A breathless laugh escaped me. I wanted to run into his arms, but there were still walls of thorns between us, defenses that we had both so clearly built during our time apart. “How can I possibly thank him properly?” I asked in a quiet voice. “Frederick and I shall be forever in his debt.”
Clark shook his head fast. “That is a man you have no business being indebted to. I will take responsibility for that.” He breathed deeply, his gaze settling on my face with enough adoration to my make my cheeks burn. A flicker of uncertaintycrossed his features. “Is there already an understanding between you and Sir William?”
I wrung my hands together, feeling suddenly shy. “He has not proposed. He has given some indication that he might, but no.” I paused. “You are, at present, the only man who has proposed to me.”
Clark’s lips curved upward in a soft smile.
I breathed slowly, simply studying his face as he studied mine. I memorized his clear blue eyes, soft brow, and the stubble on his cheeks.
He slipped his hands around my face, and there was something incredibly comforting about the gesture. He looked at me as though expected me to vanish at any moment. “I’m not certain I believe that,” he said in a quiet voice, but his lips were still grinning. “If I recall, you once said you enjoy being engaged. That would imply that this is not the first time.”
A shiver ran across my skin as his thumb caressed the edge of my ear. I smiled up at him. “I believe you just implied that we are already engaged. I have not formally changed my answer.” My heart stumbled with doubt. “I’m still not entirely certain I’m at liberty to do so.”
His brow pinched with concern. “I will confirm with Colin that no business remains unsettled. You don’t have to be burdened with it any longer. Frederick is safe.”
Relief flooded through me.
I had already come to the same conclusion, but hearing it from Clark banished what remained of my fear. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before looking into my eyes again.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest. His arms enveloped me, and I felt him press another kiss to my hair.
Was this real?
My hands pressed into his back, and I listened to his heartbeat through his shirt. I hadn’t realized how terrified I had been of spending my life with Sir William until that moment. Clark was the only one I wanted, and the possibility that I could now have him was too much to comprehend. Tears rose to my eyes, but I blinked them away before looking up. Hewasreal. His heart was beating; his chest was rising and falling with each breath. He was holding me as if he never meant to let go again.
I was his, and he was mine.
A smile broke over my lips, and I rose on my toes to kiss him. My stomach fluttered as his arms tightened around me. He kissed me three times in quick succession, and then once more—but this time for much longer. I melted against him, hooking my fingers between the buttons of his waistcoat. The joy I felt couldn’t be contained in mere smiles, so I laughed breathlessly as he kissed me again and again. We could easily forget ourselves if we continued on in such a manner, so I pulled my mouth abruptly away from his.
“Well, are you going to propose again?”
He blinked down at me, a smile still hovering on his mouth. “Again? Was it not sufficient the first time?”
“No.” I laughed. “I should like to hear it all once more.”
Clark kissed my cheek, then my lips, then the tip of my nose. He looked intently into my eyes. “Good. I would very much like another chance. I didn’t propose properly the first time.” He reached for my hands, taking both in his. “Miss Arabella Sharp, I have fallen madly in love with you. I have never encountered a woman who could challenge me, humble me, and captivate me the way you have. You have stolen my heart, every piece. If you are not otherwise engaged,” his lips quirked upward, “would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes.” The word spilled out instantly. “I would like that very much.”
Clark smiled, wrapping his arms around me again. He leaned his forehead against mine, and we both laughed in disbelief. “I promise I will never stop working to give you a comfortable life,” he said. “I may not have a great deal of money yet, but I am already obtaining clients. I’ll buy you a cottage with all the bees and ducks you could ever dream of.” He brushed the curls away from my forehead before pressing another kiss there.
I closed my eyes, fighting the tears that still burned behind them. If Father could have met Clark, he would have approved. He had always wanted me to marry for love, after all,andhe had always trusted a man who liked bees.
I could hardly wait to tell Freddy that he could finally leave his room, to shock Aunt Julia with the news that I was engaged to Colin Campbell’s brother, and to write yet another letter to Kate. I would have to thank Colin for his immense generosity, and obviously pardon his schemes against me.
But for now, I was going to kiss his brother senseless.
CHAPTER 30
CLARK
“Itold you. It wasn’t my doing,” Colin said as he stood in the doorway of the church in Dorset.
He had been traveling all day, so I couldn’t blame him for having a sour mood. Over the past month, he had made a habit of denying his involvement with Frederick’s creditor each time the subject arose. I had concluded that it was his pride and stubbornness that made him wish to be anonymous. He was just stubborn enough that I suspected he would deny it for the rest of his life.
Perhaps on his deathbed he would finally confess that he had made his brother the happiest man in the world.
I walked forward with a grin. Even Colin’s deep scowl couldn’t ruin this day for me.
