When she didn’t move, he closed the distance between them and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips for a light kiss. Then the stubborn dam inside him that had clogged his throat finally broke, and the words finally began to flow. “Miss Parker, Audrey, you’ve captivated me from the first moment I saw you. I readily admit that when I first came to London, it was only to satisfy my curiosity about the title, but the more I got to know you, Grace, and Mia, the more I began to realize what I’d been missing in my life.”
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “And what was that?”
“A family to call my own. I’ve tried hard to show you that love through my actions. All the misunderstandings between us are clearly my fault. I’m such an idiot. The kiss we shared in the garden was earth-shattering for me. I’ve never felt like that before, but I thought I had overstepped. My rakish behavior that day was so embarrassing to me that I had taken advantage of your innocence. I now know it was wrong of me not to discuss how I felt with you immediately.”
“Earth-shattering?” she whispered.
“Yes, my darling. Absolutely earth-shattering. The most perfect kiss I’ve ever experienced. I came to realize my actions were not enough for you to understand thedepth of my feelings. Men, especially me, are not always forthcoming with their emotions. We prefer action over talk. Clearly, my attempts at romantic gestures fell flat, and for that, I’m so very sorry. My darling, please believe me when I say, I love you, most sincerely.”
She inhaled sharply. “You love me?”
“With every fiber of my being, and if you will allow it, I will spend each and every day for the rest of my life telling you how much.”
“Oh, Jacob. I never imagined you could love me. I felt so lost when you wouldn’t talk to me. My darling, I love you too.”
“You love me?” he asked. It was his turn to be speechless.
She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his. “Very much.”
He was overcome with emotion, and yet, by some miracle of fate, she was confessing her love for him as he’d confessed his for her. Had they been fools dancing around their feelings, misinterpreting each other’s actions and words, never realizing they were both failing to see the truth of things?
He couldn’t control himself any longer and pulled her into his embrace, kissing her with all the desire and passion in his being, drinking at her lips like a man in the desert. He never wanted to let this extraordinary woman go.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless.
“I’m so terribly sorry I ever gave you the impression I didn’t care for you or that I would ever leave you,” he said, caressing her cheek. “I went about things all the wrong way.”
“Jacob, my darling, you have been quite accommodating, and I’m sorry for not realizing sooner that your actions were your way of showing me how much you cared.”
Jacob chuckled. “Well, seeing as we’ve both made mistakes in the past, what do you say about rectifying them?” He got down on one knee. “Audrey, my love, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife and making me the happiest of men?”
“It will be my greatest pleasure,” she said as tears flowed freely down her face. “It’s what I’ve dreamed about for weeks.”
Jacob pulled her into his embrace again as Grace walked into the parlor. “What’s going on? I could hear your voices all the way upstairs.” She took one look at Audrey’s tear-stained face and rushed to her side, pulling her away from Jacob. “Sister, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?” she asked, glaring at him.
“Grace, dearest, don’t be concerned. These are happy tears. Fletcher has proposed, and I’ve accepted.”
It was Grace’s turn to smile. “I must say it’s about time.”
“What?” both Audrey and Jacob said in unison.
She looked between them. “I’ve watched you two dance around each other for weeks now. It was obviousto everyone except the two of you that you were mad for each other.”
“You knew?” Audrey asked.
“Anyone with eyes in their head could see it. I’m just glad you both finally admitted your feelings. Now, can we all go to bed?”
Jacob chuckled. “Of course, Grace, and I’m sorry we woke you. Good night. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Grace and Audrey left the drawing room together, and Jacob walked down the hall to his study. It had been a momentous evening, almost a disaster of his own making, but in the end, he’d won the hand of the woman he loved.
It was time to send Henry a letter, letting him know of his decisionto stay in England.
Epilogue
Three weeks after Jacob proposed,and once the banns had been read, he and Audrey were married. Lord Easton and Lady Kathryn stood as their witnesses. His only disappointment was that Henry could not attend the wedding. Jacob would have loved for him to be there, but certainly knew that the journey would take too long and was probably too much for him.
Jacob was glad he’d had the foresight to draw up new partnership papers giving Henry the controlling stake over the newspaper. As much as he loved the newspaper business and being a journalist, he loved Audrey more. From now on, he would be content to use his journalistic skills to help craft new bills that benefited the poor.
