“Why would you keep this from me?” Lydia cried.
“Because the family abandoned your mother when she needed them. I vowed never to speak of them again.”
“You abandoned my mother?” Lydia demanded, returning her attention to the viscount.
“Much to my shame and eternal regret, I did. I forbade Joanna to marry your father, but they eloped anyway.”
Lydia sank down on the closest chair, overwhelmed by this turn of events.
George knelt on one knee in front of her and took her hands in his. “Are you all right, my dear? It’s a lot to digest all at once.”
Lydia looked at him and reached out to touch his cheek. “Why are you here?”
He brought her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Because I love you to the depths of my soul. I’ve loved you since I first met you, and I can never marry anyone else. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Chapter 13
Lydia’s head was spinning, andshe closed her eyes, trying to make sense of the last few minutes. She had a grandfather. A grandfather who was a viscount. And George had proposed!. She’d been hoping and praying for that since last summer, but now she wasn’t so sure about marrying him. Had he only proposed to her because he found out about her parentage? It was difficult to make sense of everything, especially with all three men staring at her.
“Lydia?” George asked.
She swung her gaze to him. “Did you know that Viscount Surry was my grandfather? Is that why you’re proposing now?”
George shook his head. “No, I came here to ask your father’s permission to propose, and before I had a chance to, the viscount arrived. I learned about your connection to him moments before you entered the room.”
Lydia looked at the viscount. “Is that true, my lord? Was Lord Hutchinson already here when you arrived?”
Surry nodded. “He was. You have no need to doubt his sincerity. I’ve known the Hutchinson family for years, and the marquis is an honorable gentleman.”
George stood and stepped back from her, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Lydia, I thought this was what you wanted. If I’m mistaken and you no longer wish to marry me, I shall take my leave and never bother you again. You only need tell me what you want.”
At his words, Lydia’s heart lurched. She didn’t want to lose him a second time. He was the love of her life. “No, don’t leave! You aren’t mistaken. I love you too. I’m just overwhelmed by all this. It’s all so sudden.”
The viscount took a step toward her. “I agree. It is sudden…and long overdue, my dear,” he said. “So much time has been wasted, and I’d like nothing more than to get to know you. But before we talk any further, I believe you owe Hutchinson an answer.”
Lydia looked at George, and her heart melted. “Oh my darling, yes. I will marry you. It’s what I’ve been hoping and praying for all these months. I can hardly believe it’s come to pass.”
The relief on George’s face was evident when he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. “You’ve made me the happiest of men, my sweet Lydia.”
Tears of joy leaked from her eyes. How could this have happened? One day, she was pining for the man she loved because their stations were too far apart. And next, she’d found herself the granddaughter of a lord and the recipient of the proposal she desperately craved. “I’m so very happy, George.”
When he released her, she looked at the viscount. “How did you find out about me?”
“I received a letter at my London townhouse, although I was delayed reading it for several weeks because of a few issues at my country estate. My staff must have sent it to my country estate and then forwarded here to Town. I only arrived in London yesterday and found the letter in my correspondence.”
“A letter. Who was it from?” Lydia asked.
“It was from me,” Agnes said, walking into the study. She curtseyed to Hutchinson and Surry. “My lords.”
Lydia stared at her aunt. “You did this?”
Agnes walked to Lydia and hugged her. “Of course, my darling girl. I couldn’t stand by any longer, watching you be miserable because you couldn’t marry the man you love.”
Weston glared at his sister. “You promised you’d never breathe a word of this. I shall deal with you later,” he said.
Viscount Surry stalked to his desk. “You, sir, shall do nothing to punish this woman. She has done me a great favor, and I’ll not have her suffer for her honesty. Do I make myself clear?”
“Are you threatening me?” Thomas asked.
