At Your Request (Apart from the Crowd 0.5)(24)
Turning back to Edgar, Wilhelmina arched a brow. “Did I hear correctly about something regarding a proper proposal?”
Edgar smiled a little sheepishly. “This wasn’t exactly how I pictured it, me sitting on a frozen lake of incredibly cold ice with seemingly half of New York society skating around us.”
Disappointment was swift and evidently showed on her face, because the next thing she knew, Edgar was leaning closer to her, his eyes suddenly holding that certain something she’d seen the night before at the ball, something that had her toes curling.
“Would it be completely untoward of me to voice a proposal this very minute?” he asked.
“Are you going to do so simply because a marriage between us is now expected, given that Mrs. Travers discovered us alone together?” Wilhelmina asked in voice that had turned slightly breathless.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why are you so determined to marry me?” She couldn’t resist asking, even though she was beginning to come to her own conclusion regarding that, a conclusion that left her feeling distinctly light-headed.
“I believe it might have something to do with the fact I love you, and . . . something to do with the fact that I know you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, and will ever love, so . . .” Edgar paused and sent her a small smile. “Please put me out of my misery and finally agree to become my wife.”
For a second, as her breath got caught in her throat, she could only stare at the gentleman who’d always been her very dearest friend, and evidently wanted to become an even dearer friend—albeit one known as her husband—for the rest of her days. Leaning in toward him, she smiled. “You do realize that I would have agreed to marry you even if you hadn’t solved the mystery of the missing fleet, don’t you?”
He traced a lazy finger down her cheek as his smile turned into a grin. “I would have investigated the matter even if I thought you wouldn’t accept my proposal, but . . .” He suddenly stopped smiling. “Wait a minute. Did you just agree to marry me?”
“I did, although . . . I do have some . . . conditions.”
“You have . . . conditions?”
She couldn’t help but grin at the incredulous look crossing his face. “They’re not difficult conditions, Edgar, and in all honesty, there’s only one.”
“And . . . ?”
“I think we should enjoy a long engagement, especially because it’s been seven years since you’ve been in my company for any significant amount of time. It could turn out that you don’t care for me as much as you think you do, and . . . while I don’t care to dwell on how miserable that would make me, it still needs to be a consideration.”
“I distinctly remember professing my love for you just a few short minutes ago,” Edgar said slowly.
“And while I distinctly remember you professing your love for me, something I assure you I’ll never forget, it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy a long engagement. Although . . .” Her eyes widened. “Good heavens, Edgar, I do beg your pardon. I’ve just now recalled that I have yet to profess my feelings for you, although I would imagine you’ve already figured out that I love you as well.”
“You . . . love me?” Edgar asked.
Wilhelmina smiled. “I readily admit that I do, although it certainly took me long enough to realize that what I’ve always felt for you is love of the deepest sort.”
“At least you finally did.”
“Indeed.”
Edgar leaned closer to her. “Very well, I will agree to your condition, but only if you’ll clarify what you consider to be a reasonable amount of time to get to know each other again, and if I agree that it’s not too long.”
“Hmm . . .” Wilhelmina began. “What about six months?”
“What about three?”
Without the least little hesitation, she nodded. “Done.” And then, before he could negotiate further, and even with the throngs of skaters circling them, Wilhelmina leaned forward, placed her lips on his, and found herself more than content with the idea that she’d be free to kiss his lips anytime she wanted to for the rest of their lives.
Epilogue
THREE WEEKS LATER
“I’m simply thrilled you permitted me the honor, my dear Wilhelmina, of hosting the ball that will formally allow society to know you’ve accepted Edgar’s proposal of marriage.”
Smiling, Wilhelmina turned to Nora Wanamaker, unable to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her soon to be mother-in-law’s cheek.
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Wilhelmina said. “And allow me to say, while you and I are waiting for additional guests to arrive, that I’m delighted you’re no longer put out with me, and . . . delighted to learn that you’ve been secretly holding out hope that Edgar and I would someday find our way back to each other.”
“I’ve spent a good deal of time at church, praying over that particular hope,” Nora said with a smile of her own before she nodded to where Wilhelmina’s father was standing at the end of the receiving line. “It’s wonderful to see your father out and about. I was afraid he wouldn’t be well enough to join the festivities tonight.”
Wilhelmina turned her attention to her father, who was still forced to use a cane, although the air of moroseness that had been settled around him for the past two years was nowhere to be found.