The earl continued before him, assessing him with his probing eyes. “We’ve only to look at Viscount Dudley to see that being a nobleman doesn’t make you an honorable man.”
He glanced at his sons then back at Gray. “If Jenna will have you, I will grant my blessing on your union.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. He stared in disbelief. The unattainable had just become reachable. Happiness and his future with Jenna was within his grasp.
“I suggest you go speak with Jenna posthaste. Her belongings are being packed as we speak. I cannot guarantee that she’ll have you, but if she will, I will grant my approval.” His eyes twinkled, and he looked to be suppressing laughter at Gray’s loss of words. “She’s in her room,” he added. “I believe you know the way.”
###
From her perch on the window seat, Jenna watched as Margaret packed the remainder of her clothing. She glanced down at the missive she had received from Stuart and gently folded it in two.
He had found several documents his mother had hidden in their London townhouse. Not only was his father clearly implicated, but several other Napoleon loyalists were named and subsequently apprehended.
Though it was unlikely anyone beyond her immediate family would ever learn of the viscount’s treachery, she knew Stuart would long carry the shame of his father’s actions. She hoped he would one day find a measure of peace.
“I’ll summon the footman to carry your trunk down,” Margaret announced as she closed the heavy lid.
Jenna nodded and turned her gaze out of the window and toward the neighboring rooftops. In a few hours, they’d climb into the procession of carriages and leave London. Leave Gray. She’d been so tempted to go to him again. Tell him that her father had relented and would let her marry whomever she wished. But her pride wouldn’t allow her to beg. He had made his choice, and it wasn’t her.
A bold knock sounded at the door and Margaret hastened to answer it. She was already gesturing toward the trunk when her hand fell limp. “What are you doing here?” she gasped.
“Who is it?” Jenna asked sharply. She sucked in her breath when Gray appeared in her room.
“I wish to speak with Lady Jenna,” he said to Margaret.
Obviously still flummoxed by his appearance in Jenna’s bedroom, the maid beat a hasty retreat.
“Gray...what are you doing here?” Jenna asked, rising from her seat.
He crossed the room in an instant, taking her gently in his arms. “Are you well? How is your arm? Does it pain you?”
She laughed. “Yes, better and not overly much. What are you doing here? My father will kill us if you are discovered.”
“He knows I am here.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Why then are you here?”
“Because I can’t live without you. I can’t imagine taking a breath without you next to me. I can’t envision going to bed at night and not having you beside me. I want to wake up in the morning with your hair in my face and your legs wrapped around mine.”
Her mouth dropped open and her lips quivered as tears sprang to her eyes. “Gray...”
He placed a finger over her lips, his other arm still wrapped securely around her waist. “Shhh, I’m not done yet.” He kissed the tip of her nose then kissed away the single tear that trailed down her cheek. “I love you, Jenna. I love you more than I ever imagined loving another human being. You’re as much a part of me as my heart, and just as I can’t do without my heart, I can’t do without you.”
He knelt in front of her, wrapping his arms around her legs and burying his face in her skirts. He held her so tightly she couldn’t move. Gently, she threaded her hand through his hair and he looked back up at her, his eyes bright with emotion. “Marry me, Jenna. Say you’ll spend the rest of your life with me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you mine.”
“But what of Papa?” Her voice trailed off in an unhappy whisper. Would he agree to a match with Gray? Would his assurances that he wouldn’t interfere with her choice of husbands be true? And would Gray still wish to marry her if Papa refused to grant his blessing?
Slowly, he slid back up her body until she was once again back in his arms. “I’ve already spoken to your father.”
“What?”
“I asked for his blessing, and he granted it. We are free to marry without alienating your family.”
The room swirled around her in a blur. Her eyes focused back on his face. The face of the man she loved without measure. Dare she hope to have it all? Never would she have imagined having the love of her family and a life with Gray. The two seemed at opposite ends of the spectrum. “He gave us his blessing?”
“He did,” Gray confirmed.
“Then yes, yes! I’ll marry you,” she shouted, launching herself full against his chest. “I would have married you without his blessing. I love you. Oh how I love you.”
