“Yes,” she said, her voice juddering a bit between her gasping breaths.
“Wait, was that a yes? You’ll stay married to me?” he said in hope.
“Yes!”
He stood hurriedly and moved toward her then he halted. She could have sworn he was about to kiss her. Her stomach coiled with excitement when he came near, but when he halted, she saw the fading smile and realized what had held him back.
“Remember when I told you not to kiss me on the lips again?” she asked softly.
“How could I forget?”
“Well, forget it now. Please, forget that I ever made such a foolish request.”
“Thank God for that,” he said with a laugh and moved towards her.
In one swift movement, Frederica felt Allan slide his hand across her waist, curving across her back so that she was pulled toward him. Then his lips met hers.
It was a chaste kiss, the mere press of lips together, but it meant everything to Frederica. As her hands curled around the lapels of his jacket, holding him near, the kiss became ever more intense. It was a thrilling feeling, the kind she had only glimpsed before as he had kissed her when they were playing blindman’s buff.
Then she realized something. This moment would not be complete until she had told him one more thing.
“Allan,” she tried to pull back though he stole another swift kiss. She laughed and kissed him back before pushing him away enough to talk. “Allan, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
He looked at her expectantly, kissing the back of her hand as he could not get to her lips.
“I love you, too.”
At her words, he revealed a radiant smile and kissed her again.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
“Are you ready for this?” Allan asked, offering his hand to her as she stepped down out of the carriage.
“I am.” Frederica smiled with surprising confidence welling up inside of her.
Ever since Allan had come to retrieve her from Cornwall, she had been ready for this, had wanted this moment to come. Now it was here, and she was more nervous. She was facing the prospect of turning her back on her parents for good if they did not accept all that they had done wrong in her life and agree to have a fresh start.
Frederica smiled as Allan took her hand and led her down the path toward the house. When he squeezed her hand comfortingly, she held him tightly back, thrilled at the feelings that were emanating through her body from his touch.
They’d had a very pleasant week indeed. Far from returning to the house in London at once, they had instead spent a few days in Cornwall together. Frederica had shown Allan the local beauty spots which she had fallen in love with so much, and the two of them had made a plan to come back to Cornwall every year from now on.
When they had returned to the house in London, they had shut themselves off from the wider world and chosen just to be together for a few days. In those days, Frederica had discovered even more about Allan. Everything she was discovering was making her love him even more which was something she had not thought possible.
Beside the stoop leading to the front door, she halted, her nerves creeping in again.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Allan whispered in her ear. “We can go home right now. We can go back to making plans for the future and talking about what we want.” He soothingly ran a hand up her spine. She shivered with delight at that touch.
They had spent all morning in his bedchamber, sitting on a rococo settee and planning their future. When Frederica had confessed that she would like children someday, she was shocked at the smile which had spread across Allan’s face.
From now on then, we can keep that door between our chambers unlocked.
She smiled just at the thought.
“If we went home now, what of this moment? I’d be delaying it.”
“I could write to your parents,” he offered, raising his head and looking at the house, “but it would not have the same effect as hearing it directly from you.”
“I know. You’re right. It has to be done.” She huffed, taking a step forward then hesitating again. “Do you think they’ve heard? About Lord Wetherington?”
