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‘And he’d deserve it, only...’
‘His own sons!’ She dropped heavily on to the bare mattress behind her. ‘What am I supposed to tell them?’
Sebastian sat on the adjacent bed, facing her. ‘Maybe nothing for now.’
‘Nothing? You were the one who told me to be honest with them before.’
‘I know, but you need time to come to terms with this first.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ She dropped her head into her hands, golden hair spilling over her fingers. ‘You know, I wondered, but I kept telling myself that he’d come back. I really thought it was just a matter of time.’
‘I know.’
‘Thank you for telling me.’ She sat upright again after a few seconds, dragging the palms of her hands across her cheeks.
He made a face. ‘To be honest, I didn’t want to. My mother said you had a right to know, but I didn’t want to upset you.’
‘It’s not your fault I’m upset.’ Her jaw tightened. ‘But at least now I can make plans.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Plans for the boys. I have to be their mother from now on. That means I need to be practical and find a job that works around their schooling.’
‘What? No, you don’t have to leave Belles.’
‘Yes, I do. It wouldn’t be fair on Nancy to carry on as we’ve been doing. The shop demands a lot of time, you know that as well as anyone.’
‘There’s Belinda now, too. And me.’
‘You?’ Her whole body seemed to tense. ‘But I thought you wanted to enjoy your freedom? You said you didn’t know what you wanted to do next.’
‘I think I’ve decided. Now that I’m back on dry land, I want to stay. More than that, I want to stay with you and help to take care of the boys properly.’ He hesitated, the next words hovering on the tip of his tongue. This probably wasn’t a good idea. It wasn’t the time or place for a proposal. She’d just had a shock and he’d planned to wait for a few days. It wasn’t the least bit romantic, but suddenly he couldn’t stop himself from dropping down on to one knee. ‘Henrietta Gardiner, I’d consider it a great honour if you’d consent to be my wife.’
Chapter Eighteen
‘What did you just say?’ Henrietta stared at Sebastian open-mouthed. It sounded as though he’d just proposed to her.
‘It was a bit long-winded, to be honest.’ He looked faintly abashed. ‘Not like something I’d usually say at all.’
‘But what was it?’
‘Ahem...’ He cleared his throat and tipped his head to one side, almost apologetically. ‘I asked if you’d marry me.’
‘That’s what I thought you said...’ If she hadn’t been sitting already, she was quite certain her legs would have collapsed beneath her. Her knees already felt as if they were trembling and her ankles...well, they’d surely have twisted from shock. ‘Are you mad?’
‘I don’t think so, although I’ve wondered occasionally.’ Sebastian rubbed his chin. ‘But I don’t feel mad. Not at the moment anyway.’
‘You must be.’ She leaned forward to put her hands on his shoulders, ready to talk some sense into him. ‘Think about it. I’m a shopkeeper.’
‘As was my father. As I would have been if I hadn’t joined the navy.’
‘You’re the grandson of a duke.’
‘This again?’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Haven’t we been through this enough times? I don’t care who my grandfather was or wasn’t.’
‘But the world will. Sebastian, I have no family and no money. Nothing in the world except three little boys to take care of. You should be marrying up, not down. Look at Anna. She’s a countess now.’
‘Anna married for love, or so you and my mother keep telling me. Rank had nothing to do with it.’
