That phrase broke William’s apprehension. He laughed loud, heaving guffaws of merriment.
Edward stared at him with a puzzled look.
“Is—is that a family phrase, my lord?” he gasped out.
“Not that I am aware of.” Edward was shaking his head, but then understanding dawned. “I take it Charlotte said it to you?”
He nodded, clearing his throat and sobering.
Under his breath, Edward murmured, “Why am I not surprised…”
Mind focused, William found his words. “Fine. I shall say it. If one was—ifIwas to ask Charlotte for her hand, who would sign the marriage contract?”
Edward’s grin stretched across his face. “I thought that might be it. Congratulations. Or, I suppose, for now good luck. However, I do not think you shall need it.”
“Well, she’s given tacit permission.”
Edward rolled his eyes. “Of course, she has. Hellfire, I think you might need wishes of luck for the marriage, never mind the proposal.”
William smiled. “I would not have it any other way.”
“Good, good. You are well-matched, and all teasing aside, I am sincerely happy for both of you. To your question, the signature on the marriage contract will be mine as head of the family, but that is a mere formality. As you can well imagine, she is the only person whose opinion matters, and is well able to negotiate on her own behalf. I daresay she knows what she wants and what she doesn’t in a marriage.”
“I would not have it any other way.” William repeated.
Now, as William slowed in front of Charlotte’s house, he patted his pocket. He was ready, he’d just been waiting for her signal. They turned into the parlor, Charlotte calling for tea. He hoped she was not anticipating the cake too much, as he suspected it was ruined.
Impatient, he paced until the tea arrived, then held the door for the servant before shutting it firmly and twisting the simple lock.
Charlotte did not notice as she was sitting to pour tea.
Advancing on her, he chose the settee.
She offered tea and he waved it to the table.
He produced the small velvet bag he’d been carrying for days and dug in it for the first thing he wanted to offer. This one was the gift he was least sure about, but he felt it was important to lead with it.
“Mistress, I love you with my whole heart, and I know you love me.” He took her hand in one of his, still holding his gift tight in the other closed fist. “I do not ever desire to replace your first husband in your affections, nor do I think I could. Indeed, I am grateful to him for molding you into the perfect fit for me.”
Her hand trembled in his.
He squeezed it once before opening his hand to show a filigree setting for around the heart pendant she wore, the fine gold design dotted with a few tiny diamonds. “I offer you this to enhance your pendant. In some ways, Charles is at the core of what we now have. We’ve built on it and expanded it to make us what we are. And the diamonds are for the stars in the sky that first night I met you, the same ones which will light our nights as long as we live.”
Charlotte was crying silent tears, her lower lip quivering with each breath sucked in as her gaze flicked between his face and the setting and back.
“Oh, Mistress, no. Please do not cry. I should have said this sooner. If you are not comfortable changing your necklace, I will return this to the jeweler, and you can pick what you want. I simply wanted to show you my respec—”
Her finger on his lips stopped his words.
“William. It is lovely. Both the sentiment behind it and the piece itself are absolutely beautiful, like your soul. I could never have imagined such a thing, but ’tis perfect.” She was sobbing between words and he slid to the edge of his seat, alarmed. “Thank you for this. I know you don’t mind references to my prior life, but hearing those words lightened something in me.”
He leaned in to kiss her, wiping her tears with his thumbs.
Why had he thought that was the hard part? Asking someone to wed them, even when she’d as much as said she would, was intimidating at best, and terrifyingly vulnerable at worst. He gulped a breath and slid to the floor, forgoing the footstool to kneel at his Mistress’s feet.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Charlotte gaped at him. Now what was her puppy doing? She needed him to hug her before they began their games. Reaching out to run her fingers through his hair, she yanked her arm back when he twisted back toward the settee.
