After sending Vernon a nod, Gideon took hold of Adelaide’s hand and pulled her into the back room, turning to face her. “Where was I?”
She smiled, her dimple immediately popping out. “I believe you told me you loved me—and madly, at that—and mentioned you’d like to marry me, offered me my job back at the firm, although I’m not completely certain about that one, and left me under the impression you need to be put out of your misery.”
“A state I’m currently languishing in because you never said whether you want to marry me, or even if you might hold me in some esteem.”
A roll of her eyes was not what he’d been expecting, nor was he expecting her to step directly up to him and loop her arms around his neck.
“I hold you in more than some esteem, Gideon,” she began, her eyes twinkling in a most delightful fashion. “In fact, I believe I fell in love with you when I went up in flames, which Camilla would probably say was a precursor to the sparks she keeps mentioning are between us.”
“I think she may be right about the sparks.”
Adelaide smiled. “I also think she was always hoping to spark a match between us when she agreed to take me on, even though she swore she was done with matchmaking forever.”
“You might be right about that, but you haven’t answered my question.Willyou marry me?”
“It depends.”
He blinked. “On what?”
“Will you promise to let me experience life with you instead of trying to put me on a shelf in an effort to keep me safe?”
He leaned closer to her. “If you’ll promise me you’ll at least try not to intentionally place yourself in danger.”
“I neverintentionallysuffer any of my mishaps.”
“I suppose that’s a valid point, and I’ll take that as an affirmative.”
“You won’t leave me behind when you go off on an adventure?” she pressed.
“It wouldn’t be much of an adventure if you weren’t with me.”
Her eyes turned suspiciously bright. “Then yes, I’ll marry you, but...” Her dimple popped out again. “Do you think now’s the time we should investigate whether there’s any truth to that sparks-between-us business?”
“Now is definitely the time,” he didn’t hesitate to say.
With that, he drew her close, lowered his head, and claimed her lips with his own.
The second his lips met hers, he realized Camilla had been right all along, and that the spark between them was much more than a spark, and with a simple kiss, it had turned into an inferno he knew was going to keep them ablaze for many, many years to come.
Thirty
THREE WEEKS LATER
“I hate to point out the obvious,” Camilla began, picking her way through the stacks of books Adelaide was sorting, “but I can’t help but notice that you seem far more enthusiastic about wading through moldy old books than you ever were about improving your social status. I’m not sure if I should be insulted or delighted about that unusual state of affairs.”
Adelaide looked up from the book she’d been thumbing through and grinned. “I would opt for delighted, because you and I both know being a fashionable lady about town was never really for me.”
“But youarea fashionable lady about town, even with the upper crust discovering you’re now the owner of this fine establishment, which has yet to reopen or be renamed for that matter.”
“I haven’t been able to come up with something clever, but I’m sure that’ll change once the renovations begin in earnest.” Adelaide picked up another book. “Richard Morris Hunt has agreed to take on the project, and I’m certain a name will springto mind once he completes his designs.” She shook her head. “Poor man. He was appalled when he took note of all the bullet holes on the first floor.”
“I’m sure he was, but those will soon be fixed, and then you’ll be ready to open your doors.”
“It’ll still be a few months before that happens.” She set aside the book. “Did I tell you that Charles has offered to oversee the renovations while Gideon and I go off on holiday after the wedding next week?”
“Charles did mention that, right before he warned me his mother is planning to pay me a visit to convince me to find a match for him like I did for you.”
“So youdidhave a match in mind all along, didn’t you?”
