When the sermon finally ended—praise heaven—she made her way to him. “Good morning, Your Grace.”
“Good morning. Are you ready for your big day, Miss Temple?”
She nodded. “Yes, the pies and cakes have just arrived and are all being set out. Mrs. Curtis is boiling water for the teapots as we speak. The volunteers are about to take their places at the game stalls and food tables. I must run back now to assist.”
“Do you need my help?”
“No need—I’ll merely be walking around with a teapot offering tea.”
“Then you definitely need my help. You should not be lifting anything.”
She arched an eyebrow. “So, you are going to do it for me?”
“Yes.”
She gave a merry laugh. “The parishioners will adore it. The duke serving them tea on Christmas Day. No one will soon forget that. But no, I would not ask it of you.”
Edward cleared his throat. “I think you could ask anything of my brother and he would oblige.”
Her eyes brightened. “Truly?”
Jonas nodded. “We arebothat your beck and call, Miss Temple.”
“Make that the three of us,” their mother interjected. “I think it is a grand idea. The Duke of Ramsdale and his family serving the parishioners. Now, where shall we begin?”
Ailis looked stunned, but quickly recovered and graced them all with another of her breathtaking smiles. “Very well, follow me,” she happily chirped, and meted out the assignments.
Edward was soon flocked by young ladies offering to help him. Their mother was soon chatting up a storm with the elder ladies and gentlemen who looked upon her with sincere admiration.
Jonas was pleased. His family’s genuine warmth and dedication made him proud.
He realized something important while he continued to assist Ailis throughout the day. She comported herself with the poise and grace of a duchess, not requiring any training or lessons, for these qualities came naturally to her. In truth, she had more nobility in her than any of those diamonds brought along by his mother.
He watched Ailis as she gave out coins to each child as gifts. She had planned this as a means of providing a little something extra to each family without making it appear as charity, because many of these parishioners were proud and felt ashamed to have fallen upon hard times.
What he realized was that Ailis had a way of making people feel good at the same time she was making things right.
This was how she would always makehimfeel.
She had worked her magic on him just the other day, making him feel worthwhile even when showing her his damaged body. Until that moment, he had been feeling ratherworthless. Then Ailis came along and saw him with the clarity of her good and gracious heart.
She loved him for everything he was…and was not.
It was his own foolish pride that had held him back all these years. Perhaps not in the beginning, for his injuries were dangerously raw and life threatening. Even the pressure of clothing against his body, something as light as a shirt, caused him agonizing pain.
But he hadn’t felt physical pain these past few years. He’d stayed reclusive because of his wounded pride. Having grown up being told he was handsome all his life, having women fawn over him with no effort needed on his part, and having them worship his perfection, had given him a false sense of what was important.
It had also given him a false impression of whatperfectionmeant. Until now, he had placed too much importance on appearance. Did this not make him as shallow as thesetondiamonds he had dismissed as marriage prospects?
For these foolish reasons, he had kept himself imprisoned by his pride. It took Ailis and her persistence to remind him that he was worthy of love.
That she loved him was a final step in his healing. Her love was all he needed and wanted.
As the evening drew to a close, he went in search of her.
He meant to propose to her.
But suddenly, she was nowhere to be found.
