The duke's interruption sliced through her rambling words, halting her mid-sentence. Startled, she fell silent, her eyes wide as she awaited his next move.
There was no point avoiding the inevitable any longer. She shut her eyes and lowered her head. Begging the heavens to make the moment hurry past faster.
"Look at me, Lady Jane.”
The duke's voice, though soft, carried a quiet authority that demanded her attention. Stuck in the trance of his all too melodic tone, obediently, she met his gaze, bracing herself for what she anticipated to be a stern rebuke.
To her astonishment, she found not harsh judgment but a gentle determination reflected in the depths of the man’s eyes. Before she could fully process or understand this, he spoke again, his words breaking the charged air of the room.
"I came here today to ask. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Lady Jane?"
The seconds went by and when the man before her did not retract his statement, or her rising from a wake, Jane could not help the sharp gasp of question that escaped her lips.
“Excuse me?”
