Haslemere chuckled. “You bring out my ungentlemanly side.” He braced an arm against the door and leaned in, which put him much closer to Miss Harley than was proper. “I wonder why that is?”
She drew in a breath, as if preparing to deal Haslemere the set-down he deserved, but before she could say a word, Gideon cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon, Miss Harley, but may we come inside? I’d like very much to have a word with Cec…Miss Gilchrist.”
She turned to him in surprise, as if she hadn’t even noticed he was there. “Lord Darlington.” Her gaze was cool as she considered him, but he must have looked as miserable as he felt, because she sighed. “Oh, very well, if you must. I’ll ask Cecilia if she’ll see you.” She stepped away from the door so they could enter, but cast a dark look at Haslemere. “Wait here.”
“Good Lord, Haslemere,” Gideon muttered, when she was out of sight. “What did you do to make her so cross with you?”
Haslemere’s eyes were glinting with humor. “Nothing much, I assure you. She’s just remarkably bad-tempered. I likeher immensely.”
Gideon didn’t get a chance to answer, because Miss Harley was coming back down the hallway toward them,and behind her…
His heart leapt, hope and love and anxiety all tangling together in his chest. “Cecilia.” He removed his hat, clutching it in his hands as he took a step toward her. “I…I beg your pardon for calling at such an hour. I miss…that is, Isabella misses you.”
Haslemere snorted, and Miss Harley turned a quelling eye on him. “Despite my strenuous objections, Lord Haslemere, Lady Clifford says I must bring you to the drawing room for refreshments. Cecilia, go along with Lord Darlington to Lady Clifford’s parlor.”
She gave Cecilia an encouraging smile, then turned to Haslemere with a grimace. “Come on then, my lord, and do try your best not to behave like an utter savage, won’t you?”
Cecilia waited until Georgiana and Haslemere were gone, then she glanced up at Gideon from under dark eyelashes. “This way, Lord Darlington.”
He followed her down to a cozy parlor tucked at the back of the house overlooking a small, neat garden. He closed the door behind him, then stood there awkwardly, staring at her. “Is it Lord Darlington now, Cecilia? Not Gideon any longer?”
Her cheeks flushed scarlet. “I didn’t mean to cause offense, Lord Darlington.I wasn’t sure—”
“I know you’re not sure, and I’m so sorry for that, sweetheart.” Gideon drew closer, close enough so he could see the faint light from the hallway shining inher dark eyes.
God, he loved those eyes, loved every part of her.
He took her hand in his. “There are so many things I want to say to you, but first, I want to thank you for what you did for me. I never thanked you, that last day at Darlington Castle, and it was unforgivable of me. It’s hauntedme ever since.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Gideon. I only did what Lady Clifford asked me to do. You don’t owe me anything, no matter what we…” She dropped her gaze. “You don’t owe me anything. So, if that’s why you’re here—”
He touched a fingertip to her lips to quiet her. “It’s not why I’m here. I’m here because I love you, Cecilia. I’m madly inlove with you.”
She was quiet for a moment before raising her gaze to his. “You…youstill love me?”
“I never stopped loving you, Cecilia, and it’s not because you saved me, or proved my innocence.” Gideon took her hand and pressed a dozen tiny, ardent kisses on her palm. “I’ve loved you since the first day I met you, when you scolded me for being ungentlemanly, and told me I didn’t look fashionable enough tobe a marquess.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “You fell in love with me because I was rude and impertinent and refused to leave when youdismissed me?”
Gideon laughed softly. “No, sweetheart. I fell in love with you because you told me the truth, and reminded me I’d once been a better man than the man I’d become. I fell in love with you because you dropped the coal scuttle in my bedchamber and shook me awake, and I’ve been awake ever since, and because you sing bawdy songs to Isabella, and because you love and protect her. I fell in love with you because you believed in me, Cecilia. Do you stillbelieve in me?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ve always believed in you, Gideon.”
He tipped her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “Can you forgive me for letting you go, and for hurting you? I never should have said those things to you. I was cruel, and worse, Iwas a coward.”
“You weren’t a coward.” Her dark eyes turned fierce. “You were afraid, Gideon. It’snot the same.”
“I was afraid, yes. Afraid I wasn’t worthy of you, or that I’d fail you somehow, but I’m not afraid of anything anymore, except losing you, Cecilia. I can’t lose you, sweetheart.”
“You haven’t lost me, Gideon,” Cecilia whispered, laying her hand on his chest. “I’m right here.”
Love and gratitude swelled inside Gideon, nearly bringing him to his knees. He leaned closer, hovering his lips over hers. “May I kiss you?”
“Yes.” She gave him a shy smile. “I really think you must.”
It started as a sweet, chaste kiss, but her scent and the taste of her soft mouth soon had him wild. He swept his tongue between her parted lips with a groan, and she returned his kisses with a passion that set his blood on fire. “You told me you loved me once, Cecilia,” he murmured. “Do youlove me still?”
“Yes,” she choked out on a sob. “Somuch, Gideon.”
