A Lady Never Tells(156)

“What do you mean?” Mary set the glass aside on the table and gazed up at him.

“I realized that love is not some idiocy dreamed up by foolishly romantic beings. Or, if it is, then I have succumbed to the idiocy.” He brushed his knuckles down Mary’s cheek. “I love you. I love you so much more than I ever loved Sabrina that it makes my feelings for her seem laughable. Tonight when I saw her, I felt nothing—not desire, not anger, not even contempt. I felt simply … nothing. All I could think about was you and how to ask you to marry me so you would accept. Then, of course, I made an utter mull of that all over again.”

“Yes, you did.” Mary smiled and took his arm, tugging him down to sit on the bed beside her. Wrapping both her arms around one of his, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“All of my excuses were drivel,” he went on, brushing her hair back behind her ear, “silly attempts to hide the truth from myself. The fact is, I asked you to marry me because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When I heard you scream tonight, when I thought I might lose you, I could not bear it.”

“Royce.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Royce …”

He turned to face her, taking her hand. “Let me do this again, properly. Marigold Bascombe, I love you more than life itself. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Yes.” She flung herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his face all over. “Oh, yes. I will marry you. A thousand times over, I will marry you.”

“I think once will be sufficient.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, holding her still as he looked into her eyes. “I intend to take full advantage of the one time.”

He leaned forward and kissed her. The familiar heat swept up between them, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. He kissed her again and again until finally, with an effort, he pulled away, standing up.

“I should go.”

“Why?” Mary smiled at him and lay back on her bed, her arms stretched provocatively over her head, her breasts thrusting up against the thin cloth of her nightgown. “No one else is here. It will be hours before they’re back.”

He stood looking down at her. Mary’s fingers went to the first tie of her nightgown and undid it, her eyes steadily on his. Her fingers slid down to the next tie.

“You vixen.” A slow, sensuous smile curved his lips. “I can tell you’re going to be a terrible influence.” He leaned over her, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her.

“I know.” Mary raised her arms, and he sank onto the bed, his lips lowering to hers.#p#分页标题#e#

“My beautiful hoyden,” he murmured. “My love.”





Epilogue




Mary slipped her hand into Royce’s beneath the table. He glanced at her, smiling, and laced his fingers through hers. They were at the breakfast table the next morning, and the seating arrangements there were always informal. Oliver, of course, sat at the head, but the rest of them were scattered up and down the table in random order. Even Charlotte had risen early, and Sam Treadwell had walked up from the village inn where he was staying, as he had been doing every day for the past week.

Sam and Rose were seated across from Mary and Royce, and it occurred to Mary that she and Royce must appear a mirror image of the other couple. She had been receiving curious glances from everyone all morning, and she knew that they had seen the difference in her and Royce. Indeed, how could they not?

Until now, everyone had been involved in eating, and any conversation had been restricted to polite small talk. But now, her hunger somewhat sated, Mary was eager to hear everything that had happened.

“I don’t understand,” Mary began, addressing Rose. “How did you know I was in trouble last night?”

“I couldn’t find you. You see, Miss Dalrymple had come to me and told me she needed my help. She said Lily had gone into the gardens with a young man and her reputation would be ruined.”

Lily let out a snort.

“I thought it was most peculiar.” Rose smiled at her youngest sister. “It didn’t occur to me that Miss Dalrymple was trying to harm me, but I thought someone had tricked her. I wanted to discuss it with you, so I told her that I would meet her outside, but I had to get my shawl because of the chill. I couldn’t find you, so I told Sam. We couldn’t find you anywhere. Then Lily ran up to us—”

“She had locked me in a room!” Lily jumped in. “Can you imagine? A little tiny thing, hardly bigger than a wardrobe. Miss Dalrymple gave me a note from the earl, or so it said, and he wanted me to meet him in this room. I thought it was terribly peculiar. But I was curious.”