Since Lord Ridlington’s death, Francis had been restrained and given Phoebe the space she needed to move past the horror of what had occurred, but he couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He loved her, absolutely, there was not a doubt in his mind, and he had no wish to live apart from her. The fact that she had agreed to stay in his house too suggested she had no wish to part from him.
Today is the day I stop waiting.He had a question to ask her, and it may not have been most aptly timed, but he had to ask it now.
“You look stressed,” a soft voice said with a giggle. He turned his head round to see Phoebe was approaching him.
She was dressed in a fine blue riding gown, so bold and colorful that she was a direct contact to how she had looked the night he had first met her. The sight of her beauty, with the deep neckline and exposed forearms made his breath hitch.
“You are beautiful,” he said softly. She blushed and smiled even more, holding his gaze as she walked toward him.
“You are too kind to me.”
“Truly, I am not,” he said, reaching for her. She placed her hands in his.
“You wished to say something to me?” she asked.
“I did, but…” He paused and looked toward the groom nearby. “First, come on a ride with me. What I have to say, I want to say to you alone.”
She blushed and turned toward the Andalusian horse. He helped her up, unashamed to take hold of her waist and help lift her onto the horse. He was thrilled when she blushed even greater at his touch.
She is no longer separated from me…
He quickly mounted his own horse and soon they were off across the estate. They took the same path they had taken on their first ride together, through the estate and up to the trees, until they reached the very top of the hill, looking over the tops of the trees and down to the house. From here, they had their race toward the stream where he had fallen in. Francis smiled recollecting the moment. From that first day with her, she had been different and brought him happiness. Since then, despite the pain her husband had brought, she had always made him happy.
They came to a stop at the top of the hill both breathing heavily as he looked to her, seeing the wind had mussed the locks of her hair until they blew unbidden behind her. He jumped down from his horse and reached for her, saying nothing. She took the signal though and clambered down too, coming forward until she placed her hand in his.
“What is it you wished to say?” she asked, breathing so fast that her chest rose and fell with the movement.
“I once asked you this before,” he said, clutching to both of her hands with their fingers interlocked. “I asked you to come away with me, and at the time, you were married.”
“I was,” she said, her lips flickering into a smile. “But I am not anymore.”
“Thank god for that,” he said, watching as she giggled under her breath. “Phoebe, I still wish to travel. I want to go to Egypt and Italy, all those wonderful places, but I don’t wish to go alone anymore. Come with me, Phoebe, but…this time, I don’t ask you to come away with me in order to run from what is here. I am asking you to come as my wife.”
Her eyebrows shot up and her lips parted.
“You’re asking me to marry you?” she said softly, her voice such a whisper that he had to bend down to hear her.
“Goodness knows when I first fell in love with you, Phoebe, but I do not want to live without you now, and I rather think you like my company too.” His jest brought a loud laugh from her.
“You can tell?”
“Just a little,” he continued the joke, leaning down toward her. “I promise to make you as happy as you have made me since you came into my life. Marry me, Phoebe? Please?”
She bit her lip for a second, before lifting herself up on her toes. She reached toward him, touching her lips to his. Lost in that kiss, he pressed the two of them together, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her closer to him. When they parted, they were both breathless, clutching to each other.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, desperate to hear the words.
“Of course, it’s a yes!” she said, giggling before reaching up to kiss him again.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
“Now the time has come to thank our congregation for coming to see the union of this man and this woman,” the vicar said.
Phoebe could barely stand still. She bounced on her toes, glancing just once to her left to see Louisa and Lady Dodge standing beside her, carrying bunches of flowers and looking as deliriously happy as she felt. She looked back to her right, to see Francis with his hand firmly in hers.
The smile on his cheeks was unlike anything she had seen him wearing before, with a thrilled contentment attached.
