"Me too," she sighed. "I'm so in love with you." She began to cry then.
Blake stared at her in horror. "My darling, I'm sorry. Whatever I've done wrong I didn't mean it. Please don't," he begged, cradling her against him.
She chuckled softly and shook her head. "I'm crying because I'm happy, you silly man. You really don't know anything about women, do you? Despite all of your clinical expertise."
Blake rolled Arabella down into the bed beside him and held her close. He gentled the hair back from her face and admitted, "I cried with joy myself a bit last night. I can't believe- I'm so sorry for everything."
"I've already told you, it was for the best."
"Every waking moment with you has been torture. I've lied to you, lied to myself. Pretended to be something I'm not. That I didn't love you."
She stroked his cheek tenderly. "It doesn't matter now."
"I just hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been with you in the library."
"I would never have married Adam, I promise. Or his brother. I knew I loved only you. I suppose I was working on being worthy of you. I'm young and foolish, I know, and I thought my desire was a serious character flaw. Now I know it's not. It's the way you love me, make me feel when you touch me. One finger upon me, and I melt."
He grinned from ear to ear, and it was the happiest he had ever felt is his life. "My heart is soaring. I'm so proud I want to just shout it from the rafters. But we need to decide what to do next."
He gasped as her hand moved again. "No, love, not that. I mean about the wedding. We need to tell people. We need to ask Mr. Jerome what he thinks too. I mean, it would be very bad form not to at least consult with him about what's happened. That we're in love. Always have been."
She frowned slightly. "Do you think we should say that? It makes it seem as though we've been deceiving everyone."
"The only ones we've really been deceiving are ourselves. We must tell the truth. I want there to be no taint on our marriage."
She stared at him open-mouthed. "The truth? Even about this?"
He shrugged. "Well, don't volunteer the information, but if he asks you outright, don't lie."
She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
He held her close. "What is it, love?"
She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Now all of a sudden, with you talking about the real world, I'm afraid. The magic we just shared seems to be vanishing, evaporating in the cold harsh light of dawn."
He kissed her lingeringly. "Don't look so worried. It may be hard at first, but we need to stand firm. My love for you will never waver. Don't let them try to talk you into anything you don't want. And ignore what people say. They will talk, of course, try to create a scandal. But with any luck, any babies we have will be born at a decent interval after we're married, and so they can talk all they like. It won't harm us."
She chewed her bottom lip worriedly.
He kissed her one last time, and then stretched and rose from the bed. "I need to get up and dressed and out of here. No sense in shocking anyone more than we have to, now is there? I want you to stay in bed late. We can give the excuse of two late nights in a row in case anyone asks, but I have the feeling there will be few early risers in this household today after the ball last night."
"When should we see Mr. Jerome?"
"Whenever you think. This afternoon?"
She nodded.
"I've spoken to Jonathan Deveril, hypothetically of course, and he can arrange the special license and the ceremony. I think just a small one in the church with the light streaming in from the stained-glass windows. Unless of course you want a big ceremony."
"No, not at all. We have no real family apart from my cousins, so just a few close friends."
"We can start drawing up the list."
"The main thing will be the wedding breakfast, where to have it, what to have."
"Anything you want is the short answer, my love. If I say no more than that it's only because I know that you'll make the most splendid arrangements. I'm happy to do whatever you want to make the day special. Just let me or our servants know, and it shall be yours."
"Thank you." She kissed him tenderly.
"Jewels, gowns, a wedding trip?"
"You can decide on first and last, and advise me on the second. I want to look beautiful on our special day, but would not wish to cause you unease."
He chuckled. "You do every time you look at me with those gorgeous eyes of yours. But do stop making me sound like your guardian. I rather think you dressed a bit more voluptuously on certain occasions, last night for instance, would definitely be a good thing."