The air inside was thick with the scent of roasted meat, fine wine, and the low hum of conversation. The main dining room was a spectacular sight, with soaring ceilings, velvet-draped walls, and massive crystal chandeliers casting a warm, golden glow.
Elspeth had never seen such a place in all her life. She felt like a princess in a fairytale.
A maître d’ with a perfectly waxed mustache led them to a quiet, secluded table by a large arched window. Elspeth took in the opulent surroundings with a twinkle in her eyes.
“This is absolutely magnificent,” she breathed.
Hugo pulled out her chair, and she sank into it. He took his seat across from her and leaned forward, resting his hands onthe table. “You deserve this, Elspeth. All of it. This is just the beginning.”
A waiter appeared then, his notepad at the ready. Hugo ordered a bottle of the finest champagne and a selection of delicacies.
“We will have a bit of everything,” he said, giving Elspeth a wink. “It is a special night, and we will dine as the chef sees fit. Please have our tab and the tab of everyone here tonight sent to Arrowfell.”
The waiter nodded, a flicker of a smile on his face. “At once, Your Grace! You are incredibly generous.”
Elspeth laughed, a rich, full sound. “A bit of everything? Are we to try and bankrupt you, Yer Grace? Why so generous?”
“Please, try and bankrupt me. I would welcome the challenge. We can start with the caviar, then the truffled mushrooms, then the roasted duck. Perhaps we can make sure everyone dines as well as we do. I only care for you and your happiness.”
Elspeth placed a hand on his. “Hugo, ye daenae need to prove anythin’ to me. I ken ye are a wealthy man.”
“No, I am not proving anything,” he said softly, turning his hand over and lacing his fingers through hers. “I am but a man in love who wants to spoil his future wife.”
A warm blush crept up her cheeks, and she squeezed his hand.
“I havenae had a man want to spoil me before,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Me faither never had the means for such things, and I have always been a practical woman. That is how me maither raised me. Although I think she would have liked this place a lot. She enjoyed food.”
“It makes me happy to hear you speak of her. And well, you can be practical tomorrow,” Hugo said, bringing her hand to his lips. “Tonight, you are my future Duchess, and you will have anything you desire.”
“Anything I desire?” she teased.
He slid his foot to her ankle, slowly rubbing it up and down. “Anything.”
Their food arrived, a parade of exquisitely presented plates. They shared the rich, creamy truffled mushrooms and the savory, tender roasted duck, conversation flowing easily between them.
Elspeth regaled him with stories of her wild garden parties at Inverhall, and he confessed his secret desire to one day build a library so large it would require a ladder on wheels to reach the highest shelves.
“A library for a practical man,” she teased.
“Indeed. For mypractical woman.”
As they finished their meal, Hugo took a small velvet box out of his coat pocket. Elspeth’s breath hitched, and her hand flew to her mouth. The restaurant—the people, the noise, the flickering lights—all faded away. The only thing that mattered was the box in his hands.
It cannae be…
He opened it, revealing a magnificent diamond ring set in a delicate filigree of platinum. The diamond sparkled, catching the light and refracting it into a thousand tiny rainbows.
It was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen.
“This belonged to my mother,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “She would have adored you. She would have loved your fire, your passion, your light, and your love for the earth.” He slid the box across the table. “Elspeth, my love, will you wear this ring as a symbol of our future?”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him, truly looked at the man who had turned her life upside down, the man who had knelt before her, begging for a chance.
“Aye, Hugo,” she whispered. “I will wear it tonight, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of our lives.”
Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER
