She whirled around, nearly knocking over her easel. Isaac stood in the overgrown grass just outside the ruins. He ducked his head to walk through the squat doorway. Sophia’s heart pounded fast at the sight of him, his hair wild from the breeze, his soft brown eyes picking up streaks of golden sunlight.
“It’s not for sale.” She moved to stand in front of the painting. “This one is going to be atrocious.”
“I doubt that.” Isaac’s mouth lifted in a smile, but his eyes were gentle as they traced over her. He would not be smiling once she told him about Papa’s secret. Her heart ached.
She scowled when she saw a dark red bruise forming on his cheek. “What happened to your face?”
“I could ask you the same question.” His eyes glinted with amusement.
She put a hand to her forehead, pulling her fingers back to find them coated in blue paint. She laughed, but her amusement was quickly swallowed up by dread. How could she laugh at a moment like this? She didn’t even know how Isaac had found her, and he looked like he had been struck in the face. Soon, she would deliver another blow that would break his heart.
“Percy followed us to Cornwall,” Isaac said. “I saw him on my way to Lanveneth. We…sorted out our disagreements. He knows I have the necessary proof to have him convicted, so he’s making plans to leave England.”
Sophia set down her brush, eyes wide. “Why was he here?”
“He knew he would be caught when he learned I was coming to Cornwall. He also made one last effort to win Prudence’s hand. He brought her a dog.”
“You cannot be serious.”
“A scrappy terrier from the kitchen yard. She didn’t seem upset by his visit after that.”
Sophia was tempted to laugh again, but her shock was too immense. “And he…hurt you?” her voice cracked.
Isaac shook his head fast. “It doesn’t hurt.” He walked closer, and her defenses rose. She instinctively moved back a step.
Isaac’s brow furrowed. “But that does.”
She met his gaze, but immediately wished she hadn’t. His eyes captured hers, far more intense than she had expected.
“Did you truly believe I would blame you for your father’s mistakes? Did you really think that it would stop me from wanting you?”
Her heart raced. She didn’t know how to answer.
“I will always want you. I have never stopped.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you, Sophia. Do you understand what that means to me? A day doesn’t pass that I don’t long for you. I have missed you for four years, even despite thinking that you despised me. I have undertaken battle with an earl and a viscount for the chance to be yours.” He nudged her chin up with his fingers, his eyes boring into hers. “Your stepfather cannot stop me, and nor can your father.”
Sophia’s throat ached with emotion. Her head spun. “I’m sorry, Isaac. I’m so very sorry for what my father did.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “How did you know?”
“Prudence told me.” Isaac took her face in both his hands, wiping her tears with his thumb. “It came as a shock, yes, but it doesn’t change anything. I still wish to marry you.”
Sophia choked on a breath. “But your grandfather?—”
“He liked you.” Isaac’s lips twitched into a smile. “He wanted me to marry you. He encouraged me to buy you a ring, just as he did for his wife.” He reached into his jacket, withdrawing a delicate circle of gold with a pearl at the center. It was beautiful.
She closed her eyes. “But surely he wouldn’t have liked me if he had known what my father would do to him.” Her voice was hushed.
“You are not your father. You have nothing in common with him besides your surname, which I would very much like to change.”
She opened her eyes to see the determined look on his face. He leaned down to look in her eyes. “It was their quarrel, not ours. Your father cannot take this away from us. Not again.”
Sophia’s heart lifted, hope taking root inside her. Tears still fell down her cheeks, but she was no longer certain what they were connected to—joy, fear, relief, and pain, all at once. But Isaac was quickly brushing away the painful parts, leaving her renewed and breathless.
She found herself nodding. She didn’t want Papa to take this away.
Isaac’s hands, warm and strong, cupped her face. It was the safest feeling in the world. She had never believed that she could be loved so ardently, so unconditionally. But she knew without a doubt that Isaac would treasure her forever.
His words pulsed through her mind.
I still wish to marry you.
