“I fear I’m not the most presentable gentleman at the moment,” he said when they’d walked a bit further. “Your reputation may not survive this.”
“It will if we marry.”
He stumbled slightly. “I beg your pardon?”
Sarah smiled. She’d been horribly shaken by what had happened. Her insides still trembled and her heart rate had not yet returned to normal, so it was nice to resume the familiar banter she enjoyed when they were together. “After everything I’ve put you through, I wonder if you would say yes if I were to propose to you.”
He coughed and she instantly glanced at his face to make sure he was not about to have a second attack. “You’ll have to ask in order to know.”
“Hmm...” They arrived at his townhouse where she waited patiently on the front steps for the butler to show up before even thinking of letting Matthew out of her sight. Addressing the older gentleman with a firm tone, she said, “Leave the garden gate unlocked please. His Grace has had a most strenuous afternoon, and I have every intention of making sure he is well cared for.”
“Miss Townsbridge,” Matthew protested.
“You and I need to speak,” she murmured. “And I don’t believe you want an audience while we do. So please, have your butler leave the gate open and I shall come find you. I promise.”
Chapter Six
MATTHEW FLATTENED HISmouth and gave a short nod of agreement. Knowing she’d already lingered outside a bachelor’s home too long, Sarah walked away together with her maid and returned to her own house next door. Once inside, after divesting herself of her outerwear garments, bonnet, and gloves, she turned to Anna. “Needless to say, nothing you may have seen or heard this past hour is to be passed on to anyone else.”
“Of course not, miss.”
“Thank you.” Sarah climbed the stairs and headed toward her bedchamber, only to be stopped by Athena when her door swung open as if she’d been listening at it in expectation of Sarah’s return.
“What’s going on?” Athena asked.
“Whatever do you mean?”
Athena narrowed her gaze on Sarah. “In case you’ve forgotten, my bedchamber window overlooks the street. So does Mama and Papa’s, by the way, so you’d better hope neither of them saw you strolling along with a half-naked duke or they’ll both be planning your wedding post haste.”
“He wasn’t half naked,” Sarah hissed. When Athena merely raised her brows Sarah muttered a curse and said, “Come along then. I’ll tell you what happened while I change.”
While Anna helped her put on a more practical gown cut from courser brown cotton, Sarah related the events that had recently taken place.
Athena scrunched her nose as if in thought, then asked, “Have you fallen in love with him?”
“I believe so. Yes.” Sarah sighed. “It was never my intention to do so and yet it happened anyway.”
