Yes, she decided, she would wait. She wouldn’t accept any other outcome. She wanted him like she’d never wantedanything before, and she was determined to have the man who’d stolen her heart.
Now, she just had to convince him they would suit well together.
Chapter 13
“Seaford!” Hartley shouted two daysafter the last Assembly Room dance.
“My lord, are you ready for your bath?” his valet asked.
“I need your full attention a moment,” Jon said, getting out of bed, donning his banyan, and walking to his writing desk.
Seaford came into the room, surprise written on his face. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“Not at all,” Jon said, picking up an envelope. “This is for you.”
Seaford took the envelope. “My lord?”
“Open it.”
His valet broke the seal and read the contents. The amazement on his face told Jon everything.
“You’re gifting me the dower house?”
“Someone should use it. Might as well be you and your lady.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Perhaps you should make your way to the modiste shop and propose to her. That seems the most prudent thing to do at the moment.”
Seaford’s smile lit up his face from ear to ear. “My lord, I believe you are correct.”
“Seaford, you’re fired. That should help free up your afternoon.”
His valet nodded, tears in his eyes. “I shall see you after dinner, my lord.”
Jon grunted and made his way into his dressing room, where he dropped his banyan and lowered himself into the soothinghot water. It was the first time in a long time that he felt good about his life. What was the point of being a wealthy earl if he couldn’t help those around him? His batman deserved to be rewarded for his outstanding service. Jon wasn’t sure he’d have made any kind of recovery from the nightmares and panic if Seaford hadn’t pushed him. He’d be forever grateful for the day his batman had thrown a sword at him, and now it was time for Jon to stand more on his own two feet. There was no need for Seaford to be at his beck and call twenty-four hours a day.
Hartley spent the day in his study going over estate reports, but he couldn’t get the image of Lady Harriet’s plump lips out of his mind. It had been heaven on earth to dance with her, but it was their shared kisses that had felt so right. He couldn’t remember ever being so affected by a mere kiss before… except he knew it wasn’t a mere kiss. Much to his shock, he was looking forward to seeing her again. When she’d cupped the scarred side of his face after he saved her and told him not to pull away, something inside him had snapped. The crushing weight of his injury that had plagued him for years seemed lessened somehow. Her simple touch had soothed him, and he wanted more.
More of her touch. More of her kisses. More of her.
Later that evening, as Seaford was pulling off Hartley’s boots, his valet said, “My lord, I’m pleased to inform you that Miss Martinson has accepted my proposal. The first banns will be read on Sunday.”
Jon nodded but didn’t comment.
“Lieutenant, would you do me the great honor of standing up with me?”
Jon inhaled sharply, feeling conflicted. His breathing started to increase. He wanted to support his batman, but the idea of attending the wedding was simply not something he felt he could endure. Unlike attending the Assemblies where he could comeand go as he pleased, he’d be trapped at the church until the ceremony was over, unlike attending an Assembly Room dance, where he could come and go as he pleased. Everyone would be looking at him and whispering behind his back. He’d prefer not to attend the church ceremony, rather than take away the attention the young couple should have focused on them.
His valet continued, not drawing attention to Jon’s rapid breathing. “Perhaps, that’s not the best idea. We’ll marry in the small church we both attend and I was wondering if I could prevail upon you to allow us to have the wedding breakfast here at the manor. Neither Colleen nor I want a big celebration. Her only family is her sister, and I have no one left except a distant cousin somewhere. I haven’t spoken to him since before the war, and I doubt if he even knows I survived it.”
Jon sat still while Seaford removed his other boot. He wanted to be a better man, not only for Seaford and his staff but for Lady Harriet. His breathing evened out. He wouldn’t go to the church, but he could definitely host the celebration afterward. “You’ll have to coordinate the details with Greenfield and Mrs. Bentley for the wedding breakfast,” he finally said. There was no way he wanted to be consulted on flower arrangements, the menu, or any of the number of things that needed to be done to ready the manor.
“Of course. I’ll see to it. You won’t be bothered. Thank you, my lord.”
Jon was pleased he could help make Seaford’s day special.
The next three weeks were a flurry of activity. Jon stayed out of the frenzy by either riding Zeus or barricading himself in his study. He’d been pleased to see Lady Harriet a number of times during those weeks, and their conversations had been most enjoyable. Her kisses were heaven, and in between them, he regaled her with tales of some of the sites he’d seen on his Grand Tour before the war. She asked a number of questions,and he longed to take her to see some of those sites. He came away from their encounters always wanting more of her kisses and lively conversation.
