he said sleepily, “there would surely be no shame in it. I worked hard for that last one.”
“You work hard for all of them,” Portia whispered, kissing him fully on the mouth. Though her gown was draped respectably over the parts of them joined together, anyone stumbling upon them would have little trouble guessing what the couple had been up to.
“Must we go back?” Portia asked against his mouth. “Let’s just live here on the dark walk from now
It wasn’t me, he thought with relief. It was at once joyous and heartbreaking. All those years of guilt. All that time he’d wasted in self-flagellation over something he hadn’t even done.
And now, he wondered. What now? He leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. What if the scandal that was sure to follow this incident with Tretham proved too much for her to bear? She’d finally emerged from the cloud of scrutiny brought on by James’ untimely death so many years ago. Was she ready to endure another round in the public eye? Would linking her name with his prove too much for even a woman with Portia’s strength of will?
“Here you are.”
He hadn’t heard her approach, but now that she stood before him, Tony had to willfully restrain himself from reaching out to take her in his arms.
Unaware of his struggle, however, Portia simply lowered herself into his lap and hugged him tightly to her.
“I am so relieved you weren’t hurt,” she whispered. “If Tretham had taken you away from me as well…” She did not finish the thought, but they both knew what she was thinking.
“Your mama will be scandalized if she finds you like this,” Tony said, though he made no move to eject her from his lap.
“I can manage my mother,” Portia said without remorse, kissing him on the nose. “Besides, it is perfectly unexceptionable for engaged couples to--”
Tony felt his heart soar. “What did you say?” he interrupted.
Her eyes fell. “Well, I thought perhaps that now Tretham has been caught, and your name has been cleared I might think about making an honest man of you.” Her words were playful, but the gaze she turned on him was deadly serious.
“Anthony,” she said carefully, “I know I said before that I couldn’t bear any more scandal, but that was less about fear of scandal, than fear of, well, you.”
“Me?” He frowned. “Why would you be frightened of me?”
Portia hid her face in his neck and held on to him tighter.
“Because I suspect, or rather, I know, that you are my destiny. And when you didn’t come for me all week I almost went mad with fear that you would simply pack your bags and leave London straightaway rather than link yourself to the family that has caused you nothing but trouble since you first met us.”
She felt his chest rumble and thought perhaps he was shaking with anger. But the sound that emanated from him sounded oddly like…a laugh?
“Portia.” When she looked up Tony’s green eyes were bright with mirth. “I was just sitting here thinking you wouldn’t want to ally yourself with me, for precisely the same reason.”
“You were?” She looked at him with suspicion.
“I was.”
“Then you could perhaps be persuaded to marry me?”
His lips quirked. “Depends on your methods of persuasion.”
After several minutes of negotiations, they came to a most amicable agreement.
Epilogue
“You aren’t falling asleep are you?” Portia, Countess of Leighton, asked her husband from within the shelter of his arms.
For their first anniversary he’d insisted that they visit the place where they’d had their first kiss. The dark walk at Vauxhall.
“Darling, how could you ask such a thing?” Tony asked, his lips pressed against her neck. She felt his body tense as he tried and failed to stifle a yawn. “Though if I were to close my eyes for a mere moment,” he said sleepily, “there would surely be no shame in it. I worked hard for that last one.”
“You work hard for all of them,” Portia whispered, kissing him fully on the mouth. Though her gown was draped respectably over the parts of them joined together, anyone stumbling upon them would have little trouble guessing what the couple had been up to.
“Must we go back?” Portia asked against his mouth. “Let’s just live here on the dark walk from now
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