Even a lifetime would not be enough, he thought to himself.
Fortunately, it was now very likely that he would be able to spend the rest of his life basking in her beauty.
When she came in and saw him, her eyes immediately lit up before she diverted them, a pale pink staining her cheeks.
“Oh, look! They’re all your favorites, Claire!” Trixie remarked, upon seeing the veritable feast laid out before them. She tilted her head to the side like a curious sparrow and glanced to Oliver and Lady Suzanna. “Why is there so much food today? Are we celebrating something?”
Oliver only smiled mysteriously before saying, “Yes, we are.”
His words made Claire blush all the harder as she took her seat. Trixie looked at them both suspiciously but said nothing as she happily ate.
The entire breakfast proceeded with a lighter air compared to the past few weeks. However, it could not be denied that there was a certain tension in the air.
Finally, towards the end, Trixie could endure it no more.
“Now, tell me!” she said, her eyes glittering. “What is the surprise? Are we going on another trip?”
Oliver laughed and cast a gentle glance at Claire, who smiled shyly back, her cheeks a blooming pink.
“Your sister and I discussed several things last night,” he told Trixie. “Among other things, I told her that I love her very, very much and she has agreed to allow me to demonstrate my affections.”
The entire breakfast table fell silent for a moment before Trixie erupted in a shriek of delight and Lady Suzanna hurried over to Claire, hugging her, laughing and crying at the same time.
“Oh, dear heart, I thought he would never get around to saying it!” she cried tearfully.
Claire only laughed slightly in response. “He did seem like he was ready to take his secret to the grave.”
“I would have, too, if you had not mentioned you meant to marry the Marquess,” he pointed out. “At that moment, I felt a sheer desperation and I realized I could not lose you to someone else.”
“You certainly took your sweet time doing it!” his sister huffed at him, before turning to Claire. “He is so fortunate you would even consider him after hiding out for so long!”
Oliver smiled at Claire. “Do not worry, sister mine. I intend to make up for all my past misdeeds.”
As he looked at Claire, he hoped that the remaining days of his life would be enough to show her just how much he loved her.
I love you,his eyes conveyed those words, hoping they would reach her.I love you. I love you. I love you.
And there, shining in her soft brown gaze was the silent answer to his prayers.
I love you, too.
Chapter 22
After all the excitement at breakfast, both Trixie and Lady Suzanna allowed Claire and the Duke to have a few moments to themselves to talk in relative privacy.
“Would dear Claire need a chaperone or can I trust you not to ruin her reputation before the courtship is over?” his sister teased him. She gave Claire one more hug before she laughingly left them in the drawing room.
“Do not allow him to bully you into anything,” she whispered to the younger lady.
“I promise to stand my ground in all things that matter,” Claire replied with a light chuckle.
“You probably do not need to worry overmuch about that,” Lady Suzanna told her. “He is already so smitten with you he probably cannot see straight!”
Oliver shook his head as he watched his sister walk out of the room. “And this is probably why she has never married.”
“I think Lady Suzanna is the most beautiful and talented lady in all of London,” Claire smiled. “She is, however, not as fortunate as I am to have found you and she is not willing to settle for anything less.”
A soft smile blossomed in his features. “You find yourself fortunate to have found me, my darling Claire?”
