Chapter 27
“Rehearsal just ended,” she said.
Hearing her voice sounding so matter of fact, Greys could finally breathe normally again. For hours now, he’d been searching all of Mayfair and even beyond. Only after he’d scoured the park, checked nearly every shop on Bond Street, and returned to find she still hadn’t returned to Byrd House, did he learn where Diana had gone.
The elder Miss Jones had decided his abysmal proposal the night before not only warranted him spending much of the day in a panic, but also rushing about London frantically.
She was nearly as troublesome as her younger sister.
Diana.
And now there she was. Standing in the center of a stage, looking every inch the spectacular woman that he loved.
Yes,loved.
“Will you come down from there and talk with me?” Greys stepped forward slowly, one hand half raised toward her, almost afraid she would turn and run.
He would deserve it if she did, after the stupid things he’d said to her—after accusing her father of being heartless when the man was not alive to defend himself.
Greys had spent all night sitting in his observatory, replaying his proposal over in his mind. And each time, the reality of his words grew uglier and uglier.
If he hadn’t had the box of paperwork Chaswick brought over, he no doubt would have gone mad.
But it had given him purpose—a means, he hoped—to begin to set things right.
Once the sun came up, he’d wasted no time before going straight to Byrd House. He’d intended to not only apologize but beg her forgiveness. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to win his way back into her graces.
Anything.
She had been lost to him all day, but she wasn’t lost now. Finally, she wasn’t running away from him.
Although, she wasn’t running toward him either.
“Wait,” he reached out his hand. “I’ll come to you.” He rushed down the aisle until he stood at the foot of the stage, just below her.
“You’re here,” she said.
Zeke considered it a good sign that she wasn’t telling him to go to hell.
Yet.
“I’m here.” He exhaled, drinking her in, so God-damned relieved to have finally found her. He couldn’t lose her again.
“You look tired,” she said.
“I’m so sorry, Diana. I can never say it enough. I’m an idiot to have said those things to you. My only excuse is that in my need to convince you to marry me, I lost sight of… the person I wanted to marry. I lost sight of why I want to marryyou—only you.”
She blinked slowly and nodded. Was he overly optimistic to have imagined that the corners of her lips tilted up just a little?
“What you said was true.” Her voice. He loved the sound of her voice.
“No. It wasn’t. I was wrong. You have been right all along in believing your father loved you, your sisters, and your mother. I spent all night going through the paperwork left behind from your father’s solicitor’s predecessors. The man had become somewhat senile, and whether the amended will was lost intentionally, or by accident…” Greys reached into his pocket and withdrew the paper that would matter most to her. “I have proof that your father provided for you.”
She blinked and tilted her head.
“He left the deed to the house on Farm Street to your mother. Your father never forgot you.” Greys held her gaze meaningfully. “You were loved all along.”
She lifted one hand to cover her mouth, and her pale blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
