honorable.” Paul swallowed hard. “After everything I’ve said, would you stay with me tonight? I have to go and talk to Lucky’s father tomorrow, and I’ll be married by special license within the month.”
“Of course I’ll stay, and I’ll also wish you much happiness.”
Paul met his gaze. “She deserves to be happy. I at least know that.”
Con leaned forward and slid his hand around Paul’s neck. “So do you. May I help you out of your clothes?”
6
“H is Grace requires your presence in the library, my lady,” Parsons murmured.
Lucinda looked up from her unhappy perusal of a book of sermons at the hovering butler. “Thank you, Parsons, I’ll go down at once.”
Her heart started to thump, and she nervously smoothed her hands over the creased skirts of her pink muslin morning dress. Any unexpected summons from her father was a cause for alarm these days. Would Jeremy follow through with his threat to speak to her father before she came up with a solution to her dilemma? In truth, she was no closer to an answer than she had been three days ago.
She walked down the wide spiral staircase and noticed a gentleman’s hat and gloves on the marble-inlay hall table. Her father obviously had a visitor, as it was too early for social calls to her mother. She paused for a moment and stared at the imposing double doors of her father’s study. If Jeremy was in there, this was her perfect opportunity to accept his marriage proposal before he told her father everything. She swallowed down a sensation of nausea. As her father was fond of reminding her, she was a Haymore, and Haymores did their duty regardless of their personal emotions.
She raised her chin and went toward the doors, tapping lightly on the wood before letting herself inside. Her smile disappeared as the two men rose to greet her and she realized it wasn’t Jeremy sitting with her father after all.
“Ah, Lucinda,” her father said. “I’m glad you could join us.” There was a peculiar look on his face she couldn’t quite decipher. “Paul has something he wishes to ask you.”
“Paul does?” Lucky turned to Paul and found he shared her father’s strained expression. She also noticed that he was dressed very smartly in civilian clothes that not only fit him but also looked brand-new. She took the chair in front of her father’s desk and finally remembered to smile. “Whatever can it be?”
Her father came out from behind his desk and clapped Paul on the shoulder. “I’ve just realized that I have an urgent message for my wife. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Lucky watched him leave and then looked at Paul. “What on earth is going on? My father looks quite odd. What did you say to him?”
He faced her and took an obvious breath. “I asked for permission to marry you.”
“You did what?” Lucky was only aware that her voice was quite shrill because Paul winced.
“I offered for your hand, and he told me to ask you, so here I am.”
“Haven’t we already discussed this?”
He came down on one knee in front of her chair and took both her hands in his.
“You told me you had some harebrained scheme to marry the very man who ruined you. I think you can do better than that. I think you should marry me.”
She stared down into his familiar brown eyes and temptation swirled around her.
“Why?”
“Because you have always loved me?”
She felt herself blushing. “Which is meaningless if you do not love me back.”
He sighed. “I love you, surely you know that?” He squeezed her fingers. “I want to do this for you.”
“For me or for my father?”
“That’s a fair question,” Paul conceded, “but I’ll already inherit everything whether I’m married to you or not. I’d much rather you got to share it with me.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Then say yes. If you won’t tell me this blaggard’s name and let me kill him, at least let me keep you safe in the only other way I can.”
Lucky stood up
“Of course I’ll stay, and I’ll also wish you much happiness.”
Paul met his gaze. “She deserves to be happy. I at least know that.”
Con leaned forward and slid his hand around Paul’s neck. “So do you. May I help you out of your clothes?”
6
“H is Grace requires your presence in the library, my lady,” Parsons murmured.
Lucinda looked up from her unhappy perusal of a book of sermons at the hovering butler. “Thank you, Parsons, I’ll go down at once.”
Her heart started to thump, and she nervously smoothed her hands over the creased skirts of her pink muslin morning dress. Any unexpected summons from her father was a cause for alarm these days. Would Jeremy follow through with his threat to speak to her father before she came up with a solution to her dilemma? In truth, she was no closer to an answer than she had been three days ago.
She walked down the wide spiral staircase and noticed a gentleman’s hat and gloves on the marble-inlay hall table. Her father obviously had a visitor, as it was too early for social calls to her mother. She paused for a moment and stared at the imposing double doors of her father’s study. If Jeremy was in there, this was her perfect opportunity to accept his marriage proposal before he told her father everything. She swallowed down a sensation of nausea. As her father was fond of reminding her, she was a Haymore, and Haymores did their duty regardless of their personal emotions.
She raised her chin and went toward the doors, tapping lightly on the wood before letting herself inside. Her smile disappeared as the two men rose to greet her and she realized it wasn’t Jeremy sitting with her father after all.
“Ah, Lucinda,” her father said. “I’m glad you could join us.” There was a peculiar look on his face she couldn’t quite decipher. “Paul has something he wishes to ask you.”
“Paul does?” Lucky turned to Paul and found he shared her father’s strained expression. She also noticed that he was dressed very smartly in civilian clothes that not only fit him but also looked brand-new. She took the chair in front of her father’s desk and finally remembered to smile. “Whatever can it be?”
Her father came out from behind his desk and clapped Paul on the shoulder. “I’ve just realized that I have an urgent message for my wife. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Lucky watched him leave and then looked at Paul. “What on earth is going on? My father looks quite odd. What did you say to him?”
He faced her and took an obvious breath. “I asked for permission to marry you.”
“You did what?” Lucky was only aware that her voice was quite shrill because Paul winced.
“I offered for your hand, and he told me to ask you, so here I am.”
“Haven’t we already discussed this?”
He came down on one knee in front of her chair and took both her hands in his.
“You told me you had some harebrained scheme to marry the very man who ruined you. I think you can do better than that. I think you should marry me.”
She stared down into his familiar brown eyes and temptation swirled around her.
“Why?”
“Because you have always loved me?”
She felt herself blushing. “Which is meaningless if you do not love me back.”
He sighed. “I love you, surely you know that?” He squeezed her fingers. “I want to do this for you.”
“For me or for my father?”
“That’s a fair question,” Paul conceded, “but I’ll already inherit everything whether I’m married to you or not. I’d much rather you got to share it with me.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Then say yes. If you won’t tell me this blaggard’s name and let me kill him, at least let me keep you safe in the only other way I can.”
Lucky stood up
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