His chest rumbled under her as he chuckled. “I know. And it’s the most wondrous thing that has ever happened to me. It fills me with such joy and terrifies me all at once. I’d never meant to marry. I had every intention of leaving all I had to little George. But then, like the angel you are, you extended your love and… well, for lack of a better word, your grace. If you can see a future with me, I will do my best to fight for a glorious future with you.”
Sitting back on her heels, she gazed up at him. “And I will fight for you. Perhaps one day you’ll be able to see your own goodness like I do.”
A sniffle at the door brought their conversation to an abrupt halt and Alan rose to his feet, the action throwing her off balance. Quickly, he reached out a hand and righted her before her head banged against the desk.
She tried to look over her shoulder to see who was there, but the edge of the desk obscured her view of the door.
Then she caught sight of pale blue skirts.
Chapter 21
Alan should have been upset at his sister’s interference, but the bubble of euphoria that surrounded him had yet to pop. Carefully, he helped Grace to her feet.
“I can still see the edge of your dress, Emma, so you might as well come out.”
Gradually Emma peeked around the door frame, her face the picture of contrition. “I’d not meant to interrupt.”
She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with the edge of her handkerchief. How long had she stood there and what had she heard? His chest constricted. He’d meant to speak with Emma about his reactions, to share with her as Hamdon had encouraged, but the moment had never felt right.
Grace, too, retrieved her linen and mopped up the tears that had shimmered on her cheeks. Then another head popped around the other side of the door.
“Prudence! You should be in bed,” Grace scolded.
“My foot doesn’t hurt that much, and I wanted to visit Master George in the nursery.”
A masculine snicker met the pronouncement. How many other observers did they have?
Taking Grace’s hand, he pulled her into the hallway. “Hamdon, Lenning, what are your excuses?”
The two men stood shoulder to shoulder, battling guilty smiles.
“Thought you might want to go for a ride,” Hamdon said.
At his look of disbelief, the two ducked their heads like schoolboys who’d been caught in a falsehood. Glancing down, Alan saw the ruffle of a pink skirt behind their feet.
“And is that why you are hiding Mrs. Lenning behind you?”
Laughter burst from Emma. “No matter what it looks like, I promise it was not planned. Mrs. Lenning saw us all gathered near your door and came to see what the fuss was about.”
“Fuss?” Grace scrunched up her face.
Anthony gestured to the open court area of the house. “You left the door open and the court echoes.”
Alan’s face paled. It was one thing for a man to break down in private, but it was mortifying to know that the whole house had heard his tears.
“Thankfully,” Emma said, casting him what he could only describe as her conspiratorial expression. “The scene we stumbled upon was a happy occasion, not the distressful one we all feared.”
Relief washed through Alan and his grasp on Grace’s hand loosened. He’d been holding onto it far too tight, like a lifeline he worried would snap with his sister’s words. Whether or not Emma had heard the bulk of their conversation, he was uncertain, but her expression led him to believe the others had only heard his proposal.
“I suppose it is no secret that I have asked Miss Lenning to be my wife, then.”
His declaration severed strings of restraint and everyone chuckled. The sound echoed, but not in the way Alan had expected. He turned. Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons’ heads appeared at the top of the servants’ stairway. He smiled. Apparently there were no secrets in this house.
Congratulations flowed with hugs and happy chatter from the women and good-natured thumps on the back between the men.
Hamdon declared that a cask of champagne should be opened to celebrate, and Mrs. Gibbons declared she knew just the one as she rushed her husband off to prepare the drinks.
They all moved toward the drawing room, but when they reached the bottom of the stairs, Alan reached out and touched Emma’s arm to stop her.
