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“You were not coerced?”
“Indeed not. I wanted to be married to you. It was my chief desire. I confess I do not know exactly what the future holds, but who among us do? That is God’s privilege.”
True.
“But for those of us who claim faith in Him, we can be assured He is guiding our steps, that He can be trusted. And I know that you, like me, are trusting Him with your future.”
A future with Daniel in it. Her heart throbbed painfully. Imagine a future without him in it? No. No. She’d been imagining that for too long. And she didn’t have to now. For she had just promised herself to a futurewithDaniel in it. Together. Forever. Oh, how wonderful.
“I love you, Theo.” He drew closer, traced a finger down her marred cheek, his eyes intent on her. “Let me show you just how much you mean to me.”
And he drew her nearer still, breath warm against her skin as his lips traced her stain, then he touched his lips to hers, and kissed her once again.
Her eyes closed as his mouth softly pressed against hers before his lips firmed to cling more insistently. Under his tenderness the frost of hurt and confusion melted away, and she sank into his embrace, letting him hold her. Her heart was a flame, kindled by the sweetness of his lips, the gentle caress of his hands, the breath they exchanged and shared. And as he murmured sweet sayings to her, as he spoke of devotion and promise and care, and he kissed her again and again and again, she soon grew convinced that this man had needed no coercion, nor any persuasion, and had simply done what he’d said before. He’d married the woman he wanted as opportunity had presented itself.
And seeing she was so glad he had, she found she could not blame him at all.
Somehow the promise of a mere few hours across the border had turned into several days. She soon discovered Captain Daniel Balfour was every bit a man of his word and was taking his role of proving his love to her very seriously. She’d also discovered Mama had packed a small bag of clothes for Theo, items that Theo had blushed over, but which had been received most appreciatively by her new husband. She didn’t even know that Mama had kept the items destined for her trousseau. Seeing clothing her mother had labored over stitching half Theo’s lifetime ago seemed so poignant and strange.
How funny to think she had once dreamed and believed a gentleman might wish to wed her, only for no such man to appear for so long. For her to think she cared for a man only to see him marry her younger sister. To see those around her betrothed, wedded, and enjoying hopeful families of their own, while she’d been left wondering what was wrong with her. To learn that nobody but the man considered England’s hero could be the first—the only—to truly raise a flutter in her breast. Yet how wonderfully heartwarming it was to know Daniel seemed—for some reason—to think the exact thing about her.
She still didn’t fully believe it, so he tried to convince her, and really was most thorough in some of his efforts to show his love …
“Are you ready, my love?” He stole her attention from the carriage window.
“I suppose so.” She clasped his hand and gently squeezed. “Though I am not at all certain about the reception we shall meet.”
“I do hope you’re not going to concern yourself with what the likes of Lady Bellingham thinks of as proper.”
He kissed her hand, and the tingles leapt up her skin. “I’m afraid nobody thinks running off to Scotland to get married is proper.”
“Then let’s not tell them that. We can follow your grandfather’s advice and have a wedding in London. Three weeks of banns reading, correct?”
“Yes, but—”
“Would that make you feel more comfortable with things?”
“Yes. But doing so just to suit some conventions is not really what I wish to do.”
“Then we could simply ignore people’s speculations, seeing as we are married after all, and immediately head south, taking my niece and your mother with us.”
“But would that not smack of running away?”
“You need simply tell me what it is you wish to do.”
Her heart burned. For so long she had been at the mercy of others and their decisions. To know she now actually had a choice almost overwhelmed her.
“My dear?”
The carriage slowed and turned into the gates of Stapleton Court. While she didn’t expect to have to do any explaining today—all the family and staff were fully apprised of the situation—it would only be a matter of time before such explanations became necessary.
She exhaled. “I cannot believe that I’ve had so much time to consider this, and yet I still can’t decide what is best to do.”
“We could defer to your mother.”
“Yes. Mama might offer wise counsel.” Her lips twisted. “I’m rather of the impression that Grandfather would say other people’s opinions should be condemned to Hades.”
“I’m of the impression he’d word it rather more strongly than that,” Daniel murmured.
