‘Why did you not leave with Sir Loftus? Are you still betrothed to him?’
‘He...he was going directly to Hindlesham.’
‘Are you still betrothed?’
She bit her lip. ‘I am not,’ she admitted. ‘But that makes no difference. I will not stay. Please order a carriage to take me back to the vicarage.’
‘Of course, but hear me out first.’ When she put up her hand to stop him he said urgently, ‘Let me have my say, then, if you still wish to leave, I will send you home and never trouble you again. You have my word on that.’
No, I must leave. I must go now, before his siren words break my heart.
But she remained on the sofa as he began to speak.
‘Heaven knows mine has not been a good life, Grace. I was always in scrapes as a boy and I lived wildly in London, gambling, drinking, wenching. My marriage to Florence was arranged by our fathers, but even when I knew I could never love her I was determined to be faithful. A novel concept for an Arrandale, but I was determined to try.
‘Then everything went wrong and I was exiled to France. I believed my family had abandoned me and I wanted nothing more to do with them. I struggled to survive, Grace, I admit that my life there was not blameless, but Ididsurvive, I even prospered. I returned to England with a small fortune.’ He slipped to his knees and took her hands. ‘I want to stay in England, Grace, I want to restore Arrandale and make a home here for little Florence, but I cannot do it without you. I want you beside me. As my wife.’
She tried to free her hands. ‘I will not marry you for the sake of your daughter!’
‘No, for my sake,’ he said, holding her even tighter. ‘I love you, Grace, I cannot live here without you, knowing you are at the vicarage and as unhappy as I am.’
‘ThenIwill go away!’ She wrenched her hands from his grasp and ran to the door.
‘So you would run away, even though you love me. I thought you had more courage than that.’
She stopped, her hands pressed against the wooden panels as his words cut deep.
‘We love each other, Grace,’ he said. ‘Why does that frighten you? Is it because you think I might leave you?’
‘No! Because you will stop loving me!’ She gave a sob. ‘I have dealt with loss before. My mother, my aunt, when she married. Henry...but I n-never doubted their love. I am afraid you would stop loving me.’
She felt his hands on her shoulders.
‘I might indeed,’ he said quietly. ‘But not in this lifetime.’
Gently he pulled her around, but still she would not look up.
‘I have never met anyone like you, Grace Duncombe. I have never felt a love like this before. It consumes me, butyourhappiness is paramount.’ He put his fingers beneath her chin. ‘If you cannot be happy with me then so be it, but do not expect me to remain at Arrandale, where there are so many memories of you. That would destroy me.’
She was obliged to look up, but his face swam as tears filled her eyes.
‘I do not wish to destroy you, Wolf.’
‘Then marry me, Grace. I will do my best to be worthy of you. I hope in time I can prove myself, even if I cannot change the past—’
Grace gave a little sob. ‘Oh, Wolf.’
She put her hands up, cupping his face and pulling him closer until their lips met. He did not respond immediately, as if afraid to believe what her kiss was telling him. Then, suddenly, his arms swept around her and he returned her embrace with a passion that left her reeling. She clung to him.
‘I do not care about your past, my darling,’ she whispered. ‘Only the present and the future.’
His arms tightened. ‘I shall try not to disappoint you.’
She turned her head to kiss his cheek and when she tasted a salty tear, the final shreds of resistance melted. Her mouth sought his again and this time there was no hesitation. He plundered her and she retaliated, matching him kiss for kiss, allowing her instincts to guide her. She drove her fingers through his hair, pressing herself against him and feeling his body respond. She revelled in her power, threw back her head as his lips moved from her mouth and began to burn a trail down the column of her neck.
‘I want to make you mine, here and now,’ he muttered against her skin.
She shivered, her insides curling in delight. Wolf raised his head. She was pressed against the door, trapped by his body, and his eyes bored into her, so intensely that she thought they danced with blue-violet flames. ‘Stop me now, Grace, or it will be too late for you.’
