She shook her head. “Go back to London. Live the life you want and be happy. Just please, leave me alone.”
Turning, she started back up the front steps and was almost at the door when he said, “Elizabeth Bennett leapt to the wrong conclusion, as well, regarding Darcy. But at least she agreed to listen to him in the end, Ada.”
She halted and considered those words. Trust Anthony to use her favorite novel against her. He wasn’t wrong either. Elizabeth had also had every reason to think the worst of Darcy based on the information she’d been provided. Was it possible Ada’s situation might be similar?
And if there were even the slightest chance it might be, ought she not let the man she loved say his piece?
Dropping her hand, she returned to the pavement. “Very well. Let’s go for a walk.”
19
The tension Anthony had been experiencing for the past couple of days faded. His body felt lighter, the pain in his ankle a little less pressing. He grabbed his cane, shut the carriage door, and offered Ada his arm. When she took it, joy burst through his veins as renewed hope surfaced.
All would be well. He was certain of it. Once he explained.
They started walking at a leisurely pace. The early morning light still retained a few hints of pink and purple, and while Hitchin was considered a town, it was more of a village compared with London. The air was fresher here, less bogged down by smoke and cloying fumes. He even noted that the street appeared wider and better maintained.
Up ahead, a gate served as the entrance to a small park. As they approached, Anthony saw it was only a twenty-by-twenty yard square, but it was pretty, with a fountain at the center and benches spread out along the periphery. A mixture of yellow, red, and white flowers filled the beds between the paved pathways.
“I should probably start by telling you that I am not engaged to Miss Starling.” It seemed like the most important part of this whole debacle, so Anthony was eager to address this first and get it out of the way.
Instead of the happiness he’d expected from Ada, she gave him a skeptical look as he steered her into the park. “That’s not what your sister told me. Are you telling me she was lying?”
“No.” He knit his brow and marshaled his thoughts. It was easy to get confused with all the mistruths floating about. He had to keep the facts in order.
Ada snorted. “Well you can’t both be right. You’re either engaged or you’re not.”
“I’m not, but Penny didn’t realize that, and in any case, she wasn’t speaking of Miss Starling when you questioned her about my intention to marry.”
“Oh.” Ada tugged her arm free and turned to face him. “There’s someone else then? Good lord. How many women have you been romancing?”
“There’s no one else. There’s just… Ada! Where are you going?”
“I think I’ve heard enough,” she said, already walking away.
“Ada, don’t…” He took a deep breath and gave up on the romantic proposal he’d had in mind. “There’s only you, Ada. You are the woman I want to marry.”
She stopped so abruptly it looked like she might pitch forward onto her face. Thankfully, she leaned back and turned. Her lips parted and there was a look of astonishment in her eyes – as though he’d just told her he lived on the moon and would like her to join him.
“But…” She shook her head as if hoping to make some sense of what he’d just said. “I saw the wedding invitation, and while I’ll grant you that wasn’t enough to convince me, the added weight of your sister’s words did. So forgive me, but I don’t understand, and I worry you might just be telling me what you believe will be to your advantage. Let’s be honest with each other for a moment, shall we? Dukes don’t marry penniless women without connections.”
“True,” he admitted, “but I plan to change that. First, however, it might be prudent of me to straighten out everything so it makes sense. Perhaps you’d like to sit?”
She glanced at one of the benches. “I think I’d rather remain in motion.”
“Very well.” He waited for her to start walking and fell into step beside her. “Let’s begin with Miss Starling. From what I’ve been able to piece together, she came to see you the day before last and arrived at your shop immediately after my sister. This, coupled with the shop being closed, was a stroke of fortune for her. It gave her the chance to prevent my sister from speaking with you directly as Miss Starling assured her she’d make sure the letter I’d written to you was delivered. My sister had no reason to doubt Miss Starling’s sincerity since she only knows her to be a respectable lady of impeccable character.”
“So you’re saying your sister gave the letter you’d written me to Miss Starling, who then decided not to deliver it?”
“Precisely.” He dropped a look in her direction and noted the way her eyes flashed with displeasure. “I wasn’t aware she’d also created a fake invitation until you just mentioned it, but that’s further proof of her scheming.”
“She told me she only wanted your title and that I was therefore free to keep seeing you on the side. In fact, she insisted she’d welcome such an arrangement and that she believed wives ought to be more supportive of their husbands’ mistresses since they can be beneficial to marriages of convenience.”
Anthony’s mouth had gone dry the moment she’d mentioned the awful proposal Miss Starling had made. His hands had fisted and the tension was back in his shoulders and spine. “She crossed the line by a huge margin, Ada. Please rest assured, I gave her a harsh dressing down and put her in her place. I very much doubt she’ll be bothering either of us in the future.”
“That is a relief.” She gave him a wary glance before saying, “I don’t usually like to speak ill of others, but I really don’t like that woman and hope to never see her again.”
“While I agree and share that same hope, it might not be so simple. After all, she is a viscount’s daughter and will therefore be present at social events. Events I hope you’ll attend as my duchess.” He took her hand and did what he ought to have done as soon as he’d kissed her. Not caring if the dirt on the ground left a mark on his fawn-colored breeches, he dropped to one knee as best as he could with a still aching ankle, and gazed at her with all the love he felt in his heart. “Marry me, Ada. Be my wife, my life-long companion, closest confidante, and dearest friend. I love you, Ada, with all that I am. Please, say yes.”
