Verity could hardly keep the tears inside as she ran her eyes over Philip’s body. He truly did look like he had been through the wringer with all of this, which only flooded her with even more guilt. The accident might not have been her fault, but because she was the one riding in the carriage, she knew that she was always going to feel badly about it.
As his eyes flickered open, her heart raced with a mixture of nerves and anticipation.
“Verity?” he murmured, surprise evident in his tone. “What are you doing here?”
As he sat up a little straighter, Verity’s anxiety spiked. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this or not. She did not exactly know what to say.
“Your mother… she sent for me,” he confessed. “She urged for me to come and see you.” Verity swallowed hard. “She said that you were asking for me. Calling out for me as you were unconscious.”
As Philip’s face broke out into a smile, all she wanted to do was return that look, but she could not quite manage it.
“I am so glad that my mother reached out to you,” Philip told her warmly. “It’s absolutely wonderful to see you Verity. I feel incredibly lucky to have you here. And my goodness, you are a sight for sore eyes, always so beautiful, such a shining light.”
Philip had always been very kind to her, but those words really knocked her off kilter.
A flush burned in her cheeks and a wave of emotion cascaded through her as she realized the depth of his feelings for her. She had hoped that this would happen, but she did not daredream for it just in case she had her heart torn from her chest and stomped upon.
With a determined effort, Philip pushed himself all the way up, with his gaze locked on Verity’s the whole time. She felt like he could see right into her soul, and she was excited by that. He sucked in a deep breath before he started talking. “I have something incredibly important that I need to tell you, Verity.”
Verity’s heart began to race painfully against her rib cage. She sat up a little straighter and tried to roll her shoulders back confidently.
“Of course,” she rasped. “Whatever it’s that you need to say, you can say it.”
“My wife passed away, five years ago,” he started, the emotion of this lacing his tone. “The woman who I thought that I would spend the rest of my life with. Losing Juliana left me with an intense fear. I was gripped by terror at the idea of moving on and opening my heart again. I did not think that I would be able to do it.”
She didn’t respond, sympathy for the broken man before her flooding her.
“But meeting you,” Philip continued with a smile. “Has changed absolutely everything for me. You have changed my life. You have given me a second chance at love and happiness. From the very first moment I saw you, Verity, I have felt my heart open up again. I have felt warmth in my life once more, and I have to thank you for that.”
Verity had dreamed of hearing these words, but they still shocked the air right out of her lungs. After everything that they had been through together, it was incredible for them to be here. Together. In this beautiful moment where they could finally express themselves honestly. Her heart wanted to explode with love and happiness.
“I have fallen in love with you, Verity,” Philip declared. “Truly and deeply. I cannot imagine my life without you now, and I don’t want to.”
Verity did not even realize that the tears had begun to stream down her face until her cheeks felt soaking wet. She brushed a couple of them away, but they kept on coming.
“Philip, I have fallen in love with you too. I did not think that I should have done because I, of course, am a jilted spinster and you are so far above me, as the scandal sheets have constantly tried to remind me, but…”
“Oh, Verity, you are so much more than a jilted spinster,” Philip laughed. “The man who jilted you is an absolute fool. I cannot believe that he would have a chance to marry you and spoil it. But I am also grateful because it means I get to love you instead. And as for ‘spinster’, well I think that is absolutely ridiculous. Your age absolutely does not define you in any way. To me, you are just the most perfect woman on the planet.”
Verity was left speechless. That was the nicest thing that anyone had ever said to her. Truly. She could not believe that Philip had turned the words of the scandal sheet around and turned them in to a compliment. That was something she assumed was impossible, but he had done it. And he had left her drowning in her emotions.
“Well, I have fallen in love with you, even if I should not have done so,” Verity admitted with a teary chuckle. “And I am grateful that I did not get married four years ago as well, because that would have meant that I missed out on the most profound love of my life.”
“Verity,” Philip began, his voice shaking slightly, “you have no idea how much your presence means to me. When I was unconscious, I kept calling your name because... because you are always in my thoughts, my dreams. You are the reason I fought to come back.”
Verity’s eyes widened. She squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue.
“I never thought I would find love again after Juliana,” Philip said, his voice gaining strength. “But you have shown me that my heart can heal, that it can love even more deeply than before. You have brought light into my life, Verity. You are my second chance at happiness, and I cannot imagine a future without you. I would not want to imagine a future without you.”
Verity’s breath hitched, her tears shimmering in the dim light of the room. She clutched Philip’s hand tighter, drawing strength from his touch, and gathered her courage to reveal her own truth.
“Philip, there is something you need to know,” she began, her voice trembling. “My brother, in his desperation to see me settled, pushed for me to marry Ambrose. He even went so far as to accept a marriage proposal on my behalf.”
Philip’s eyes widened in shock and concern. “Verity, I had no idea. What happened?”
Verity took a deep breath, steeling herself to continue.
“I stood my ground, Philip. I refused to be forced into a loveless marriage with a gentleman I could never respect or desire. I told my brother that I would not marry Ambrose, no matter what. I told him I deserved to choose my own path, to follow my heart.”
