George took hold of her hand. “My darling Lydia, I can find no fault in her actions at all. Anything so I may have a few moments in your company, for I have missed you desperately.”
“My lord, you mustn’t say such things. You know it’s impossible for us to be together,” Lydia said.
“Have your feelings for me changed then?”
She shook her head. “Never. You shall always have my heart.”
He leaned towards her, wondering if she’d back away from his kiss. He craved the taste of her sweet lips. “May I kiss you, my darling?”
“George, do you think that’s a good idea? Where could it lead?”
“I don’t know, but if I don’t kiss you soon, I shall perish from a broken heart.”
“Well, then, we can’t have the Marquis of Hutchinson perishing, now can we?”
“I like the way you think, my darling,” he said, placing featherlight kisses along her lips.
When she moaned in pleasure, he stood, dragging her with him and holding her tight against him. He deepened the kiss. He was drowning, and she was his only lifeline. How would he ever live without her? When he finally released her, they were both breathless.
“Oh, George, that was magnificent,” she said. “I have missed you desperately too.”
“My darling, I love you more than life itself. I vow to find a way for us to be together.”
Tears misted Lydia’s eyes.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I promise I’ll find a way.”
“I don’t want to think about the future anymore, especially not with you standing in front of me. Let’s enjoy this moment of privacy while we can. Just kiss me, my darling.”
“Gladly,” he said, devouring her mouth once again.
Chapter 12
It was a gloomy startto the day, the perfect match for George’s mood. The skies were overcast, and a light drizzle was falling, making the day quite chilly for May. It had been two weeks since he kissed Lydia, and the hollowness in his chest was worse than ever. He didn’t know what he was going to do to rectify the situation.
He hadn’t seen much of his mother in the past couple of weeks. After that disastrous tea with Lady Knight and Miss Darvey, Grace had mainly kept to her suite of rooms, although he could hear her wandering the halls at night. She hadn’t invited anyone else to tea, which suited George very well. He’d find his own wife without any help from his mother.
Today, he was hoping to have a quiet breakfast before retiring to his study to read estate reports. He needed to find out which of the properties needed the most repairs. He couldn’t have his tenants living in leaky homes. He needed to prioritize the most urgent repairs so when the investment funds became available, he’d have a plan of action. His mother usually took breakfast in her room, which suited him fine, but much to his surprise, she swept into the dining room soon after he’d arrived and sat down at the other end of the table. A footman scrambled to lay out another place setting for her.
“Mother, I’m surprised to see you this morning.”
Grace arched an eyebrow. “We need to talk about Miss Darvey. She would make a most pleasing wife and comes from an excellent family. No scandals have ever been attached to their names, and that’s always a good thing.”
“Mother, I shall not be courting Miss Darvey, now or ever.”
She speared him with a glare. “Hutchinson, it’s time for you to wed, and she’s as suitable as any other young woman.”
“I don’t love her.”
Grace waved away his objection as if his wishes were an irritating fly. “Love has no place in marriage. You will do your duty. Lady Knight and I think the match will be brilliant.”
He couldn’t listen to his mother prattle on about Miss Darvey anymore and decided enough was enough. He was tired of being without the woman he loved, and made up his mind then and there consequences be damned. “I’m going to marry Miss Weston,” he said.
Grace nearly dropped her teacup. “What? You can’t be serious! She’s a merchant’s daughter and totally unsuitable to be a marchioness. What will thetonthink?
“I find I don’t care what Society thinks any longer. I love her, and I will marry her. That is my final decision, so you can stop scheming to force a woman of your choosing on me.”
“Hutchinson, I forbid it!” she said, slamming her hand down on the table.
