She nodded, and he sighed in relief. He hoped for greater coherence than his last attempt.
They both watched out the window as the carriage rolled toward the main building with its grand entrance, then beyond it down a narrow drive.
A clearing with a partially constructed building came into view, and the driver pulled to a stop.
He jumped down, then set the step in place and handed Althea out. As she shook out her skirts, he surveyed the progress. The façade was complete, the double wooden doors with iron hinges arched under a peaked roof. Above the doors, a long narrow wooden sign sat empty.
As she gazed about her in question, he turned and clasped her hand to draw her to face him.
“Lady Althea Egerton, I am completely in love with you and shall be forever.” He squeezed her hand as he was reminded of the risks to his future cognition. Refusing to be distracted, he continued, “I need you. I want to marry you and, indeed, plan to state my case more clearly here. I want to help you own more apothecaries in England than all the others combined. Or”—he quirked a brow—“if you do not want my help, I want to stand back and watch you succeed. You have all the control here, Althea. If you prefer not to marry and to simply live in sin, I will abide by that. I hate sneaking around, but I’ll do that, too, if I must. Although I will ask you to meet that evil cousin of mine, so you know what impact a lack of heirs will have on all those employed by my estate.”
Althea giggled once, and he smiled.
“I also spoke with Michael and Penelope, as she is a bakery owner as well as a countess, to see how to balance the demands of a proprietorship and an earldom.”
Althea’s eyes widened with interest.
“I thought about buying a storefront in Bath or your loan from Charlotte and ripping the note up. But I know you value your independence and I do not want to infringe upon it. You need to be confident that you are an equal partner in this relationship. Other than love, as I love you more.”
Althea sniggered at his competitive nature coming out in that particular way.
“I was one of the founders of this school, a few years ago. But more recently, after getting to know you at my house party and learning more about Beth as well, I undertook adding this building to the school. This will house a fourth program, one for young ladies interested in merchantry rather than serving in the aristocracy’s homes or being at a man’s beck and call as a courtesan.”
She stared at him, her dark eyes pooling with unshed tears.
“Althea, this program will be named for you, regardless of your decisions today or in the future. I will do anything to make you happy. But more, I want to empower you and other young women to make yourselves happy. I hope that this helps you trust my words when I promise you independence.”
He gulped.Please let her answer be yes.He hadn’t dared let himself want to marry, but his mother’s letter had given him the strength to ask, and now he craved Althea as his wife more than anything.
“I agree to any terms you want if you’ll have me. I shall ask again, though. Should the sign read Egerton Hall or Cheltenham Hall? Will you marry me? Please? For love, not to avoid sneaking around in the dark. For forever or as many years as my health and yours allow.”
He held his breath.
****
Althea fought tears at Evan’s first sentence, declaring his love for her forever. When he explained the purpose of the building and why he wanted to show it to her, she could not hold them any longer. Her eyes welled. She may have only recently admitted to herself that she adored him, but she had been falling in love with him since she’d touched his hair and discovered his playful nature at Greenborough Park. And he had just resolved all of her doubts, one by one.
When he asked for her hand, one tear escaped in a narrow rivulet down her cheek.
His hand trembled as he lifted it to swipe the tear track away with his thumb.
“Evan, ’twould be my honor and pleasure to marry you.” Relief filled her, lowering her shoulders a fraction, as though her body had known what she needed and had been waiting for her mind to catch up.
He blew out a gusty sigh.
She smiled gently, adding, “You see, I am very much in love with you as well.”
She thought his grin might split his lip, it was so wide, and an answering thrill shot through her. But she only had a moment to ponder it before he swooped in to kiss her. His arms circled her and tightened to lift her off the ground.
“Mmph!” She had not been lifted since she was young. The fleeting thought that her height made her too heavy for such play was diverted by her happiness. Never had she expected to marry again, especially not for love. She was gratified that Evan was mayhap more excited than she, given that no one in the Ton, including him, had expected him to wed.
He set her down, and they stood grinning at each other like loons.
Finally, he released her to offer an arm. “My lady, may I show you a bit more of the building, as incomplete as it is?”
“Certainly, kind sir.” She looped her arm through his.
The inside of the building was rough enough to prevent much exploration, though, so Evan promised to bring her back at another time.
