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Allegra might want Lynton, but in this moment Will realized the only woman he wanted and would ever want, the lady who held his whole heart, was Allegra Antinori.
How could he settle for an infusion of money from an heiress for whom he felt only a tepid attachment? Without a loving, vibrant presence at its heart, even a restored Brookwillow would be more hollow facade than haven.
Wasn’t there some way he could make Allegra his?
Excitement swelled Will’s chest as the reckless, irresistible idea formed in his mind, perhaps propelled, as he would tell himself later, by the maddening frustration of sitting across from her all day long while being unable to touch or kiss her.
Without allowing himself time to think, he sped after her and seized her arm, forcing her to a halt. “Do you really wish to goad Lynton into deciding whether or not he wants you?”
Surprised, she looked up at him. “Goad him? What do you mean?”
In the dusty kitchen yard with the dogs milling about, Will dropped to one knee and took her hand. “Allegra Antinori, you’ve intrigued me since the moment I saw you. Though I’ve nothing but a ravaged estate to offer, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ALLEGRA STARED DOWN at him, shock on her face. “Are you mad?”
Her fingers, which Will retained in a light grip, trembled in his. Tightening his hold, he grinned at her. “Probably. But you must admit, my offering for your hand should propel Lynton into making a counteroffer, if he ever intends to. Don’t you agree?”
“Perhaps,” she said after a moment. “And if he does not?”
“You could always marry me. We deal well together, don’t we?” The very idea of claiming her for his own made his body harden and sent the blood rushing through his veins. “I think we’ve already had ample proof of how much better we could deal with one another…my sweet torment.”
Her cheeks went rosy. “I know you find me…attractive, as you cannot help but know I find you, but I hadn’t any notion you were more than flirting. If you have developed…deeper feelings, I certainly did not mean to entice you to it.”
It was the perfect opening to confess that he’d needed no enticement, that he had begun falling top over tail in love with her since the first night they met. But as strongly as the emotions surged in his breast, the words to express them stuck in his throat.
Confessing he truly loved her would irretrievably alter the character of their relationship. If Lynton did surprise him and offer for her, she would at best feel uncomfortable about his declaration and at worst, might pity him. The notion made him writhe inside. Scarcely less revolting was the idea that, in the unlikely event Lynton blessed his suit, knowing his true sentiments might make her feel obligated to marry him.
Nor could he quite summon up the courage to plainly confess his emotions.
“Of course you didn’t try to entice me,” he answered finally. “In addition to finding you most attractive, I admire and respect you. And teasing aside, I have grown fond of you, a feeling that I flatter myself is mutual.”
“It is,” she acknowledged, pressing his hand. “After all, one does form a bond when one is able to reveal one’s true self and work toward a common goal.”
He had to steel himself not to flinch at that. “I know this is rather sudden. Why not pledge a temporary alliance? Keep the matter private between the two of us until after I call on Lynton and gauge his reaction. If he does not eject me from the house and come running to beg for your hand, we can consider then how to proceed. And if you decide you do not wish to continue the agreement, we’ll cancel it with no one the wiser.”
Her expression turned wistful. “You would do that for me?” Then she shook her head. “No, ’twould be an unthinkable imposition.”
“No imposition,” he argued. “Friends help friends. You would do all in your power to assist me, wouldn’t you?”
Absently she nodded, then stared into the distance, her hand still clasped in his. Will resisted the urge to carry her hand to his lips.
“You truly wish to marry me?” she asked abruptly.
Once again, Will took refuge in a safe reply. “You’re an heiress. I must wed one. Why not a lady whom I also happen to trust and esteem, one who shares my love for music—and tumbledown country houses?”
Chuckling, she nodded. “I did say we should be allies. And we do know where we stand with one another. Very well, Lord Tavener. I accept your ‘temporary’ offer.”
Suddenly there didn’t seem to be enough air to breathe. Scarcely believing he’d heard her aright, he struggled to draw in a lungful before saying, “Perhaps you’d better call me Will.”
WHAT HAD SHE DONE? The thought consumed Allegra all during the carriage ride to the house of Mrs. Randall’s friend, Lady Craig. Suddenly feeling shy around Lord Tavener—Will—she’d been relieved when he announced he would escort them there on horseback. Thankfully, since she was too rattled to make meaningful conversation, Mrs. Randall seemed content with the occasional murmurs of reply she managed to interject into that lady’s monologue about dear Amelia and the times they’d shared at school and during their first Season.
Soon enough they arrived. Tavener declined Lady Craig’s offer of refreshment, excusing himself with the need to return to his estate before darkness fell. Allegra felt both grateful and bereft at the idea of him leaving. After bidding everyone farewell, he clasped her hand once more before brushing a kiss over her knuckles.
Despite her gloves, she felt that touch all the way to her core, a fact which unraveled what little composure she’d managed to assemble during the drive. To her relief, Lady Craig did not detain them in the parlor, sending them instead up to their chambers to rest before dinner.
Once safe within the sanctuary of her room, Allegra was finally free to let her mind examine every detail of the walk in the garden that had culminated in that totally unexpected proposal. What should she make of it?
Seating herself before the chamber window, which offered a soothing prospect of the woods and hills beyond, she tried to take stock of her tangled emotions.
There’d been shock, certainly; dismay at having the casual equilibrium of their friendship upset—and a good deal of guilty delight at discovering that Lord Tavener truly did esteem her and had not just been toying with a maid who wasn’t as discreet as she should be.
He’d referred to their mutual fondness, but the level of friendship demonstrated by his offer truly astounded her. He’d displayed his perceptive and caring character before, the night he’d played to distract the crowd, the day he’d come to warn her about Sapphira. But she was awed and humbled at realizing how far he was prepared to go to help her secure what she wanted.
When she considered the possible outcome of this ploy, her stomach plummeted and her knees turned to jelly.
Would Will’s offer shake Rob from his seemingly impenetrable complacency? Shocked to discover she was sought by another, would he rush to declare his undying affection, confess he had loved her all these years, as she had loved him?
It had been a favorite illusion of her youth to imagine Rob riding in on a dashing steed and storming into Papa’s presence to beg for her hand. That girlish dream had faded in recent years, not to be revived until her presentation catapulted the scenario out of fantasy into the realm of the possible.
A coil of fear wound in her stomach at the idea of forcing Rob’s hand. What if he loved her, but was not ready yet to make a declaration? Would Will’s pursuit cause him to back away?
But if he were not ready to claim her now, when would he be? Will was right; better to find out straightaway if in entertaining hopes of a proposal from her childhood hero, she’d merely been spinning castles in the air. She didn’t really wish to wait any longer while she endured the small snubs, the whispering and the gossip of the ton—and the irritating necessity of appearing demure, modest and retiring. Nor did she relish remaining always on the alert lest Sapphira conceive some new plot to discredit her.
At that moment, a knock sounded, announcing the arrival of the maid Lady Craig had sent to help her dress for dinner and ending, for the moment, her ruminations. Though Allegra tried to keep the still-unresolved swirl of thoughts from her mind, as the evening progressed she blessed the fact that Mrs. Randall and Lady Craig were such good friends that they required only a modicum of dinner conversation from her. After that, she was able to take refuge at the pianoforte, playing through a repertoire of selections while they chatted.
Her fingers moving through the familiar pieces by rote, Allegra let herself contemplate again what she meant to do over the next several days. If Rob did beg for her hand, her future was settled. But…what if he did not?
Despite the fact that she was indeed fond of Will, should she really consider his offer? She was more than half convinced he’d tendered it only because, despite his assurances to the contrary, he didn’t expect her to hold him to it. Even if he were seriously considering marrying her, she feared the modest sum Uncle Robert had bequeathed her wouldn’t go very far in refurbishing his estate.
A true friend ought not to bind him to a promise that prevented him from making the much more advantageous match to which his birth and family connections entitled him.
