“I shouldn’t dare to make such a decision for anyone other than myself.”
“I see.” He paused. “Have you selected a bridegroom?”
She pretended to think. “You, if you are free.”
He studied her for a moment. “I have never been proposed to before. I believe I like it.”
“I have never proposed to a man before,” she replied. “Heavens, I hope I did it correctly!”
Richard laughed. “You did it splendidly. I do accept.”
She smiled back at him. “Very good. Will this afternoon suit you?”
“Perfectly.”
And that was that. They lingered over breakfast, then took the dogs for a walk along the river. When they returned home,Evangeline went upstairs and changed her dress. She put on the sapphires Richard had given her a few years ago and her best bonnet, and went downstairs.
He wore a fresh coat, with a sprig of small white mountain flowers pinned to his lapel. To her delight, he handed her a bouquet of the same. Then he offered her his arm.
They walked to the Rathaus, where his cousin Johann, some official of the town, came out to meet them. Too late Evangeline remembered about the restrictions and requirements for marriage, but to her astonishment, Richard handed over a packet and Johann took it with a nod.
“Oh dear. Did we need to have the banns read?” she whispered as Johann paged through the papers.
Richard smiled. “Only a small matter of forms and declarations. Johann will take care of it.”
She glanced at him in surprise. “And you have these forms and declarations already prepared?”
He looked at her. “Whenever one sets out on a long journey into new territories, it is crucial to plan for as many possibilities as you can think of. You never know what might confront you on any given day, and you must be prepared for anything. Yes, I had the forms prepared. I also had a license in England, and the necessary papers in France.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“When—or rather,if—the proper moment ever arrived, I was determined to be prepared to meet it, without hesitation or delay,” Richard went on. “Fortunately, I am also a Protestant. It would have been considerably more challenging if I were Catholic.”
Words failed her for several heartbeats. “All this time,” she murmured, feeling her face grow hot, “I made you wait?—”
“No, no.” He covered her hand with his. “I told you, this is merely a formality, to please the rest of the world and, I hope,to resolve any fears you may have. You and your love are all I want.”
Evangeline looked at him, the most remarkable man she had ever known. He’d followed her lead from the first moment they met, not from weakness but from deference to her desires—always. “I do believe I love you more than ever,” she whispered.
He leaned closer, his blue eyes twinkling. “Then my plan for our journey together has come off perfectly. Being with you is the most exciting adventure I could ever dream of.”
