“Why did you come here?” He forced the question past his lipsand paired it with a tentative step forward. It felt like he was standing barefoot on a bed of nails as he awaited her answer.
Her eyelids fluttered, as if she had just woken up. “I… I wanted to speak to you,” she murmured.
Will inhaled deeply in a futile attempt to control the erratic beating of his heart and took another step. “About something that couldn’t wait till morning?”
She shook her head slowly. “No.” The word was softer than a whisper.
Will opened his mouth to speak, but his words were lost as Phoebe suddenly ran to him. He wrapped her in his arms without a thought and pulled her to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she said against his neck. “I’m sorry I was so awful to you back in London when you were only trying to help.”
He stroked her hair and it slid under his fingertips like silk. “You weren’t awful. I behaved like a pompous ass.” He could feel her answering smile. “I deserved it.”
“Even still, I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly,” she said. Then she pulled back and met his eyes. “I came here to ask for your forgiveness. And your friendship.”
Will cupped the side of her face with his palm and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You never lost it.”
But Phoebe shook her head even while she pressed her hand to his, as if there was any chance he would have pulled away. “Well, Ishouldhave. The things I accused you of—”
“Phoebe, please,” Will urged. “We both said careless things we didn’t quite mean in the moment. I know that.” Then he let out a breath. “But I should have been more understanding about your reservations instead of deluding myself into thinking you needme.” He let out a dry laugh. “But that was only because I wasn’t ready to accept the truth—that it was I who needed you.”
She gaped at him. “You… you do?”
“Most ardently,” he said with a decided nod. “You’ve had my heart since that summer,” he said, gesturing to the drawing. “And then I wasted an awful lot of time thinking I needed someone to fit into my life. A life I was forced into. But I won’t do that anymore. I want to fit into yours.”
She pressed her forehead to his chest. “What’s left of it, you mean?”
Her morose tone set his teeth on edge. “This is just a setback. You’re meant to do great things, Phoebe. And I want to be there while you do them. That is, if you’ll let me.”
She huffed a laugh that fanned out across his skin and tilted her head up. “You say that as though there’s any doubt even while I stand here.”
“Well, you weren’t so keen on it before,” he reminded her.
“True,” she said with a nod. “It wasn’t until I talked to Alex that I realize how scared I was.”
Will raised an eyebrow in question. “Of me?”
“God,no,” she said fiercely. “About being a duchess,” she admitted. “And the expectations that come with the title. It sounds so silly now, but I let that overrule everything in the moment.” She paused for a breath. “Even the love I felt for you.”
Will’s chest warmed at her words. “My darling,” he breathed as he cupped her cheek once again. “But itisscary. I understand that. Believe me. Perhaps more than anyone.”
Phoebe’s eyes fluttered shut and she leaned her forehead against his chest once again. “I’ve been such an idiot.”
Will smiled as he began to rub her back. “May I get that in writing? Preferably engraved on a plaque of some kind?”
Phoebe grinned up at him. “It can be your wedding present,” she quipped.
“An excellent idea. I accept. But only if you kiss me first.”
She pressed a much too chaste kiss to the hollow at the base of his throat. “Does that count as me proposing to you?”
Will tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Let’s call it a draw and say webothdid.”
“Oh, I like that idea,” she said brightly.
“I thought you might.” He gave her a sly smile as he leaned in. “Duchess.”
Phoebe broke into a laugh just before he pressed his lips to hers. “You know, that doesn’t sound half bad when you say it.”
