“So?” He asked, and her heart started to thud in her chest. It didn’t seem like he was going to give her any more time to think.
“Will you be accepting?” He asked, and there was intensity in his voice that she hadn’t heard before.
“Yes.” She said, and it was all she said.
There was no way that she could think to elaborate. There was no way to rationalize what she was feeling. Everything had been taken, and her father didn’t even want her back. Everything had changed, and she was no longer the lady that men would want to take as a bride, and yet here was this Lord that wanted her for her. Not for her title. Not for her father, and certainly not for her family’s wealth. In a way, it was more than Lauren could have ever hoped for, and so she wasn’t planning on letting that go anytime soon.
“Do you mean it?” He said, wanting to be clear that she had thought everything through.
“You’d never return to England.” He told her, and she nodded.
Lauren had already thought about everything she was giving up, and yet she knew that it was worth it. She hadn’t explored this land yet, but she wanted to. She had the desire to know everything about the people here. She wanted to know about the language that she couldn’t understand. She wanted to know more of the food she had tried. She wanted to meet more friendly people like Martha, and she wanted this.
“I know.” She said, and her voice was shaking this time but she was no less certain.
A small smile tugged at his lips, and she realized just how handsome the man before her was as he stepped closer, kissing her again before he told her that he had things to prepare, and she was once again left with her head spinning and knowing that in a matter of days her life had changed forever. There was no going back, but luckily, Lauren didn’t want to go back.
Chapter Seven
It had been a week, and yet it felt like Lauren had lived a lifetime. Things with Dugal had gotten more intense, and yet he was the perfect gentleman besides a stolen kiss or two. She wanted him to be more, and that’s why she was with him today. They had been horseback riding, as he had gotten her proper clothes to do so. He had given her a gift of a beautiful mare that was a golden color and seemed to have life and spirit in it that she loved. She had yet to name it, and yet she loved the horse that he had gotten her.
It was more thoughtful of a gift than anything anyone had ever offered her. She had read the letter for herself, realizing that there was no going back. Her father really had dismissed her off due to the scandal that he predicament would have caused him, and even thought it hurt, she had him to fall back on. Dugal’s there for me. She told herself, and it helped to calm her. He looked at her, and she was growing accustomed to the kilt that he wore.
“We can’t be here much longer.” He said, and she nodded.
“I didn’t think that you had much to do today.” She said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. Dugal had soon become her world along with Martha. She still didn’t dare to try and meet new people yet. She was still an outsider, but Dugal continued to assure her that it’d get better.
“Change of plans.” He said, and his voice was a little gruff.
She soon realized that everything about him gave away his emotions, but she couldn’t quite place what was going on this time. She looked out over the creek that they had stopped at so that the horses would get a drink. When she turned around, her breathe caught in her throat. There was Dugal, but he was no longer standing. He was on one knee.
“Marry me, Lauren.” He said, and it may have sounded like a statement but with the way his voice caught, she knew it was a question.
She knew that it meant more to him than he was letting on, and she nodded. Her voice was lost in the sea of emotion that swirled around inside of her as he slipped the beautiful ring on her finger. It had emeralds around the diamond, reminding her of this green land that she was coming to love. He picked her up, kissing her. It was deeper than before, and his tongue danced with her own, making her hold back a moan.
“There’s a banquet tonight.” He said with mischief in his voice, and she tilted her head back to laugh. Of course, he’s already planned it all. He even got me this horse as a gift. She thought to herself, and she couldn’t help but to shake her head as she mounted the horse.
“Then I suppose we should get back.” She said, and he nodded.
“After you, Lady Ansley.” He said, and that mischievous look didn’t seem to be going away. Her life truly had changed, but Lauren was more than happy to grow and change with it. To grow and change with him. She thought, and just as the first day she decided to take things into her own hands, the wind whipped in her hair and she could feel the galloping of the horse beneath her.