“I wish to court her,” Collin stated, the words ringing clearly and coming with far less difficulty than he’d ever expected.
Professor Essex nodded. “I surmised as much, but it’s better to ask for permission than forgiveness. Right, Lord Penderdale?”
Collin blinked and glanced down, remembering the phrase he’d been scolded with during his time at the college as a student. “Indeed.”
“You have my permission. The question is, will you receive hers?” Professor Essex mused, a grin teasing his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m the easy part of the battle.”
“Of that, I am in agreement. But I accept the challenge willingly,” Collin answered.
And he was assured that the battle had only just begun. He’d taken the first vital step, but that didn’t mean he had won. No, it meant he had a goal in mind and a plan of action.
Sort of.
Honestly, he was making it all up as he went along. Nothing had gone according to plan from the moment he’d set foot in Cambridge. He’d been going rogue, or rather life had been going rogue for the past few weeks. He’d come to clear his name, and he’d added the pursuit of a woman who was as tempting as she was frustrating. And he still was nowhere near figuring out why his name was being used for crime.
Tea smuggling, he thought. At least he’d figured out that detail, though it did add a million more questions to the mix. Bloody frustrating, that.
“When she returns, I’ll give you a moment to talk to her,” Professor Essex commented.
“Thank you.” Collin resisted the urge to fidget at the prospect of speaking with Elizabeth. It wasn’t a proposal, but certainly implied that was the probable result. Was he ready for that?
Collin shook his head. If Rowles could only see him now, he’d be speechless. Either that, or he’d have a lot to say on the subject, too much. But Rowles had been right; Collin had been a shell. He hadn’t realized how terribly he’d retreated into himself until he’d met someone who forced him out of it.
Elizabeth.
Was it any wonder he wished to court her? What she had done was damn near miraculous.
As he thought her name, she came into the roomcarrying a small tin of salve. Collin stood, then took his seat once more.
“Ah, thank you,” her father replied and took the tin. He eyed Collin watchfully and then leaned forward. “This will help you heal.” He spread it thinly along Collin’s eye and lip, then closed the tin. “Elizabeth, I’ll return in a few minutes. Lord Penderdale requested a moment with you.”
Elizabeth’s eyes shot to Collin’s, and then she turned to her father. He rose from his chair, kissed her head, and then left for the hall. The room was wide open, but with her father’s absence, it felt oddly small and intimate.
Collin swallowed as Elizabeth’s attention moved back to him. She tipped her chin to the side, studying him before she took a seat across from him.
There was a protocol to this situation, a proper way to ask. Nevertheless, the words failed him. For once, he wanted to be romantic, but all he could find was some dry sarcasm, which would never do, not here, not now.
“Your silence is concerning.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You’re not at a loss for words often.” She scrutinized her lap and smoothed her skirts, her toe tapping as it was tucked under her chair.
She’s nervous, Collin observed, and hope washed over him, releasing him from the tension of the situation. He leaned forward and, reaching out, tipped her chin upward to meet his one-eyed gaze.
In spite of himself, he laughed at the situation. He was about to ask to court a woman after he’d been soundly thrashed and while he was sporting a swollen black eye. It was clearly not his best moment.
And that somehow made it just the right moment.
“Miss Essex—Elizabeth,” he started.
Her eyes widened as she waited, a lingering smile playing on her lips. “I’ve spoken with your father, and while I have his approval, your approval is what I seek.”
He released her chin and regarded her. “I wish to court you, Elizabeth,” he finished. “If you’ll allow it.”
Elizabeth swallowed, her eyes still wide as she tipped her head slightly, as if not fully believing the words he just spoke. “Why?”
Collin blinked. That was not the question he was prepared for. In fact, he was not prepared for any question, only a yes and hopefully not a refusal.
“Why not?” He turned the question around.
Her face flushed with a becoming blush. “Oh no, I asked first. And it’s not such a far-fetched question. I do believe we’ve fought more than we’ve agreed, and you frustrate me to the point of vexation—”
