“I have lost my heart to you, Arabella,” I said, my voice rough with emotion.
She stopped a few paces away. Her shoulders rose with a deep breath, but she didn’t turn around.
I walked closer until I stood one step behind her. “The ruse is over, but I cannot say that I wish it had never begun. I would not have come to know you otherwise. You might not have even glanced in my direction had you known that I didn’t have a fortune to offer you. You’re right. I am not Colin. I’m a second son by twelve minutes, a new solicitor, and a man who will treasure you, adore you, and give you everything at my disposal,if you will have me.” My heart raced, and I circled in front of her again. I took both her hands in mine, but they were limp and cold. I must have been out of my mind, but at the moment, I didn’t care. “Marry me, Arabella.” My voice was hoarse.
Her lips parted, her eyes tracing wildly over my face.
“Marry me,” I repeated. I lifted my hands, cupping her cheeks between them.
Tears wobbled on the edges of her eyelids as she stared up at my face.
“We do not need riches to be happy together,” I whispered. “I promise I will do all I can to provide a comfortable life for you.”
She shook her head, her lower lip quivering. And then she pushed her palms against my chest.
I stumbled back.
“No!” The raw emotion in her voice was like a dagger through my heart. “Are you mad?”
Perhaps I was. She blinked at me in shock, hot anger still burning behind her gaze. She looked conflicted, and for a moment I wondered if I had been entirely wrong about her feelings. Perhaps she truly had only courted me for my perceived fortune.
For once, Colin might have been right.
A pang of grief struck my heart.
Arabella composed herself with a breath, a stray tear hovering on the edge of her jaw. “I cannot marry you. You may tell your brother that he failed.” She sniffed, rubbing the tear away. “I have not learned my lesson.” Her eyes settled on mine, dark brown and impossible to read. “Tell him that I am still a fortune hunter.”
My throat tightened with emotion, my head spinning.
Before I could reply, she turned away, darting off in the direction of Mrs. Ollerton.
CHAPTER 25
ARABELLA
My chest felt hollow as I walked into our poorly lit drawing room above Newbury’s. Freddy sat on the sofa with a book, a lone candle flickering just enough to illuminate the words on the page.
And my tear-streaked cheeks.
Freddy stood, dropping the book on the sofa behind him. Of all the qualities he lacked at his young age, sympathy was not one of them. His brows drew together as he hurried to meet me near the door. “What’s the matter?”
I sniffed, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. How could I possibly explain all that had just occurred? I was still processing every piece of my conversation with Mr. Campbell.ClarkCampbell. When I had received his letter inviting me to Pulteney Bridge that evening, I hadn’t known what to expect. I certainly hadn’t planned on being proposed to.
Or told how very loved I was.
Strangely, I had believed that part. Perhaps Clark had fallen in love with me, but I could never tell him that I felt the same.The fact of the matter was that even if I did come to forgive him, I still couldn’t trust him with information about Freddy’s plight. And I couldn’t marry him, because he did not, in fact, have a fortune. What I had said to him was true: I was a fortune hunter. I had no choice but to be one until Freddy was safe.
Fresh tears escaped my eyes as my brother stared at me with concern. His large brown eyes, youthful features, and messy dark hair were all so familiar and endearing. How could I hate him? I wanted to blame him for the answer I had given to Clark’s proposal, but even without my responsibility toward Freddy, how could I have possibly said yes? The man had deceived me for weeks and wasted my time. He had wounded my pride possibly beyond repair. To find himself caught in his lie and then to propose to me had been very badly done.
Surely Clark understood that a few heartfelt words couldn’t undo the damage he had caused. The entire town was gossiping about my courtship with his twin. If I tried to spread the truth about him, who would ever believe my word above Colin Campbell’s?
No one.
Freddy gripped my shoulders, tearing me from my whirlwind of thoughts. My vision blurred, but then his face came into focus again. “Where have you been? Are you all right?”
I shook my head. My throat was still too tight to speak. I took a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to calm my emotions. I still felt the warmth of Clark’s hands around mine. Had he been telling the truth about the debt he owed his brother? How could he have claimed that he meant no harm? I bit my lip, a fresh wave of anger rising up inside me.
Of course, at the beginning, I had been deceiving him too.
