“No physician can cure this ailment, Lady Charlotte. Do you realize how infuriating you are? Everything about you… the way you walk, you talk, your laugh… your stubbornness, your need to argue, even the way you compete, it all made me so angry. It made me furious.”
“And why tell me now? Why come all this way? You truly are cruel, Your Grace. The Iron Duke is an ill-fitting moniker. You should be called the Stone Duke on account of your heart.”
“Yes, my heart was stone until recently. Until you.” Nathaniel reached forward and took Charlotte’s hands before she could react. His expression changed, his eyes widening to be beseeching rather than accusing, hopeless rather than arrogant.
“You cracked my heart, Charlotte. You cracked me. Duty was my prison, but you have freed me. All this time, I was angry because I longed to be more like you, to cast away the shackles that bound me, to pursue my own goals and laugh in the face of expectations. But I was never very good at putting myself first.”
“What are you saying?” Charlotte gasped.
“I’m saying that I want to play cribbage with you again. I want to discuss literature. I want you to tell me how wrong I am about all kinds of things. I want us to live life together, not apart. I want to feel alive, the way I do when you are near. I have never felt emotions as powerful as these, Charlotte.”
“I…” Charlotte uttered, struggling for words. She stared at Nathaniel, completely overwhelmed by this unexpected declaration. It was everything she wanted, but now she wasn’t sure how to react.
“I thought that duty came before love, but now, I see how hollow that life would have been. I tried to tell you this after the wedding, but you were so adamant that you only cared aboutyour research. It seems that other people think otherwise. I was advised to give you a choice, Charlotte, something that I have not done before.”
He let go of her hands for a moment, but he was still looking directly into her eyes. Charlotte knew the others were staring at her and Nathaniel, but she could not look away from him. All kinds of wild thoughts and emotions careened through her mind, and she wasn’t sure her heart was ever going to stop thumping.
“The truth is, I was relieved when Lady Honoria left. But now, the thought of you leaving brings much sorrow to my heart. Especially because you are leaving for the north. If you never return, I could not live with myself. I do not wish to be plagued with regret. You may well reject me, but I need to ask anyway for my own sanity.”
At this, Nathaniel dropped to one knee and looked up at her. Charlotte’s breath rushed out of her.
“Lady Charlotte… Charlotte… will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Charlotte stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Her heartbeat echoed as a powerful thrum in her mind. The future she envisioned for herself began to crumble away. It had been so strong, so vibrant, but now, it was dull and mundane.
Nathaniel’s eyes were filled with hope. It was a stark contrast to the arrogant sneer he possessed when they first met. He wasfinally showing the truth of himself to her, but she was not yet ready to let him get away with the insults.
“Say yes,” Lydia whispered, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Agatha quickly admonished her. The interruption did not shake Charlotte’s composure.
“This confession would have been more heartfelt without the insults,” she replied.
“I do not mean them as insults. They are all positive qualities because they make you who you are. But what is your response to my question? Or are you going to be cruel and force me to wait for a reply? You have the power here, Lady Charlotte. I am at your mercy.”
Charlotte was aware that this was a huge admission from Nathaniel. For a man notorious for displaying no signs of vulnerability, he was practically giving her a knife and offering his throat.
“Before I offer my response, there is a question I need to ask you.” Charlotte managed to keep her voice measured even in the wake of turbulent emotion.
Nathaniel nodded, urging her to ask.
“Are you willing to accept that I am not going to be a typical duchess? I will continue with my research.”
“I am. I want all of you, Charlotte.”
Excitement bubbled in Charlotte’s soul and erupted along with her smile as she gave her answer.
“Yes, I will be your wife, Nathaniel. I will be so many things to you.”
“As long as you are never boring.” He rose to his feet, and a smile adorned his face. He clasped her hands tightly. A dizzying sensation whirled in her mind. She could feel herself falling for him. All she wanted was to hold him and be held by him, but she managed to restrain herself in the presence of her family.
And it was her family who brought her back down to earth.
Lydia was the first one to alight from the carriage, practically tumbling out. She had her arms outstretched in a ready embrace and threw herself toward Charlotte.
“I knew it! I knew it!” she cried out.
Charlotte was forced to give a begrudging nod.
“It seems you know me better than I know myself,” Charlotte said.
