“Perhaps we should return to the ball,” Emilia suggested.
No.
So much still needed to be said between them.
Fredrick closed the distance between them and Emilia tipped her head to meet his gaze. Her emotions were laid bare, and he could see the uncertainty that was in her eyes. In the moonlight, she appeared stunning, a vision of beauty that captivated him.
“It is I that should be apologizing to you,” Fredrick said.
She furrowed her brows. “For what?” she asked. “You did nothing wrong.”
“But I did,” he confessed, his voice carrying a weight of vulnerability. He paused, allowing the words to linger in the air. “I should have been praising your bravery, not belittling your actions. I was just scared.”
“You, scared?” she asked, her tone a delicate blend of surprise and disbelief. “Of what?”
He gently reached for her gloved hand. “Of losing you.”
Emilia’s expression softened, and she responded with quiet certainty, “I am right here.”
Fredrick continued to hold her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. “I wanted to be the one that protected you, not the other way around.”
“Perhaps we can protect each other from here on out,” she suggested.
“I like the sound of that,” Fredrick said.
Emilia’s eyes reflected a sincerity that resonated deeply with him. “I was in earnest, though. I would have given up my entire fortune in exchange for your life.”
He couldn’t help but react, his words emerging harsher than intended. “Why would you do something so foolish?”
With a slight wince, Emilia replied, “I was born with nothing so I wouldn’t miss it too much. I just needed to make sure you lived to see another day.”
“That was sheer madness on your part,” he asserted.
“I did not see it as such.”
Fredrick knew it was time that he told Emilia how much she meant to him, and he hoped he didn’t botch it up. He blurted the first thing that came to his mind. “Marry me.”
Emilia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Pardon?”
“Marry me, please.”
She pursed her lips, a hint of hesitation in her expression. “Is this because I offered to give up my fortune?” she asked. “Because if so, that is truly not necessary.”
“No, it is not just because of that. Although, that did play a part in it.” Fredrick sighed, sensing his own awkwardness. He was blathering, and he was not one to do so. He took a deep breath, determined to express himself more clearly.
Fredrick brought her hand up to his lips and spoke earnestly. “I have fallen in love with you, Emilia. I tried not to, but I failed, time and time again. You have my whole heart.”
Emilia blinked. “You love me?”
“I do,” he replied. “I never wanted to take a wife, but you convinced me otherwise. I have since discovered that I don’t just want you in my life, but Ineedyou in it. You took a broken man, and you have given me hope once more.”
“What of my past?” Emilia asked. “We were raised so differently.”
Fredrick grinned. “I care little of your past. I only care about your future, assuming that I am in it, of course.”
Emilia bit her lower lip, still uncertain. “I would make a terrible countess.”
“Possibly, but I do believe you are precisely what thetonneeds.”
