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She drew back and glared at him. “You know you did!”
He chuckled, even as a tear finally escaped and ran down his cheek. William, the man who had seldom smiled until now, actually chuckled—at her, at a time like this. And then he threw his head back and laughed. “You are such a delight, my darling Louisa. I did say it, and I will say it again. I love you. I will even declare that it was love at first sight, for you were not at all what I expected when I walked into Ashworth House.”
“What did you expect?” she couldn’t help asking.
“Not you. I could never have expected to find someone as wonderful as you. Oh, my dear Louisa, my love, I have lived with famine my entire life, and you are a feast for my soul.” And then he lowered his mouth to hers, and they feasted together.
* * *
They were silent as they walked back to the house, but Louisa didn’t mind and simply allowed herself to enjoy the peacefulness. Their conversation heralded the end of misunderstandings and the dawning of a new life together, one of love and challenge and companionship. There was more that still needed to be said between them, but she was confident now that those conversations would happen. William might never be the sort who volunteered everything on his mind or in his heart, but she understood that heart and mind now and trusted him. Honest conversations were an important part of marriage, and she would help him learn to trust having those with her.
They were nearly back at the house when they spotted Alex heading in their direction.
“Ah, there you are,” Alex said when he reached their side. “And you’re together. Excellent. Once again, I have been assigned to summon you to our parents, Louisa. And you too, Farleigh.” He looked thoughtful. “I always liked to think that the title of earl would amount to more than being an errand boy, but alas.”
William actually laughed at Alex’s silly joke. For the second time in one afternoon, William laughed.
Alex shot him a look of mock disdain. “Well, what do you know. My baby sister discovered a human being behind that block of wood you call a face.”
“That she did,” William said, grinning, before planting a huge kiss on Louisa right in front of her eldest brother and making her face heat up. “What a magnificent woman she is.”
“She ought to be after the inordinate amount of time and money my parents spent to make her more than the veriest nitwit. It was all Anthony and I could do to tolerate her most of our lives. She only became interesting quite recently, in fact.”
“Who precisely is this nitwit you are speaking of, brother?” Louisa asked, arching an eyebrow at him. “The one who constantly outshone you at mathematics and spoke such excellent Latin that you begged the tutor to make me leave? The one who shot the bull’s-eye during a country archery tournament? The one who—”
“Enough! I surrender,” Alex said, raising both hands in defeat. “You see what Tony and I have had to put up with all these years, Farleigh. I don’t envy you a bit.”
William laughed again, and Louisa thought her heart might escape the confines of her body and soar heavenward with joy.
Grimshaw opened the door when they arrived back at the house. “Lord and Lady Ashworth and Lord Anthony are in the sitting room,” he informed them. “They are expecting you.”
“Excellent,” William said.
Grimshaw shot him a puzzled look as he opened the door to the sitting room.
William strode into the room. “Lord and Lady Ashworth, Lord Anthony, welcome back to Farleigh Manor, such as it is. You are my welcome guests, and we will endeavor to make your stay as comfortable as possible—even if that means securing lodging in the village at the George and Dragon.” He smiled.
Louisa watched with glee the shocked looks that came over her parents’ faces.
Her father recovered his senses first. “Lord Farleigh,” he said, “I apologize for my progeny, who recently imposed upon your hospitality without permission and intentionally intruded on your privacy. I beg your pardon.”
“No apology is needed, your lordship,” William said. “I am glad they came. I should have invited Louisa here sooner. You see, Lord Ashworth, Lady Ashworth, it is I who owe you an apology, not the other way around,” William said. “I put you all through the strain of a forced betrothal for the sake of my own interests, after all.”
“He makes himself sound so selfish, Papa, when the opposite is the truth. He would sacrifice his own happiness for the people of Farleigh Manor.”
“It is turning sickly sweet in here,” Alex drawled, wandering over to the window.
William ignored him. “I love your daughter with my whole being,” he said. “I cannot imagine a life without her. Lord Ashworth, Lady Ashworth, may I have your permission—your blessing—to make Louisa my wife? I am acutely aware that I have little to offer her other than my heart and my promise to do all in my power to make her life a happy one.” He reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a folded paper.
“Stop!” Louisa cried, panicking. “If that is the special license you told me you’d obtained, don’t tear it up! Mama, I don’t want to wait to marry William. And there is a family chapel here, a lovely little place; William’s parents are buried next to it. I should like to be married there. Is that all right with you, William? I know it’s not a large London wedding, and I am your only daughter, Mama, but I don’t need that, truly. I would rather be married here since all of you are already here and Mrs. Holly and Grimshaw and Mrs. Brill and Mary and Matthew and Samuel and—oh, everyone—is already here.”
Mama turned to Papa. “It is a good thing I instructed your valet and my maid to pack for an extended stay after all, Ashworth. It appears we are going to be here for a few days.”
“I daresay you are correct, my dear. However, we have some marriage settlements to finish discussing first, Farleigh—unless you’d rather wait for your solicitor to be present.”
“Not at all, your lordship. And if you have any concerns about Farleigh Manor, I expect your eldest son has gathered all the information you will need.”
“You are undoubtedly right,” Papa said. “And if he hasn’t, then I’ll be doubly ashamed of him.”
