“How can you be so sure?”
Charles reached out and put a hand on her sleeve. “Because it caused me great sadness to see the woman I love climbing out of a window in an attempt to flee from our wedding.”
Henrietta’s eyes grew wide as she brought her gaze up. “You love me?”
“Perhaps I didn’t make that clear to you.”
“No, you did not,” she replied. “You only told me that you held me in high regard.”
“But I did kiss you.”
Her eyes darted to his lips as she said, “That you did.”
As much as he wanted to kiss her, he knew a few more things needed to be said first. “I love you, Henrietta,” he said. “I love how your eyes light up when you are discussing something that interests you, the way you talk incessantly, and I adore how the dimple on your right cheek appears when you genuinely smile.”
Her eyes intently watched him. “I had no idea you felt this way.”
“Then I was a fool for not expressing myself properly,” he said. “In fact, I thought it was I that was trapping you into a marriage.”
A line between her brow appeared. “Why would you possibly think that?”
“Because I couldn’t stand the thought of you marrying Mr. Drew, and I forced my offer of marriage upon you.”
“I had no intention of marrying him.”
“I am well aware, but that is when I first started to recognize that I wanted you for myself,” Charles explained. “I was so lonely before you came into my life, and I never want to go back to the way I was before. You have changed me for the better, Henrietta.”
Henrietta stepped closer to him and tilted her head up at him. “Do you truly mean it?”
He gave her an amused look. “I just confessed my love for you, and you are still questioning my intentions?” he asked.
“I know I can be a bit stubborn—”
“A bit?” he asked, speaking over her.
A laugh escaped her lips, warming his heart. “Fine,” she replied. “I am quite stubborn, almost to a fault.”
“Go on,” he encouraged.
“I just need you to be sure that you want to marry me.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand. “I have never been so sure of anything in my life.”
Henrietta leaned into his hand. “I am pleased to hear that.”
Charles held her gaze before asking, “But I must pose the question,” he hesitated, “do you want to marry me?”
“Very much so.”
“You have an odd way of showing it,” he said, smiling. “What was your plan after you escaped through the window?”
“I didn’t have one.”
He chuckled. “I assumed as much.”
“How did you know I was going to sneak out the window?”
“I saw the panicked look in your eyes as we stood in front of the vicar,” he replied. “And your lie of wanting to adjust the pins in your hair was not very believable.”
