“Indeed. I do not think I could cope without you. Who else would make me laugh during silly family events? And I do not think I have ever danced with anyone who has so matched my movements. It is as though we were made for each other.” Dominic grinned at her and then winked. “Not to mention how good you are at keeping my ego in check.”
“Well, you do make it rather easy to do,” she replied.
“You see? You are doing it now.” Dominic laughed and then paused, his brow furrowing. “Although, perhaps such a long engagement would not work.”
“What do you mean?” Charlotte’s heart sank again.Is he toying with me?
“Well, no one waits that long to be married, not unless they are abroad or serving in the military and on some kind of placement.” Dominic sighed and shook his head. “No, no. I have been a fool. There is no way we can be engaged until the Spring. There is only one thing for it.”
“Which is?” Charlotte asked, crossing her arms.
“Well, we must get married of course. That is the only sensible course of action,” Dominic said simply.
“What?” Charlotte gaped at him.Have I fallen into some kind of dream?
“Why not marry me?” Dominic shrugged,
“Because I do not want to married to someone only for my usefulness,” Charlotte said, her heart twisting as she said it.You were a fool for hoping he cared for you. He just sees you as a tool; that is it.
To her surprise, Dominic’s smile widened. “That is good because that is not the reason I want to marry you.”
“Is it not? You could have fooled me with your list of myuses.” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him.
“Then allow me to rectify my error. I want to marry you because when you are around, the sunshine is warmer. When you are by my side, bird song is sweeter. I want to marry you because your laugh sends shivers through my body. Because when I look at you, my heart soars as though it were an eagle.” Dominic took a step towards her, his eyes full of a wild, reckless energy that held her in place.
Her breath caught, and she found herself unable to move away from him or to break their gaze.
“I want to marry you because you are the kindest, funniest, most irritating, charming, amusing, and frustrating woman I know. My life is better because you are in it.” Dominic reached a hand towards her and gently brushed her skin with his fingers. “But most of all, my dear Charlotte, I want to marry you because I love you.”
“You love me?” Charlotte breathed, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing.He loves me.
“I do. And I should have said it sooner, but I was scared. I saw how love and the loss of a husband destroyed my mother.” Pain crossed Dominic’s face. “I thought that love was an entirely dangerous thing, and then my grandmother reminded me that it was not.”
“Your grandmother is a wise woman,” Charlotte said.
“She is indeed,” Dominic agreed. “I love you, Charlotte, with everything that I am and all that I will be. You asked me if the words that I wrote in that letter were sincere, and I never got the chance to answer you, so I will answer you now.
“I meant every word of them. If you deem me worthy of you, then I will spend the rest of my life proving that you were right.” He was so close to her that she could feel his breath against her face. “I want to be with you. I want to be your husband and to have a life with you. For us to start a family together. You are my future, Charlotte.”
“I… I do not know what to say.” She turned away from him, moving out of his touch.
She could still feel the warmth of his hand against her skin.
“You do not love me?” She heard the note of sadness in Dominic’s voice.
“Of course, I love you, you fool!” She turned back to him and let out a frustrated growl. “Curses, I am probably just as much a fool as you are, loving a rake.”
“A reformed rake,” Dominic pointed out, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
“I have heard they do make the best husbands.” Charlotte could not help but smile in return.
“Are you willing to put that theory to the test?” Dominic asked.
“Yes. I think I am.” Charlotte gave him a wicked grin. “On one condition.”
“Which is?”
“Ask me again, Dominic. On your knees.” She indicated the floor in front of her.
