“Lillian, you shouldn’t—”
“No, wait, Louisa,” he said. She looked tentatively at him. He gave his attention back to Lillian. “You learned to play it after hearing it only a few times that afternoon?”
She nodded. “It was a simple tune.”
“Then yes, I’d love to hear you play it after dinner.”
“I can show you my button collection,” Sybil said while stuffing her green mash into her roll. “Louisa let me bring it with me so I would keep my hands to myself and not touch anything.”
He looked over at Louisa, and she smiled shyly at him. He smiled, too.
“I have some real old ones and some military ones you might like to look at,” Sybil continued. “And if you have a collection, you can show me yours if you want to.”
Bray laughed softly. “I don’t have a button collection, Sybil. I’ve never seen one, but I would love to see yours.”
“I have a doll,” Bonnie said. “You can hold my doll if you want to. Her name is Caroline. She’s a girl, but she won’t mind if you hold her. I’ve told her you’re a nice gentleman.”
“Thank you, Bonnie,” he said, and looked at Louisa. “I’m glad there is at least one young lady at the table who thinks I’m a gentleman.”
“You’ll like Caroline. She’s soft.”
“I’ve never held a doll, but I suppose I could learn how to do that, too.”
Bray sat back in his chair and thought,So this is what family dinner was all about: sharing.
“Gwen, do you have something you would like to show me tonight?” he asked.
She looked down at her plate, hesitating. “The only thing I brought with me is a letter from Mr. Standish. I think it will be all right if you read it.”
Good. The rake had listened to him. “Only if you want me to.”
“And what about you, Louisa? Do you have anything to say tonight?” he asked.
“I have a question for you, Your Grace,” Louisa said.
He looked at her and wanted to kiss her so bad, his hand tightened on his fork.
“Will you marry me?”
Gasps sounded all over the room, and the loudest came from Bray. He rose, almost knocking over his chair. “Hell yes.” He stopped and looked down the table at the girls and added, “That’s a biblical word, girls, and you might as well get used to hearing it.”
Louisa rose as well, and he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her to him as closely as he could. Damn, she felt good. He looked down into her sparkling blue eyes, thinking it would upset her, but he was going to have to kiss her right in front of all her sisters.
“I love you, Bray,” she whispered earnestly, softly. “I want to be your wife. I can accept that you only want me and don’t love me.”
He placed his fingertip to her lips and hushed her. “I do love you, Louisa. It must be love, and I love this big noisy family you have given me. I accept.”
“Does the hug mean you’ll marry Louisa?” Bonnie asked.
“Yes,” Bray said. “Now, all of you close your eyes because I’m about to kiss your sister.”
Bonnie, Sybil, Lillian, and Gwen jumped up and started screaming.
Bray kissed Louisa with all the love he was feeling for her. Suddenly, he felt a set of small arms go around his waist, squeezing him, but he kept kissing Louisa. Another pair of small arms went around him and then another. He broke the kiss and looked down to see that all four girls were hugging him.
“Does this mean we will live here with you?” Sybil asked.
Bray reached out his arms and hugged all the girls to him. “Yes, all of you will live with us until you marry, but don’t scream,” he said, but it was too late—they were already squealing and jumping for joy.
