“Tristan,” she said softly, but her heart raced as she took in his presence. “You look as if you have been riding all night.”
“I have,” he said, with a wry smile.
She gasped. It was reckless, even for Tristan.
“Diana, may I come in?” he asked, his gaze steady but imploring.
She hesitated, but the intensity of his expression compelled her to step aside, allowing him to enter. As he crossed the threshold, the air between them crackled with unspoken tension.
“Thank you,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I know this is unexpected, but I needed to see you.”
“Why?” Diana asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you come here?”
“I had to come,” he said simply, staring into her eyes.
Diana’s heart was pounding. “You should not have come here,” she said, her voice cracking under the intensity of his gaze. “I left because I could not bear to see you, and you will not leave me alone. I came here for peace, and you are ruining it all. How did you even find me?”
Even as she said the words, though, there was a sense of tension in her feelings. She wanted him to leave, but at the same time, she wanted to know what he had to say. But she could not allow herself to hope. He had broken her heart once already.
“I asked everyone I could think of where you might be. I could not rest until I had found you. And I came because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you,” he said, stepping closer. “I’ve spent days trying to convince myself that I could let you go, but the truth is…I can’t. I love you, Diana.”
Her heart raced at his confession, but a wave of confusion washed over her. “You shouldn’t have come here,” she said again, trying to maintain composure. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me. And what about Grace?”
“Grace does not want to marry me, as you well know, and I do not want to marry her.”
Diana nodded. It was exactly as Grace had told her, and she was relieved, in a way, that everything was settled between them. But Tristan saying that he loved her? It made no sense.
“Tristan, this isn’t fair,” she replied, her voice trembling. “You can’t just waltz back into my life, after everything that’s happened. I don’t think you know what you’re doing, not really.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” he insisted, his voice firm yet tender. “I’m risking everything to be here with you. I cannot imagine a life without you in it.”
She stared at him, so full of emotion that she was unable to speak.
“I know I hurt you,” he said, his eyes filled with regret. “But I’ve realized that I can’t marry anyone else. I cannot commit myself to a woman I don’t truly love. Diana, you are the only one I want, the only one I can envision a future with.”
Diana felt her heart swell with longing, but she also felt a deep sense of fear. “You say this now, but what happens when the reality of it sets in? What happens if you change your mind, if you leave again? I don’t think I can bear it a second time.”
“I won’t leave,” he vowed, stepping closer until the air between them felt charged with possibility. “I want to stay. I want to build a life with you.”
“Tristan - ” she began, but his expression shifted, and before she could finish, he fell to one knee before her, taking her hand in his.
“Diana,” he said, his voice steady and filled with sincerity, “will you marry me?”
Her breath caught in her throat, surprise flooding her senses as she stared down at him in shock. This was not how she had imagined a proposal - if she had dared to imagine one at all. “You can’t be serious,” she managed to say, her heart racing.
“I am serious,” he replied earnestly, his eyes searching hers. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I want to spend every day with you, to love you and cherish you. Please, say you’ll be mine.”
Diana’s heart raced as she processed his words. She felt a rush of emotions - love, hope, fear - all colliding within her. She took a step closer, her heart pounding, and before she could think, she leaned down and kissed him, feeling the warmth of his lips against hers.
Just then, the door swung open, and Clara walked in, her eyes widening in shock at the sight before her. “My Lady!” she exclaimed, scandalized. “What are you doing?”
Diana pulled away from Tristan, cheeks flushed as she turned to Clara, who looked utterly horrified. “Clara, it’s- ”
“You – you must not allow this!” Clara stammered, her eyes darting between them.
“Clara, please, it’s not what you think!” Diana insisted, feeling embarrassed but defiant all at the same time. “We’re engaged!”
Clara’s jaw dropped, and she quickly closed the door, her face a mask of shock. Diana turned back to Tristan, who was chuckling softly, amusement dancing in his eyes.
