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‘I care. And I cared in Hungary. You hated lying to my grandfather about us. And I knew it would be a problem doing it again. And for so long. I thought if he pushed you, you’d panic and say no—’
His voice cracked and she stared at him in shock.
‘And I didn’t want you to.’
For a moment she thought she must have misheard him. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her breath was burning her throat. ‘Why?’ she said shakily. ‘Why didn’t you want me to say no?’
He stared at her and then bowed his head. ‘Because I love you.’
Her heart twisted inside her. ‘Don’t say that, Laszlo.’
Tears sprang to her eyes as he reached out and, taking her hands, raised them to his lips.
‘I will say it.’
He looked up and she saw that his face was wet with tears.
‘I will say it. And I’ll keep on saying it until you believe me. I love you. I only worked it out when we talked about my parents and their marriage, and I realised that I’d only believed in their love and not mine.’ He grimaced. ‘I should have just come right out and told you, but...’ He smiled weakly. ‘I’m so bad at this stuff.’
He shook his head.
‘I have trouble explaining it to myself. Let alone to the person I’m so scared of losing.’
She stared at him in exasperation. ‘So you thought it would be a good idea to make me believe that our relationship was only about sex?’
‘I’m an idiot.’
‘So it wasn’t?’
He screwed up his face. ‘Maybe a little bit—at the beginning. When I was angry and mean.’ He let out a ragged sigh. ‘But I’m only flesh and blood, and I don’t think you have any idea how sexy you looked in that blouse and skirt and those heels.’
He bit his lip.
‘But it changed. I changed. I wanted more. I wanted my wife back! I was going to tell you before the party but I bottled out.’ Letting go of her hand, he sighed. ‘If only I’d let you open the putsi when you wanted to,’ he said sadly.
Prudence reached into her handbag and pulled out the small leather bag that she hadn’t been able to face discarding.
He stared at it as though mesmerised. ‘Open it!’
His voice was husky and she pulled clumsily at the cord. With shaking fingers she tipped the bag upside down and into her hand tumbled an acorn, a key and a beautiful diamond ring.
She felt suddenly faint again. But this time with happiness. ‘Oh, Laszlo!’ she whispered.
‘Prudence—’ He reached out hesitantly and, taking the ring from her hand, slid it onto her finger.
‘I thought you didn’t want me,’ she said, tears rolling over her cheeks.
He stepped close to her and took her hands in his. ‘And I thought you didn’t want me.’ His voice cracked. ‘After the party I went to Mihaly and I told him everything.’ He clenched his teeth. ‘He told me to stop being such an idiot and tell you how I felt.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Actually, he didn’t quite use those words. They were slightly more colourful.’
Prudence laughed.
His smile faded. ‘But when I got back to the castle you’d gone.’ He took a breath. ‘Then I lost it and I told my grandfather everything as well.’
Prudence bit her lip. ‘And...?’
Frowning, Laszlo pulled her closer. ‘He told me I was an idiot too.’
She pulled away slightly and smiled. ‘I wish I’d stayed after all,’ she said teasingly. There was a brief silence, and then she said hesitantly, ‘Were they angry?’
