Page 60 of Return to Wildsyde

Luella stared at him doubtfully. “Forgive you?”

“Dinnae say ye can nae,” he said, grasping her around the waist and pulling her roughly into his arms. “I have missed ye so, and I’ve been driving myself mad, thinking of ye spending all this time with Felix. I ken he is a fine fellow, handsome, aye, far more than me and…”

Luella blinked up at him, suddenly aware he was babbling with nerves. A smile quirked her lips as she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face.

“Lyall?”

He broke off, gazing down at her, his expression troubled. “Aye, lass?”

“You are the biggest idiot that ever walked the earth, there’s no question of that, but I love you.”

For a long moment he said nothing at all, and then he hauled her tight against him and kissed her long and hard. By the time he let her go, she could hardly breathe, let alone find a coherent thought. Helena’s advice not to give in too easily flitted into her mind and she gave a rueful smile. Ah, well. She was a hopeless case.

“Do ye mean it?” he demanded, one large hand cupping her face. Luella closed her eyes and turned into his touch, pressing a kiss to his palm.

“I do,” she said simply. “Though I don’t entirely know why.”

“It’s the knees, aye?” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Ma says it’s the knees.”

She let out a breath of laughter and smiled up at him. “In part,” she admitted. “But I don’t think that was all.”

He bent and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, Luella. It’s taken me far too long to see ye for who ye are. To see ye are not Lilith and never have been. I’ve been blind and I regret it. I feared I might regret it for the rest of my days when I discovered ye had gone.”

Luella swallowed, hardly daring to believe his words. “Would you regret it for the rest of your days?”

He raised his head again and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, his touch gentle and reverent. “Aye, lass, and I dinnae want to spend a second more of my life in regret. Ach, Luella, come home with me. Say ye will.”

Luella hesitated. Going home with him was the only thing she wanted to do, but… but what exactly was he offering her? They could not go on as they had been.

“I can’t, Lyall.”

The colour left his face in a rush, a frown darkening his features. “Why? Is… Is it Felix, has he—?”

“Oh, don’t be a fool,” she said in frustration. “Of course not. I just told you I loved you. Do you really believe me that fickle?”

“Nae,” he said at once, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked tired, she realised now. “Nae, I dinnae think any such thing. I think perhaps I am losing my wits over ye, though.”

She smiled at that. “Well, now you know how it feels. But you must see we cannot go back, Lyall? I cannot live under the same roof as you. It’s impossible.”

“But why?” he asked, so obviously bewildered that she wondered if he was fooling himself, if the feelings he had for her were as fierce as he had implied.

“Because I can’t keep my hands off you, obviously,” she said hotly. “I won’t be condemned to have the world tattling about me and believing…”

“Luella!” he bellowed, so furious she jumped. “For the love of God, I am nae asking ye to return as my ward, nor as my mistress, but as my wife!”

“As… as… as your…?” No matter how hard she tried, her mouth could not seem to shape the word correctly.

“Wife,” he said firmly. “Ye little halfwit. I ken I have nae acted very well of late, but I am nae such a bastard as that, and now ye have made me mess up my proposal.”

“I have?”

“Aye,” he groused, looking so adorably indignant she could not help but kiss him again.

“Oh, dear. I’m so terribly sorry, but I… I had no idea. Do you really want to marry me?” she asked, hardly daring to believe it.

“Aye, and seeing ye in that gown, I reckon I had best get the job done quick before someone else steals ye away. Good God, woman, d’ye have any idea how beautiful ye are? Ye make my heart hurt just gazing at ye.”

“Oh.” Tears filled her eyes and his fierce expression melted away, replaced by one of such tenderness that the tears spilled over.