“I owe you so many apologies…” And that was true enough, but not what she wished most to say. Stumbling over her thoughts, she struggled to piece them together, and all the while Elijah stood there, waiting as he always did. Patient and loving.
Victoria swallowed, forcing her throat to loosen. “I thought I had to marry for my family’s sake. I thought it was selfish of me to put my desires above theirs. That I had to do whatever was in my power to help them find happiness. But I realized even if I marry for their sake, I cannot secure that happiness. Life is too unpredictable to guarantee it.”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, fighting through the tightness in her chest to get out the words that needed saying. When she met Elijah’s gaze again, her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“But without you, I am guaranteed to be miserable. I cannot be happy without you in my life,” she whispered. “And so, to answer that question you’ve asked me so many times—yes.”
Elijah’s grin grew. “Yes?”
Victoria’s smile matched his, and she nodded. “Yes.” But her smile faltered as she added, “And I hope you can forgive me for having waited so—”
Elijah snatched her up in another kiss, clearing her mind of all thought and leaving her awash in the glow of his love filling her. Her heart expanded, matching the fervent adoration he showed with every touch. Only after she was so caught up in him that she could hardly remember her name did he release her lips.
“I will not listen to you verbally flog yourself for what has been,” he said with narrowed eyes.
“But—”
He held true to his promise by silencing her words with another kiss.
“There is no need to bemoan the past, my love,” he whispered, that wicked grin of his emerging again. “You are an intelligent creature, and I knew you’d come to your senses in time.”
Victoria’s brows rose. “You did?”
Elijah’s grin twisted with an edge of anxiety. “No, but I hoped, and all that matters is that we are together now.”
“Forevermore,” she whispered, and before Elijah could say another word, Victoria pressed her lips to his.
Chapter 41
“Are you certain we shouldn’t have sent a carriage?” asked Mother, coming to stand beside Oliver. The pair stared out the library window in the direction of Hardington Hall. From this distance, they couldn’t see the building, but they were afforded a clear view of the path Sophie was most likely to take.
“She prefers to walk,” he replied, though he was regretting that decision.
“I’m certain she will arrive soon,” said Lily from her place on the sofa.
Turning, Oliver looked at his sister, whose gaze was fixed on the book in her hands though her attention was elsewhere. Despite the joyful prospect of an afternoon with Sophie, his heart dropped in his chest at the sight of Lily’s red eyes. Though she had kept the majority of her tears locked in her bedchamber over the past two days, there was no hiding the evidence of them.
Lily looked up at him and gave him a weak approximation of a smile, and Oliver gave her one back, but she shook away the sympathy and shut her book with a snap. The sound drew Mother’s attention, and the lady withdrew from the window and took the seat beside her daughter.
“I am well, Mama,” said Lily, though the words would be more convincing without the dark circles beneath her eyes.
Mother wrapped an arm around Lily’s shoulders and drew her daughter close. “Of course you are, my darling.” Then, turning her gaze to Oliver, she added, “Perhaps you ought to meet her partway. I would feel more at ease if she had an escort.”
Sophie knew the path between Avebury Park and Hardington Hall as surely as any native of the area, but Oliver needed no prodding. With quick steps, he strode from the library and out the front door. Making his way across the lawn, he turned in the general direction of the Nelsons’ home, hoping she was not coming via another route. Perhaps she’d gone out for one final drawing and was nowhere near Hardington Hall.
The light was golden, sparkling off the dewy blades of grass, those droplets serving as the only remnant of the morning mists. The sun warmed his jacket while the autumn air bit at his nose, giving that perfect blend of warmth and chill. The world was quiet, for the insects were dormant while the birds huddled in their nests; not even the slightest breeze broke the stillness.
The distance grew between him and Avebury Park, and he found himself worrying that his path may not cross with Sophie’s. There was precious little time left for them, and Oliver couldn’t stand the thought of wasting any of it in a fruitless search. But even as he wondered if he ought to return home, he spied Sophie cresting a hill. Oliver found himself caught between wishing to race to her side and admiring the sight of her.
The sunlight shone off the gold in her hair, and her cheeks were pink from the walk and the growing autumn chill, giving her complexion a perfect rosy hue. Her smile was broad and beaming as she saw him, her bright eyes sparkling in the morning sun. Though dressed in a simple muslin gown with no ornamentation, Oliver swore there was no lovelier lady. Her formal finery at the ball had been attractive, indeed, but this was the Sophie he loved, and this was where she belonged.
His feet finally prodded his lagging wits to move, and Oliver took a few hurried steps towards her and scooped her into his arms. With a quick kiss in greeting, he released her, taking her hand in his as the pair turned their steps towards home.
“I am sorry for my tardiness,” said Sophie. “Mama insisted I oversee the packing of my trunks.”
Oliver’s steps faltered. “But you do not leave until tomorrow.”
Sophie’s gaze dimmed at that pronouncement, matching the weightiness in Oliver’s chest at having spoken the words.
