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The doctor looked back as Isaac and said dryly, “Do you require any attendance, sir? I believe you would be a far superior patient to this fellow.”
“No, but thank you, Doctor,” Isaac replied politely. He moved closer to Stephen’s face, which was still contorted in pain, and he spat on him with all the rage he had left in him. That only made Stephen wail more, and that was the last that Louisa or Isaac saw of him for a very, very long time.
The couple walked away from the wailing man arm in arm (well, Isaac’s one good arm, that was) towards Gregory, who looked like he could not have been prouder. As they walked, Louisa leaned into Isaac and said, “It feels rather cathartic enacting pain upon that man, doesn’t it? I felt so elated when I punched him this morning.”
Isaac looked to the beautiful, delicate young woman hanging off his arm. “You ... you punched him?” he asked in disbelief.
“Of course I did,” Louisa confirmed. “He was trying to threaten my family and you again, and so I …”
But Louisa never got to finish her sentence, for Isaac pulled her in and kissed her once more. It was a blissful, relaxed kiss that made them both happier than they could have expressed in words, and neither of them cared when the group of guests who had gathered for the duel began murmuring displeasure about what they were witnessing.
When Louisa finally pulled away, Isaac knew that he had to seize this moment to ask her something that he had wanted to for a very, very long time. “Louisa,” he whispered, his hands still cradling her face, “because this was supposed to be an engagement party, after all, what do you say to still becoming engaged?”
Louisa furrowed her eyebrows. “Wh ... what?” she asked, utterly perplexed. “I ... I don’t ...”
“To me,” Isaac finished, absolutely beaming. “I know that you still haven’t told me that you love me just yet, but I thought that maybe …”
“YES!” Louisa screamed, wrapping her arms around Isaac’s midsection and squeezing him tightly. His arm screamed in pain, and when she heard his pained noise, she immediately released him. “Oh, oh, I’m so sorry! Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, and I love you more than anything in the world!”
The couple laughed delightedly at the agreement and then kissed once more. This was almost too much for the collection of people who had assembled. They could not believe that in one day, they had got to witness a duel, a public display of affection, AND an engagement between the duke’s brother and the daughter of a disgraced family. If this weren’t enough to keep the gossip mill running for the next few months, nothing would.
Finally, when they pulled apart, Isaac took Louisa’s hand and led her over to his brother. Gregory still looked quite pleased, but he stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, which made Isaac nervous. He knew that marrying Louisa would cause a great scandal within the community, but the truth was, he did not care anymore. He would be a self-sufficient man soon, and if being with the woman he loved meant being out of society for the rest of his life, then so be it.
“Gregory,” Isaac greeted him when he and Louisa came upon him. “I take it that you witness what just transpired?”
Gregory gave his brother a slow, thoughtful nod. “I certainly did,” he said in a tone that irritatingly did not reveal how he felt about the development. Isaac looked to Louisa. Louisa looked to Isaac, and then they both looked to Gregory.
“And ...?” Louisa asked hesitantly.
Gregory gave the couple a dramatic pause and kept his face in a neutral position. Then finally, he said, “Miss Louisa, is your maid Sophie presently engaged to anyone else?”
Louisa shook her head slowly. “No ... why do you ask?”
The right corner of Gregory’s mouth turned upwards. “In that case, I am positively elated for both of you. I believe that your engagement shall distract Mother long enough so that I might have the chance to pursue Miss Flaherty in peace. And maybe, just maybe, the two of you will have caused such a scandal with your wedding that my marriage to a scullery maid won’t seem as surprising!”
Both Louisa and Isaac’s eyes widened. “WHAT?!” Louisa cried delightedly. “You ... and Sophie ... that is something more than just ... desire?!”
Gregory nodded. “Absolutely. I believe that in Miss Flaherty, I have found my kindred spirit. And I’m sure that the two of you understand well why I say that I will do everything in my power to ensure that we end up together.”
Louisa rushed to Gregory and embraced him joyfully, and then returned to Isaac’s side. Isaac shook his brother’s hand heartily and then turned to his new fiancée and said, “I do believe this calls for a celebration at your home, away from all of these guests, does it not?”
Louisa happily agreed, and so she, Gregory, and Isaac made their way to the Quinces’ carriage, and they chatted excitedly all the way to Louisa’s family home. Isaac could not believe the good luck that had befallen him today, and he could not wait a moment longer to begin his life together with Louisa.
