The Duke Meets His Match (The Infamous Somertons #3)(49)

“Admire me? I’m ashamed of my past.”

“There is nothing to be ashamed of, love.”

Love. He’d called her his love. Could he mean it? Or was it a slip of his tongue? Her emotions whirled, and her heart beat frantically in her chest.

He raised her hand and pressed his lips against her palm. “Nothing these hands have done is cause for shame. Release your guilt, Chloe Somerton, just as you have told me to release mine.”

She drank in the sweetness of his words and the cooling balm to her soul. She pressed her open lips to his, and she moaned as he cupped the back of her head and held her gently. She quivered at the sweet tenderness of his kiss.

“I love you,” she said.

She felt him stiffen, and for a heart-stopping moment, she realized she’d spoken the words out loud.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Marry me.”

She stared, thinking she’d imagined the words.

“Will you marry me, Chloe Somerton?”

“Michael, I—” She was afraid to breathe, afraid she’d break the spell.

His eyes darkened with emotion. “You’ve shown me kindness and bravery, and miraculously, you’ve given me hope. Hope that there is a chance for me to live a normal life. I’m not a fool to let that slip through my fingers. I know I should speak with both Huntingdon and Vale first, but I cannot wait. Please, say yes, and I shall visit the earls straightway.”

Oh my. She wasn’t imagining things. He wanted her as a wife, his duchess, even after learning the entire truth. She could barely breathe, let alone find the strength to speak.

“Chloe?”

She moved to kneel before him and cradled his face with both of her hands. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He kissed her sweetly, gently, and she felt the power within his body. A thought occurred to her and she pulled back. “What about Henry? What do we tell him?”

He let out a deep breath. “The truth. He is my responsibility, and I admit that I haven’t treated him fairly. My honor dictates that I look after him, not hurt him, and I shall tell him before I speak with the earls.”

“No. You are not the only one who feels guilty for treating him unfairly. In my heart, I’ve known for some time that there could be no future between us. I want to tell him.” This was something she needed to do. She may not be able to change the past, but she could do the right thing in the future.

“Chloe, I don’t think—”

“Please. Let me speak with him first. My sister’s dinner party is tomorrow night, and I shall speak with him then. Promise me you will not see Henry or visit Huntingdon or Vale until I talk with Henry.”

At Michael’s hesitation, she urged, “Promise!”

His lips thinned, but he nodded. “All right. I promise. Tomorrow night, not a day later.”





Chapter Twenty-One


After Chloe departed, Michael went to his bedchamber. For the first time since returning from the war, he felt a bottomless peace and satisfaction. There were no shadows across his heart. Chloe had come to him, had cared for him, and had helped him overcome his greatest fears. She’d put her trust in him and shared her own past, and he was in awe of her bravery.

Then, miraculously, she’d told him she loved him.

He basked in the knowledge. He’d never believed in love. The emotion was foreign to him. Loyalty, honor, and responsibility—these were traits he understood. But he knew he wanted Chloe in his life, and asking her to marry him was something he’d never thought would be possible for a man with his condition.

He had a new purpose. The future no longer seemed a dark, lonely place with visions of bloody battlefields, the acrid scent of gunpowder, or the terrifying cries of dying soldiers. The nightmares may never cease entirely, but with Chloe by his side, he knew the future was no longer to be dreaded and feared.

He needed to speak with Henry and explain everything. He hoped Henry would come to understand, to learn to forgive him for not confessing the truth sooner. He still intended to uphold his promise to Henry’s father and help and guide Henry with the earldom and all its responsibilities. Michael owed a blood debt he’d never fully be able to repay. It would be difficult to honor Chloe’s request to speak with Henry first, but Michael understood her need. Chloe felt guilty, just as he did.

Michael paced his bedchamber. He was restless. If he couldn’t attend to Henry, then he could see another. He opened the door and called for his valet.

…

“Mr. Michael! You came back,” Emily said.

Michael smiled at the child in bed. It was the late afternoon, and the room was empty except for Emily. The sounds of children playing outside carried through the sole window. “I promised I would, and dukes never break a promise.”

Emily leaned up on her elbows and eyed the book under his arm. “Is it another prince and dragon story?”

“It is. I searched my entire home, including the old nursery for the book. Everyone helped.”

“Everyone?”

“My entire household staff. I feared the book was gone, but my housekeeper found it tucked away in one of the spare bedrooms.”

Emily giggled. “How many bedrooms do you have?”

“Too many.”

“Does the book contain a prince and dragon story?”