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“In truth, I would be quite flattered.”

He beamed. “I’ll do it today, then!”

That surprised her. “So soon?”

“I don’t want to wait,” he said. “I feel as though I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity.”

He grabbed the bottle and refilled his goblet of wine, then held it up, smiling at her.

“A toast?” he asked.

She held out her own goblet for him to fill. “What are we drinking to?” she asked.

“To new beginnings,” he said. “To the start of an exciting new adventure together.”

She nodded. “I can drink to that.”

They tapped their glasses together and each took a long swallow of wine, Valeria reflecting that it had been a long time since anything in her life had seemed as promising as it did in this moment.

Duncan came striding up the hill, and Valeria moved self-consciously away from Lord Woodsford on the picnic blanket, even though the two of them hadn’t been sitting that close.

“Well, is there any of that wine left?” Duncan asked, resuming his seat. Valeria wondered if her cousin could sense the change in the atmosphere between the two of them, if he knew that things were different now.

If he could, he didn’t say anything. He simply poured himself some more wine and leaned back on his elbow, taking a long drink.

“You should walk down to the stream, Valeria,” he suggested. “Take a look at the frogs.”

“Perhaps another time.” She didn’t want to leave Lord Woodsford’s side, even though just thinking that made her feel a bit silly.

“Well, what about you, Thomas?” Duncan asked. “Great big bullfrogs, they’re really not to be missed.”

“Actually,” Lord Woodsford said, getting to his feet now, “I think I’ll go back up to the Manor.”

“Back up to the Manor?” Duncan frowned. “But why? It’s such a fine day, and we still have plenty of wine. I would have thought that you would want to stay. Are you going home already?”

“No,” Lord Woodsford said. “Not home. But I feel the need to have a conversation with your mother.”

“What do you want to talk to Mother about?” Duncan asked.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he looked from Lord Woodsford to Valeria and back again. “Wait a moment,” he said.

Valeria felt herself blushing hotly.

“You two are going to enter into a courtship!” Duncan exclaimed. “That’s what you want to speak to Mother about, isn’t it? You’re finally going to ask her permission?”

“I thought I might,” Lord Woodsford said.

“But this is wonderful!” Duncan said. “I know how long you’ve admired her!”

“Duncan!” Lord Woodsford said. Valeria flushed even more hotly.

“Well, it’s the truth,” Duncan said doggedly. “I don’t know why you would want to hide it.”

“I don’t want to hide it,” Lord Woodsford said. “She knows how I feel, Duncan. But perhaps you should allow me to be the one to make declarations of that nature.”

“I’m sorry,” Duncan said, though he seemed rather unabashed. “But I think it’s wonderful, truly. Let’s all go up to the Manor right now, and you can ask Mother. I know she’ll say yes.”

“There’s no need for all of us to go,” Lord Woodsford said, smiling slightly. “I can manage perfectly well on my own.”