He noticed the concerned expression in her lovely eyes. He usually had no problem knowing what to say, but he found himself tongue tied.
“I wondered if you were engaged?” he finally said.
“Yes, My Lord.”
He stood up. “Then I shall trouble you no longer and take my leave.”
He saw the look of total confusion on her face. She stood to face him and placed her hand on his arm.
“I am engaged to you, My Lord. It seems you may have forgotten,” she said quietly.
“I meant are you engaged to someone else?”
“I don’t think it is possible to be engaged to two gentlemen at the same time. However, if it was possible, then please believethat I would be polite enough to end one engagement before embarking on a second.”
She looked at him and he noticed a slight flush to her cheeks. “I am very confused and not sure I like this conversation,” she added.
“Yesterday you told me that if I no longer wished to continue with our engagement that you would understand and release me.” She took a sharp breath. “I had planned to tell you, when we next met, that I do not plan to marry anyone other than you.”
“But?”
“Please listen My Lord. This is very difficult for me to say. I have indeed received a proposal of marriage from another gentleman and turned him down. I could not, of course, divulge that I was already betrothed, as it is a secret. I can tell you that I had no desire to accept this proposal, even though I am sure it caused the gentleman pain,” explained Olivia.
“Would this be Sir Jonathan Ellington?” Marcus asked.
She looked surprised and nodded. “I am going to speak candidly. When he proposed I realized that I had never, in fact, loved this gentleman. I had been engaged to him, as you know, and he broke this off on the day of my brother and sister-in-law’s funeral. Whether due to my disfigurement, or lack of fortune I have never been sure.”
She put her hand to her face, and he saw her touching her hairline and the scars.
“I never loved him. I know this because now I do love someone. It is a very different feeling. I may never marry this man, but I could not marry another.”
“You mean there is a third man?” he asked in further confusion.
“No, My Lord, and I’ve said this is difficult to say. I only want to marry you,” Olivia said.
He saw her sit down, paleand clutching at the sides of the chair.
Had she just told him that she loved him?
He kneeled down beside the chair. “I don’t want to marry anyone else either. I planned on coming here tonight to tell you I didn’t want you to end our engagement. What I said the other day … I was trying to be noble and release you, if you wanted it. You’re rich now, and don’t need my protection. But Olivia, I would be devastated if you ended our betrothal.”
He looked at her intently. Her green eyes shone up at his. He stood and helped her to her feet. He felt her trembling as he took her into his arms.
“I love you,” he confirmed.
His lips reached hers, a tender gentle connection, which sparked a trail of fire through his body. He knew that however long he lived, that he always wanted to be with Lady Olivia Sherwyn.
He moved away and held her chin gently in his hands, kissing her forehead gently. “I only want to marry you too. It seems we are still betrothed.”
He held her hand gently and helped her sit on the settee. He went to the door and opening it called to a footman to bring tea for her ladyship.
He returned to sit beside her and take her hand in his. “I think you should begin wearing my ring and we should announce our engagement,” he suggested.
Olivia nodded her agreement.
“I need you to know, dearest, loveliest, Olivia that I was propelled into this engagement earlier than expected due to the gossipmongering. But I know I would have asked you to marry me in the course of time, please believe that.”
Olivia smiled at him, and he felt that tug at his heart, that connection between them, pulling them together, growing stronger and giving strength.
