A groggy thought floated into her mind as she swallowed hard. If it was the afterlife, then all the stories about pain and suffering ending must have been a bunch of lies.
“Charlotte?” Jameson’s voice made her open her eyes and look to her left as her head lulled to the side.
His hair was shorter in a few sections, combed to the side as it usually was. His crisp white shirt clung to his body over a pair of cream breeches.
“My Lord?’ she croaked in a scratchy voice.
“Please, call me Jameson again. That is if you can forgive me for my appalling behaviour.” He reached for her hand with his and squeezed her fingers.
Her eyes still struggled to focus as they came to rest on his shoulders. One arm was covered in white linen, fastening his arm to his chest. Perhaps the past few hours hadn’t been a dream. Had the marquess really pulled her from a burning building and saved her life?
“Where am I?” She placed a bandaged hand on her forehead and attempted to sit up in bed. She’d dreamed of her mother and father telling her that everything was going to be fine now, that all would be well as soon as she opened her eyes.
“You’re in Lady Thornton’s care. She insisted you be left to rest here until we are married.” Jameson spoke softly as if he were talking to a child.
His words made her eyes shoot open in shock, creating a sobering effect on her mind. “We are to be married?” Her voice seemed a little clearer as she looked at him, her mouth slightly agape and her brow wrinkled in confusion. Even through the foggy haze that still surrounded her mind, she was sure that she hadn’t missed something as significant as a marriage proposal.
Coming up, Jameson sat beside her on the bed, taking her hand into his. “Charlotte Grey, there are many things that I need to apologize for. I should have listened to you when you said that you never intended to hurt me. You aren’t to blame for what your uncle did.”
The warmth from his hand seeped into hers as tears filled her eyes. “Jameson, I am so sorry that I waited to tell you the truth. All of this may have been avoided if only I had come to you with the letter …” her voice trailed off as she thought of the letter and musical sheets she’d attempted to save.
“Don’t worry about that now. I overreacted in the gardens. As for the papers, your parents’ musical was salvaged thanks to you, and your father’s letter has been handed over to be checked for authenticity.”
He nodded towards a stack of papers on the dressing table in front of the mirror. A few corners of the pages had been burnt, but they seemed to have remained intact for the most part.
“Jameson I …” She felt as if her heart would explode as he reached down and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“All I want to hear from you right now is a simple yes because the truth of the matter, Lady Charlotte, is that I have gone and fallen in love with you. So madly in love that running into a burning building seemed a small price to pay if it meant saving your life. Now, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
The corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile as he gazed at her with shining eyes.
“Oh, Jameson, of course, I will marry you. I’ve loved you since the moment you walked into that ballroom, even if I hadn’t realized it back then. My heart yearned for you every second when you weren’t by my side.” Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she began to cry.
The reality of having the man she loved more than anyone else was far too good to be true. She would have pinched herself if she hadn’t already been in pain from the whole ordeal.
“I love you, Charlotte Grey.” Jameson laughed happily and leaned in close, placing a tender kiss on her lips.
The softness of the kiss lingered on her lips, eliciting a gentle sigh from her lungs. Breathing still hurt, but it didn’t matter when Jameson was making her breathe. Heat filled the pit of her stomach, bringing back the memories of every time they had kissed before.
Pulling back, he looked at her with tears in his eyes. “We will have to wait a few months until we have both had time to recover, but I intend to make you my wife as soon as possible. We can repeat the night we shared for the rest of our lives.” He winked at her with a seductive smile.
Heat filled her cheeks despite her pale complexion. The idea of becoming a marchioness and spending the rest of her life in Jameson’s bed was one that she would have to get used to.
Fear filled her mind as her uncle popped into her thoughts. “What happened to my uncle?” She swallowed painfully against the knot that had formed in her throat.
“The authorities said they would let us know as soon as they have him in custody, but we have yet to hear from them.” His face seemed angrier now as he shifted his position on the bed.
“I’m not sure if he will come back from his business trip now that the house has burnt to the ground. It has burnt to the ground, hasn’t it?” She looked at the veiled expression on his face, trying to read his emotions.
“Charlotte, the house did burn to the ground, but I think you should know there is a possibility that your uncle is the one who set the fire. Lord Dunham had been pursuing your uncle for a while now in an attempt to bring him to justice,” Jameson said gently, running his fingers over her hand for support.
“Lord Dunham? What does he have to do with anything, and what do you mean he has been pursuing my uncle for a while?” Her head began to ache again as the information sank in.
Jameson continued to explain what had happened and how he had run into Lord Dunham the previous night.
“So, he was never really interested in courting me?” She felt relieved at the prospect of not having to answer any more of his questions.
“Are you disappointed that I am not the only man frisking about your skirts?” Jameson teased her.
