“For being a dunderheaded, addlebrained, care-for-nobody . . .” Nick tugged her against him, covering her mouth with his, and for several searing moments she leaned against him, trembling.
He lifted his head, grinning down at her, and she scowled.
“Twiddle-poop.”
“Twiddle-poop?” He grinned more widely, holding her hands captive. Being slapped twice was enough.
She took a breath and swallowed. “Yes, and you are a ramshackle slibber-slabber,” she added, warming to her topic again. “If you—”
He placed his fingers against her lips. “I love you and I have for years.”
She tried to jerk her hands from his, but he held fast. “Do you think I am a complete fool? All you’ve been doing since you took the title is chase after Vivian. I will not be your consolation prize.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
This time, Silvia pushed back, but he held her firmly. “I did that to keep a promise I made to my cousin.”
“Vivian said something to that effect, but I don’t believe you. He didn’t care enough about her to attempt to extract promises on her behalf. The only woman who ever mattered to him was Mrs. Raeford.”
Beresford winced. “You knew about her?”
“The only one who didn’t know was Vivian, until she walked in on them one day.”
“He didn’t tell me that.” The damned self-serving fool. “Yet the fact remains that before he died he asked me to offer for her.” He glanced at the sky and swallowed. Somehow he had to make her understand. “After all he’d done for me as a child and as a young man, I couldn’t deny him his last wish.”
“He was not that much older than you, and he didn’t come into the title until a few years ago. How could he have—”
“Edgar convinced his father to pay for my education when my own father would not, and pay for my commission, including all but the last promotion. He made a point of having me invited to Beresford Abbey during school breaks. He gave me a sense of family when I would have had none.”
“That’s the reason you were there so much.” Her tone softened. “I never knew.”
“No.” Nick barely croaked the word out. He didn’t like feeling all these emotions. He damned sure didn’t want to talk about them. Getting into a ring to work things out was much easier, and it didn’t hurt nearly as much. “It wasn’t anything I’d discuss.”
“What would you have done if she’d accepted?”
“I don’t know, but I think part of me was sure she wouldn’t have me. I did not know you were with her. If I had . . .”
“Harrumph.” Silvia started tugging her hands away again.
He couldn’t let her go. If she didn’t listen to him now, she might never agree to see him again, and he’d lose her for good.
Finally she ceased. “That still doesn’t explain why you continued to visit Vivian after she refused you.”
“Once.” He gave her the look that had sent experienced lieutenants scrambling. “I visited once more. Before I left the abbey, I made a promise at my cousin’s grave that I would only ask twice. But I couldn’t do it again.” Nick nuzzled her temple. “The only thing I’ve wanted for years was for you to marry me. Silvia, please don’t refuse me.” She shook her head. “If you do, I will not give up until you say you’ll be mine.”
Silvia frowned, a sure sign she was thinking about it. “I am not sure it would work. We bicker constantly.”
But she’d never been so angry with him before. At least now he knew the reason. He gazed down at her and smiled. “You are amazingly stubborn.”
“Me! Why, you once claimed the sky was green and—”
Nick kissed her again. She tasted like the sweetest honey. If he could manage it, he’d stay there all day. “I would have done anything to gain your attention and keep you with me. As long as we did not come to an accord, you’d stay until your mother called you in.” He dropped to one knee. “My beloved Miss Corbet, please make me the happiest of men and agree to argue with me for the rest of our lives.”
A burble of laughter escaped her lips, and, finally, she smiled. “My lord, you must ask my father first.”
“I already have, and he has given me permission to address you.” He couldn’t keep the grimace from his face. “He also told me he would be pleased with the marriage, now that we are older and your sisters have married.” What the old man hadn’t told Nick was that he’d poisoned the well.
Nick’s heart tightened as she stared down at him until he couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled her down to the ground.
