Max looked relieved and almost tearful. Surely not?
She waited for him to say something – anything – but he just knelt there, completely still, staring at her.
‘And you!’ With a lot of effort, Etta raised an accusatory finger in Max’s direction. ‘You … You …Cheating bastard!’
‘Let’s get you home, Etta,’ said Charlie, helping her to her feet. ‘And you don’t need to worry about marrying Max, or seeing him again, if you don’t want to.’
At this, Etta turned her face away and began to cry herself, her world collapsing all over again as she rememberedeverything. ‘I can’t marry him anyway, Charlie. He’s engaged to Clarissa Best. He’s the only person alive in this world who understands any of it, and he’s gone and ruinedeverythingby snogging the face off that … that … horrible friend.’
Charlie patted her arm awkwardly. ‘Well, about that …’
‘I bloody well am not marrying Clarissa Best! Not that harpy! How could you think that?’ Max’s voice rang out too loudly in the empty church, and he checked his tone. ‘I’d rather die!’
‘Go tell everyone and their dog then, since the whole bloody world was there with me watching you stab me in the back!’
Max looked incensed. ‘I can hardly help it if the awful girl launched herself at me when I was making my way back from the privy, can I? Doesn’t mean I have to bloody marry her!’
‘Because you’re a man, I suppose,’ Etta said in an accusatory tone.
‘Yes, and in this case I’m extremely glad of what you will no doubt consider a grievous double standard.’ Max paused, clearly trying to calm his temper. ‘Anyway, my father forbade it.’
‘He did?’ Etta eyed Max suspiciously, feeling a beat of hope thump in her chest. ‘So he knows about her, then?’
‘She had the audacity to turn up to our house.’ Max frowned. ‘You should know he hates Lady Best. He chased her and Miss Best out of the house. He’s off buying you a parure as we speak.’
‘What the hell is a parure?’
The two men looked at her appraisingly.
‘Full set of diamonds, sis,’ said Charlie. ‘Tiara, necklace, earbobs, you name it.’
Etta couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Why on earth would he do that?’
Max bit his lip. ‘It seems you made quite the impression on him at the refreshments table of the Baxter ball.’
‘On your father?’ Etta gasped. ‘Oh god. I didn’t realise that was him …’
She hardly knew how to continue; she dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.
‘Well, now the lot of you are trying to buy me!’
‘No, my father is. I can’t promise you anything more than my unending love and devotion, Etta.’
She staggered, still unsure on her feet, but Max was there to steady her; she felt his hand cupping her chin as he forced her to look into his eyes. She looked up to see him staring at her earnestly, Charlie fading into the background.
‘Will you, Etta? Will you forgive me?’ He took a breath. ‘Will you love me, as I love you?’
Etta stared back at him, her eyes dark with emotion, hair floating wild in the breeze of the draughty church. They drew closer together until there was barely an inch between them.
‘I will give you anything. Everything I have is yours.’ Max’s voice broke, as he stroked her cheek with one hand. ‘You must know you already have my heart, but you can have it all. My house, my vote in the Lords. Hell, if you’re really set on going to France, I will travel with you there – or anywhere else you wish to go. Please.’
A tear ran down his cheek; she reached up to wipe it away.
‘Do you really love me?’ she asked. ‘Do you really want to marry someone like me, Mad Hetty Bainbridge?’
‘No. There is no Hetty Bainbridge. I want to marryyou, Etta. You have made my world brighter with every part ofyou. I cannot live without you: your outrageous remarks, your remarkable music – even that ludicrous tiger.’
Etta sobbed. ‘Then yes, of course. I can’t live without you either. Please take me home, Max. I love you.’
