She nodded, secretly glad he wasn’t in debt. “How much do you need? To build the house?” She prepared herself to hear an astronomical number, sure there were houses in Edinburgh that cost upwards of two-thousand pounds. She had seen the sales sheets in the windows of agents, read the postings inThe Scotsmanof estates for sale.
He winced. “Two-hundred... two-hundred-and-thirty pounds,” he replied.
She gasped. “I have it,” she said with excitement.
Giving a start, Daniel furrowed his brows. “You have two-hundred-and thirty pounds?” he asked, obviously surprised.
“More than that,” she said.
Daniel stared at her in disbelief, his expression slowly changing until he seemed humbled by her claim. “I don’t wish to be in debt to you, Izzy,” he said. “But I do appreciate the offer.If... if that’s what it was?” The look of uncertainty on his face suggested he was at war with himself.
Isabella couldn’t help the disappointment she felt. “I only mentioned my dowry because, well, it will go to whomever I marry.”
Daniel inhaled sharply. “Are you betrothed to someone?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. You mentioned a proposition,” she reminded him.
He nodded and displayed another wince. “I did, but now it seems terribly... unfair,” he murmured.
“Unfair how?” she countered.
Leading them to a park bench, he used his handkerchief to brush off the wood slats and waited for her to sit before he took the seat next to her. “Do you wish to be married?” he asked.
She grinned. “I do, but only if I feel affection for the gentleman.”
Daniel made an odd sound in his throat. “You kissed me, Izzy.”
“I did,” she acknowledged, grinning as if the memory made her happy.
He nodded slowly, although his brows showed his worry. “Have you kissed anyone else?”
“Of course not.” When he still seemed uncertain, she asked, “What is it, Danny?”
The name Daniel had answered to as a child had him straightening on the bench, memories from their youth reminding him of how happy he had been when Isabella was nearby. How they had played in the gardens of Brookshire Hall. How her blonde hair blew in the breeze as they ran over the clipped lawn in their bare feet.
He had a thought of how she might look now if her hair wasn’t caught up in a bun and partially covered by a hat. What it would feel like splayed over his bare chest after they made love.
Another part of him was already anticipating such a union. He shifted on the bench in an effort to make room for it.
“You do realize that if I were to propose matrimony right here and now, you will never know if I did so to simply silence the gossips or because I wished for your dowry or because... because I feel affection for you,” he murmured.
“Promise to marry me, and you can discover the answer tonight,” she whispered.
“Izzy,” he breathed, wondering if she knew her answer didn’t match the question.
Or perhaps it did.
“You’re sure you want this?”
She nodded. “I would not have come to Edinburgh if I didn’t.”
He narrowed his eyes. “So youdidmove here because of me?”
Dipping her head, she took a breath and sighed. “I did so miss seeing your handsome face,” she admitted.
Chuckling softly, Daniel took her gloved hand in his and rested it on his thigh. At no point did she attempt to prevent him from doing so, nor did she seem particularly bothered by the move. In fact, her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief, much as they had when they were younger. He recognized her then.
Isabella Farnsworth. The perfect playmate on days both sunny and cloudy. Armed with a mallet, she could whack the wooden ball through a series of wickets in every game of pall mall. She frequently lost at hide and seek, usually because her yellow frock made it impossible for her to stay hidden in the garden. As for archery, he recalled it was far better to remain well behind her or risk being shot with an arrow.
