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Chapter 19
The happiness she felt in that moment threatened to consume her whole. Elizabeth couldn’t wipe the smile from her face, nor could she stop herself from throwing her arms around him, embracing him tightly.
“Yes!” she squealed. “Oh, William I’m so happy!”
William wrapped his arms around her waist. As he stood, he pulled her from the chair, twirling her around as his chuckle echoed in her ear. “I was afraid for a moment that you would reject me.”
“You would deserve it,” she giggled once her feet touched the floor again. “But there’s no use torturing myself as well.”
Joy erupted on his features, so bright that she felt as if her heart would erupt at any moment. It had been so long since she’d last seen him smile, and to know that it was because of her, made it that much sweeter. A voice echoed in the back of her mind, a quiet one that wanted to remind her of something. Elizabeth tried not to focus on it, focusing instead on being in this moment—her hand in his, their hearts entwined, planning a life together.
“I shall get you a ring,” he told her, as lost in the moment as she was. “No, I shall shower you with gifts. You shall have all that I can give you once I have restored the Dukedom’s wealth. You deserve every bit of it.”
“You know I don’t care about such things.”
“I know.” He slid his hand around to small of her back, pulling her into him. Within a second, her giddiness evolved into slow pleasure that whispered throughout the pit of her stomach and made her toes curl in her kid slippers.
William’s eyes darkened with arousal, noticing when her eyes had darted to his lips. A single slow hand ran down the curve of her back, resting lightly on her backside as he dipped his head towards hers. Elizabeth tilted her head up to meet his kiss, smiling against his lips.
“I love you,” he murmured again, before he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past her lips. She could feel the pound of his heart echoing along with hers, as their souls now synchronized with each other. She slid a hand around his neck, lacing her fingers through the hair falling over his neck, letting him ravage her mouth with all the fervor of a man in need. Like a man who couldn’t get enough.
After a few seconds, they pulled away, breathless. Elizabeth, not wanting to step away from him just yet, resting her hand against his racing heart, smiling up at him. He took her hand, returning the grin. “I’ll buy you hundreds of rings to replace the one that had been taken from you,” he said as he interlaced his fingers with hers.
Elizabeth didn’t feel that expected stab of horror when he began to study her scarred fingers. She moved into his embrace, resting her ear against his broad chest. “You don’t have to. I have the handkerchief, after all, and I’ve grown content.”
“The one I just gave you?” he asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her slightly. “I found the one you’d tied to the tree at the park we would frequent in our youth.”
Without even looking at him, Elizabeth could tell it was taking him a moment to recall what she was talking about. “Ah, yes, that handkerchief. I didn’t know why I’d tied it there back then. Perhaps it was to mark the end of the past, and move into the new future I’d been given.”
“But…?” she probed.
William’s deep chuckle shook her body. “But I know now I’d hoped that you would find it. I couldn’t truly bring myself to leave without saying a word to you, and so that was my farewell.”
“I did not find it until a year later,” she told him.
“You found it all the same, didn’t you?” humor tinged his voice.
Elizabeth pulled away from him with a laugh. She could stand in his arms forever, but she didn’t think she’d have the strength to do so if she didn’t put some food in her stomach. She’d worked up an appetite last night after all.
She reclaimed her seat and William went to sit across from her again He watched her every move with intent, as if he didn’t dare to miss a move, as if they were young again and in the throes of their budding love.
But, as she should have begun to expect, the happiness didn’t last very long. Suddenly, that voice in the back of her mind grew blaring, bringing back the two obstacles standing between her and William—her father and Lord Horenwall.
Elizabeth tried not to let it show on her face, but she was certain William had caught the slip of her smile. She reached for a crumpet to distract herself from the worry that was beginning to creep in. She decided to begin with the easier roadblock first.
