Anything. Anything you ask of me shall be yours,he thought. He did not have the heart to refuse her. Whatever she wanted, he would find a way to grant it to her.
“Lord Draydon has asked me who is responsible for me now,” she murmured. “He means to ask permission for my hand in marriage.”
Anything butthat.
“Absolutely not!” Oliver burst out.
Her head snapped up so suddenly and her eyes gazed at him in confusion. “Your Grace?”
To think of Claire in another man’s arms was enough to cause him physical pain. To think of her in the arms of the Marquess of Draydon was enough to drive him toinsanity.
“I will never be that man,” he told her, his eyes blazing in passion as an intense pain claimed his whole being. “I would never be able to give any man on this earth permission to marry you! Not when…” he choked and looked brokenly at her, “…not when I so desperately want to be that man for you.”
Claire looked at him in shock and he felt a sudden desperation seize him as he knelt before her and took her hands in his.
“I beg of you to reconsider, Claire,” he pleaded. “I know that you have feelings for Lord Draydon but he is not what he seems. Even if you cannot love me the way I love you, at least see the truth for yourself. He does not,cannotlove you the way I do. He is only interested in your inheritance!”
As soon as the words left his lips, Oliver immediately regretted them. He had not planned for his confession to end up like this but more than his own happiness, he wished for Claire to be happy and he knew deep in his heart that she would only be miserable if she chose to be with the Marquess. He had seen how he looked at Claire and knew that he only saw her as a lucrative investment.
“But…but…” Claire trailed off. “But I thought you didn’t want me!”
He stopped and looked up at her in surprise. “Why would you thinkthat? There is nothing I want more in this world than you.”
She shook her head as tears began to spill from her lashes. “You would not talk to me or even be in the same room with me. You ignored me forweeks. I thought you were angry at me!”
“Why would I be angry at you?” he asked her softly, reaching out to brush the tears that had trickled down her fair cheeks. “Why would I be angry at you when you are all that my craven heart longs for?”
“I thought you did not want me,” she murmured, her lips trembling. “That was why I accepted Lord Draydon’s attentions. But, oh, how I have missed you all this time! I wanted you so much but you did not even want to see me.”
“That was a colossal mistake on my part,” he admitted bitterly. “One that has kept us apart unnecessarily. Forgive me, dear Claire.”
He stood up and reached out for her and she fell willingly into his arms. His heart sang as he held her close and when he pulled back, he saw all the love in the world shining in her eyes.
Slowly, his lips descended over hers in a soft kiss that made his soul burst in elation.
Is this a dream? Or is this real? Could I really be holding her like this right now?
Reluctantly, he let her go and gave her a bashful smile.
“I…I had thought to do this properly,” he told her, a faint blush staining his handsome cheeks. “I do not want to do anything that might risk your reputation.”
She looked a little crestfallen but she tilted her head as a small smile graced her lips. “I understand, Your Grace.”
“We will tell everybody tomorrow,” he said, his heart overjoyed at the prospect of announcing to the world that they loved each other. “At breakfast, we shall inform Suzanna and Trixie of our courtship.”
“I would like that very much,” Claire said happily. She frowned and looked at him. “About the Marquess, I meant to speak to him so that I can break things off with him.”
Oliver frowned. “Are you sure? Do you want me to go with you?”
Claire shook her head. “I thought I should do it the next day. I told him I was going to meet him there after I…talked to you.”
His lips flattened into a grim line. “It would make me more comfortable if you took someone with you.”
“I thought Lady Suzanna would be able to accompany me as a chaperone,” she replied, tilting her head as she looked at him. “Do you think that would suffice?”
“I am not entirely comfortable with that, but these things need to be dealt with,” he grimaced. When he saw her look down, he could not help but pull her closer. “It is no fault of yours, my darling. So much had been left unsaid between us.”
She smiled softly at him. “I only wish you had not kept it to yourself for so long, Your Grace.”
