But when he spoke, the words that came out of his mouth were rather unexpected.
“I owe you an apology.” He clenched his jaw as if what came next was going to be difficult. “After you told me what happened with my father, I was upset…but not in the way you might imagine. I felt responsible because I wasn’t there to protect you, but I also felt…guilty, because I know I would have acted exactly as your sister if Ihadbeen there, and I wouldn’t have regretted my actions.”
When he finally turned his head to look at her, her pulse leaped at the emotion swirling in those hazel depths. “For years I knew what kind of man my father was, but I chose to turn a blind eye to it. I had always been so proud of my heritage, of Eversleigh Hall, that I never once bothered to accept it for the façade that it truly was.”
He grasped her hand. “It’s taken me all this time to realize that I didn’t just leave England because I was grieving, I left because I was ashamed to take over a title that was attached to so much scandal.”
Blowing out a breath, he went on. “But for all of my mistakes and misdeeds, I fully intended to marry you all those years ago. The other day at the Hall, when you saw me riding away, it was only to go to the village with Rion to make a statement to send James Larkin and his accomplice to the gallows. When I returned, and Lyra told me you’d left…” He shook his head, his eyes blazing. “I had never felt so helpless. I couldn’t believe it was possible to feel so strongly about another human being until I met you. The idea of losing you a second time was unbearable when these past seven years have been spent in a living hell.”
Mara reached out and stroked his cheek with the palm of her hand. She felt a day’s worth of stubble and for some reason that made her smile.
“Oh, Roarke, I’m such a coward. The only reason I left Eversleigh Hall was because I was scared. I should have trusted you all those years ago, but I couldn’t believe that what you felt for me was genuine. I thought I was repeating my mother’s mistakes. I was so young and naïve, and we were from such different worlds, and then your mother made it seem…”
She glanced down at her hands. There was no use opening old wounds. The riff between Roarke and Lavinia was large enough without her adding to it. “Then, after that night in the conservatory when I told you the awful truth, I was afraid you could never forgive me. Trust me, if I could take back all those awful years, I would. Nothing you’ve done could ever compare to the remorse and regret I feel for lying to you.”
He reached out and lifted her chin. “If this whole experience has taught me anything,” he said huskily, “It’s that nothing should ever be taken for granted. We’ve wasted so much time and lost so much. I don’t want us to lose again.”
A bloom of hope unfurled in her chest as a tear fell down her cheek. “Does that mean you forgive me?”
“It means more than that.” He wiped away the single drop of moisture with the pad of his thumb. “I still intend to marry you, you know.”
“After everything?” Mara shook her head. “Is it even possible forusto live happily ever after?”
He flashed that amazing grin. “As much as we’ve been forced to endure thus far, I would say that there’s no other option.”
Mara sighed. “But what about your mother? And society? I won’t stand in the way of—”
“I couldn’t give a damn less about what society thinks. As for the other…” He reached into his pocket and produced a small box. He opened the lid, and she gave a startled gasp.
“May I?” he asked. He removed the emerald ring and gently placed it on her finger. “Imagine that. It’s a perfect fit.”
She couldn’t keep from staring at the circle of dazzling diamonds surrounding the green stone. “Is this…?” She couldn’t even finish the statement she was so astonished.
Roarke nodded. “Yes, it’s the Eversleigh betrothal ring. This stone confirms that my mother gives us her blessing. Surely this is all the affirmation we need to prove that we are destined to be together.”
Mara looked back at him in awe. “This has to be a dream.”
“If that were the case,” Roarke nuzzled her ear, “Then I should be very curious how this might feel if it was.”
Mara closed her eyes in surrender, but before it got too far out of hand, she asked curiously, “How did you know where my room was, anyway?”
Roarke shrugged. “I merely pleaded my case with the Madame. After a very vocal lecture on how I should treat you and what would happen to certain parts of my anatomy should I act out of character, she was rather forthcoming.”
Mara couldn’t help but laugh, and it felt wonderful to do so after so many years of holding back any true joy. “She is a loyal friend.”
“I gathered as much,” Roarke murmured, “Now, where were we?”
