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“Pretty words.” Her father’s voice was heavy.
“Then consider this of me—why should I have felt so betrayed as to desire to hurt her that night, if I did not love her so deeply that my misconceptions were like wounds in my own soul?”
“Wounded pride does many foolish things.”
“So it does. But so does love.” His voice was clear and hearing him speak the words made Henrietta’s insides flutter.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Andrew leaning against the doorway, listening.
“Would you fight for her?”
“I would walk the fields of war again to rescue her from the slightest harm. Were it not that I feared it would break her heart, I would offer her my death in apology for my previous folly, and I would face a thousand nightmares to spare her a tear of grief.”
She was near tears of an entirely different sort, listening to him speak. She pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle the words that wanted to escape.
There were a few long moments of silence, then her mother rose. “You seem sincere, Lord Salisbury. But understand this—I will not have my daughter’s heart broken again.”
“Mother.” That was Andrew. Her mother’s eyes flickered to him. “I know what you and father are concerned over, but I’ll swear my inheritance as surety that Marquess of Salisbury isn’t inclined to hurt my sister. I think I should know if we had another rascal like Dovington in our midst.”
“I beg your pardon?” Daniel looked surprised.
Of course, she had not ever told him of her previous engagement.
“Lord Dovington. A young man near Henrietta’s age. He danced attendance on her in her third Season and offered suit for her. Henrietta was enamored of him, and the match did not seem a poor one, so we agreed to the courtship. He asked for permission to apply for a special license rather than posting the banns. And then he eloped with another.” Her mother’s voice was cool, but Henrietta could not stop the heat that rose to her cheeks at the memories.
“I do not suppose this Dovington resides in England?” Daniel’s voice was soft, a sort of deadly calm much like the tone he had used at Almack's when asking her to dance.
“He is not.”
“Pity. I would have enjoyed thrashing him.” His tone was matter-of-fact, and his eyes were glinting.
“After me, if you please.” Andrew spoke up.
There was a brief moment, then Daniel nodded. “Fair enough.”
Henrietta’s mother watched him a moment longer, then returned to her seat. Both of her parents exchanged quiet, speaking glances, before her father turned back to Daniel.
“My daughter seems to have feelings for you. And my son vouches for you. So, I shall permit your suit, for this moment. But be aware of this—break her heart or cause her any grief you might have spared her, and I will make you wish you had perished on the Continent.”
“If I am so foolish as to do so again, I pray you will serve me as good a lessoning as ever a man could have.” Daniel’s voice was soft, solemn, a vow and a promise and a request all in one. Then he rose.
Her breath caught in her throat as he came toward her, then drew her to her feet with gentle hands. “Henrietta, dear Henrietta. You have heard everything I said to your parents. And all I have said to you. But now I will say this: Will you forgive me my boorish and spiteful behavior of the night at Almack’s?”
“I shall.” She swallowed.
“And will you accept my apology, and my promise that never again shall I do anything to cause you distress?”
“I shall.”
“And will you do me the honor of accepting my suit, and my offer, that you should be my wife as well as my love, and that we should be joined together in love and in matrimony?”
Tears of joy welled up and spilled down her cheeks, but all she could do was look into his glittering green eyes as her breath hitched. Then she swallowed, and the words she had longed to say escaped. “I will. With all my heart.”
The kiss that followed took her breath away and made her feel as though she might never come back to earth again.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
The two months following the confrontation at Almack’s, and the subsequent meeting with the Stantons, were far more intense than any Daniel could remember outside an active campaign in the field. It was a whirlwind of activity and planning that threatened to drive him to distraction.
