“Those were different circumstances!” Penelope snapped as she whirled around to face him with heat in her cheeks. “I do not know if you can recall — since you have made it quite clear that it meant nothing to you — but those instances were anything but innocent. And I would much rather not have rumors of such a meeting taking place between us currently. After all, I believe you found a woman who suited your preferences at the party and you are likely engaged. I would never disrespect another woman by engaging in inappropriate conversations with her soon-to-be husband.”
Cecil gawked at her and then burst into surprised laughter. She watched him in surprise as he chuckled and approached her, not realizing how close he had gotten until he was directly in front of her.
“You are truly something, Penelope. You infuriate me. Every time we argue I am torn between annoyance and awe, because you can always keep up with me, and you never fail to show how good you are. You are kind, you are brilliant — so much that it vexes me a tad — and you are beautiful. I nearly believed I was dreaming when you walked in. And try as I might to forgetyou and forget everything we had shared… I couldn’t. I could no longer lie to myself, could no longer hide the truth from you.”
Penelope watched him inhale deeply, her nerves feeling uneasy as he gazed upon her with fond eyes, and she held her hand out to stop him from coming any closer.
“Your Grace, don’t —”
“I am not betrothed to Lady Heather. I never had any intention of doing so. Not when I’d found something — someone better.” He stated, taking her hand and holding it to his chest, immediately drawing her attention to his rapidly beating heart. “I love you, Penelope Waverly.”
It felt as though all the air in the room vanished. She waited for him to laugh in her face, for him to take those words back. For him to claim they were a mistake. But he did none of that, simply staring into her eyes as his heart continued to beat out of control beneath her fingers.
Once she recovered from the shock, she ripped her hand out of his grasp and stepped back, fighting her instincts not to focus on the warmth that slipped away.
“Y-You horrible, lying bastard,” she glared at him, feeling her own heart sink in despair. “How dare you?”
Cecil blinked in confusion. “I do not know what you mean. Why would I lie about this?”
“Why would you be telling the truth? You have made it clear that you do not care for such an emotion! That is why you entangled me into your search for a wife because you believed a marriage of convenience would be best. You don’t want love. You don’t want to be loved. You simply wish to fulfill your duty, so why —”
“After all this time, it is apparent that you do not know me as well as I thought you did. Have I ever said anything I did not mean? What would I gain from lying to you?” he snapped back, expression pained.
Penelope turned away from him, not wanting her emotions to be swayed by the look on his face. Why would he do this to her? Why now? Just as she had finally gotten sick of wanting him to no avail? After she had finally decided to move on with her life and forget all about him and the time they spent together?
She heard him step towards her, and this time, she didn’t pull away when he grabbed her wrist, speaking as tears streamed down her face.
“What will you gain from telling me that that you… what do you hope to accomplish? I have nothing to give you. Nothing to value that you would need so why —”
His lips pressed against hers then, effectively cutting off the words about to roll off her tongue as his own stroked hers. A familiar sensation of weakness settled in her knees, and she leaned into him, her hands clutching the lapels of his coat in a bid to gain stability.
Cecil’s hands rested on her hips in a gentle but strong grip, pulling her flush against his own body, and she gasped into his mouth, a sound he had no problem swallowing as he kissed her deeper.
When he finally leaned back, Penelope was breathless and disoriented, and all she could do as he spoke to her was listen.
“Is it not obvious what I want? There is only one thing I would desire. Your heart, Penelope. I meant it when I said I loved you. I have never felt this way about anyone before, and at first it terrified me. I thought I was not suited for such emotions and that it would be better to pretend I did not feel them. But I meant everything I said to you during our last night together, and I love you too much to pretend otherwise.
“I love you more than the fear of becoming like my father. I love you too much to stay away. I love you too much to want anything more than a future with you, Penelope.”
Penelope shook her head, trying to keep her hopes from rising because surely this must be a cruel joke of some kind. There was no way — he couldn’t.
“I am not suitable —” she stammered, but he pressed a finger to her lip gingerly.
“What gave you that idea? Was it because I was determined to find a woman to simply fulfil my duty? Things are different now, Penelope. I need something else, something more. A life with you,” Cecil said earnestly.
Hope was a cruel thing, but Penelope could not help but lean into it, letting it flutter softly in her chest as she asked.
“What does that mean? What do you want, Cecil?”
He released her from his hold then, his hands slipping away from her hips once he was certain she had regained her footing. Then he took hold of her hands, the warmth of his skin spreading over hers smoothly, until she wished she could revel in his embrace even longer.
“I want you, Penelope. I want to marry you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The words hung in the air between them like smoke – present, undeniable, and impossible to ignore, no matter how Penelope wished she could.
I want to marry you.
