The Season(83)

“Thank you.” She folded her hands in her lap, not knowing what to say. She couldn’t ask. That wasn’t very ladylike. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until she was certain she would go mad with curiosity. “Fine! Yes! Of course, I want to know!”

Before the words had left her lips, he had started to laugh. “Nine seconds. That’s how long you could go without asking.”

She smiled. “Truly? It felt like much longer. A quarter of an hour at least.”

He laughed again, pulling her to him, letting her rest her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear, slow and steady. When he spoke, she felt the words as much as she heard them. “We talked about my being in love with you. And about my wanting to court you.”

Her heart began to pound. “And what did he say?”

“He launched into a remarkably detailed lecture regarding the proper order of events when making this kind of request. Specifically, he thought the father should be consulted before the daughter runs any risk whatsoever of being ruined.”

She winced, flushing with embarrassment at the idea that her father thought she might be ruined. She looked up at him and said, “What did you say?”

“You have beautiful eyes.”

“You told my father that he has beautiful eyes?”

He smiled. “No. You distracted me. I told your father that, while I was very grateful for the lesson, I doubted I would ever have need of it again—because I was planning to court only one woman in my lifetime.”

Her breath caught. “And what did he say?”

“Does it matter?”

“Not entirely, no.”

“You realize that if you allow me to court you, all your opposition to marriage is going to have to be reconsidered.”

She smiled, feigning innocence. “What opposition to marriage?”

“Excellent.”

“But I am thinking we should have a long courtship.”

“Why?” He looked surprised.

“Because I find I’ve developed a taste for adventure.”

“That sounds dangerous. Not at all in character for a delicate flower.”

She laughed. “We know I’ve never been good at being a delicate flower. Besides, it shan’t be too dangerous.”

“How can you be so sure?”

She smiled brilliantly at him, taking his breath away. “Because, on my next adventure, I’ll have you by my side.”

He pulled her across his lap and they kissed, the emotion of the day and the promise of the future making it soft and sweet and wonderful. She sighed as he lifted his lips off hers and offered her one of his wide, beautiful smiles. Overcome with happiness, she threw her arms around him and laughed, wondering just how it was that she had come to be so lucky.