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Nicholas took her arm. “You look like you could use some air.”
“I could.” She fanned herself with her free hand. “It’s suddenly grown quite hot in here.”
He led her out the French doors to the terrace where guests were milling about and down the steps to the fountain in the middle of the garden. He released her arm and motioned for her to sit on the ledge of the fountain.
When she hesitated, he quirked a brow and smiled. “Are you afraid of getting wet?”
She scoffed. “Please, Nicholas. The water could hardly reach me. I would prefer it if we walked.”
He glanced around, growing dismayed. There were people around the fountain. Walking would mean being alone with her at some point and he did not trust himself alone with her. He did not want to be followed about by a chaperone, either.
“I think it is better if we remained here, closer to the ballroom…where everyone can see us.”
She seemed to understand because she nodded and sat on the ledge, tugging one of her gloves free.
Please don’t do that, Jenny.The ivory satin glove slipped down her arm. He’d never found something so innocent to be so seductive. He clasped his hands in front of him and rocked on the balls of his feet, looking anywhere but at her.
“Are you not going to sit?” she asked, dipping her fingers into the water.
“No, I am quite comfortable standing.”
“Oh.” She continued to play with the water.
“I want to apologize to you, Jenny,” he said after a moment.
“You expressed your feelings. You were being honest and I cannot hold that against you however affronted I am by it. Therefore, you do not owe me an apology.” She removed her hand from the water and shook it before placing it on her lap and looking up at him.
Instead of making him feel better, her words jabbed him like little thorns. “My grandmother—”
“Owes my father an apology for her insulting remarks, not you,” she finished for him, guessing correctly that he had been about to apologize on his grandmother’s behalf.
“You’re right. It was uncouth of her. She is old and—”
Jenny held up a hand. “Please don’t make excuses for her. We both know just how deliberate every action of hers is.”
Nicholas sighed. “Then I apologize for my own actions. Saying the thing I did was unfair. Do you forgive me?”
She held his gaze for a moment. “Are you truly back? For good?”
“I am.” Before now, the thought of leaving had crossed his mind every day but he believed he was going to stay now. He owed her that much.“I am, Jenny. And I want you to be my duchess.”
“I beg your pardon!” She nearly lost her balance and fell into the water.
