"How dare you?"
Louise did not let him finish his sentence before she pushed him off her and stormed out of his office.
Callum ran after her and before long, he caught up to her.
"Louise, did I say something wrong?" Callum asked.
"You want to marry me out of pity and yet, you ask if you have done something wrong," Louise said, "you do not have to marry me out of guilt or pity. I would rather deal with being ostracized by thetonthan marry a man who pities me."
"What? I do not wish to marry you out of pity," Callum seemed surprised at what she had just said, "I want to marry you because I love you. I want to marry you because I cannot possibly spend another day not waking up beside you."
"But...you have sworn off marriage, haven't you?" Louise asked. Her heart was beginning to swell with joy but yet, she willed herself not to believe it, that her dreams of being with the man she truly loved were finally coming true.
"Louise, when I swore off marriage, it was because my heart has been broken by the woman I loved. Ever since I met you, however, your love has started to heal that wounded part of my heart. I tried to fight it at first but there was no denying it, the love I feel for you is greater than anything than my hurt," Callum said.
Louise's chest heaved as Callum's words sank in. She could not believe her ears, not yet at least. "Why then did you not tell me this earlier?" She asked.
"I suppose I was blind. Until tonight when you told me how you truly felt for me, I thought that you did not feel the same way for me. I thought Felington was the one you loved and you would never wish to marry a man that used to be a rake," Callum replied.
"Oh, Callum," Louise said, before clearing the space between them and hugging him fiercely.
They stood there, hugging each other while Callum softly patted her hair. "I suppose the answer is yes, then," Callum said.
"The answer could not possibly have been anything other than yes," Louise said. "I couldn't fight my feelings for you even if I could." Another thought crept to Louise's mind then and she took a step back. "But what about the Duke?" Louise asked. "You know that he is vehemently against the idea of you marrying a lady like me."
Callum shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever the Duke thinks does not matter. I do not care if he does not approve of us, we would still get married regardless. Now, come here," he said, pulling her to himself, and kissing her.
The kiss was nothing like the other kisses that they have had. For the first time in a very long while, Louise did not feel burdened by all of her problems and because of this, she was able to put her all into the electrifying kiss.
* * *
Louise walked into the drawing room to see her mother and aunt already waiting with a woman that she knew as the dressmaker.
"Lady Louise," the dressmaker greeted.
"Wouldn't she make just the perfect bride?" her mother said, smiling affectionately at her before dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Mother, are you crying again?" Louise said, as she rushed to her mother's side.
"I...I just cannot believe that my own daughter is about to get married," Louise's mother said, "it seems just like yesterday when I birthed you and now you are grown enough to be a bride."
Louise chuckled. "Mother!"
"I am just really happy that you have found the perfect man for you. I see how happy you are when you talk about him," her mother continued.
"I suppose the Madsen men are talented when it comes to making ladies happy," Aunt Theodora said and they all laughed.
"The wedding dress, my lady," the dressmaker said.
"Ahh, that is right," Louise nodded, as the dressmaker rolled out fabric after fabric for her wedding.
It had been just two days since the Duke's ball where Callum asked Louise to marry him, and now, the wedding preparation was abreast.
Aunt Theodora picked up a green fabric. "This is quite lovely, don't you think?" She asked Louise.
Louise pondered over it for a while. "I would prefer a color that is light and not as overwhelming as green."
"Then you would certainly love this one," the dressmaker pulled out a light pink fabric.
