Page 94 of Tempting Her Viscount

“I believe she is considering that now.”

“I must go to her.” Kit jumped up.

“I hope you get the response you hoped for. It would be an honor to have you officially join our family. Small as it is.”

Kit was so happy he grabbed his friend and kissed his cheek. “I will flatten you later for what you’ve done, but for now wish me luck.”

“I would expect nothing less. Now go already before she finds another man who has loved her for years and wants to marry her.”

Kit couldn’t wait for a carriage to be brought around, instead he headed for Penbrook House on foot. He reached up to knock on the door but it was opened before his bare knuckles connected with the cheery, blue wood.

Celia stood before him. “Oh, hello,” she said, clearly surprised to see him.

“Good day,” he answered as he stared at her, taking in every detail, and realizing she was dressed to go out. “I see I’ve caught you at a bad time, I should—”

“It’s not a bad time. In fact, I was leaving to go see you. But you are here.”

“Yes. I’m here.”

A moment of awkward silence held in the air between them before she smiled and stepped back. “Won’t you please come in?”

“Thank you.”

She led him to the drawing room and sat on the settee. He sat next to her, watching her throat move as she swallowed. This was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And now there was nothing between them that would force her to reject his offer unless she truly didn’t want him.

Now was not the time to be a coward. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Gray says he’s explained what happened years ago, the night before you married Hamlin. You know the truth.”

She nodded. “I had no idea. I thought…”

“You thought as I thought. That the other person didn’t want to marry them.”

“Yes. Exactly. And I carried that hurt silently for so long. I thought I had forgiven you, but I hadn’t. Not really. I believed you abandoned me when I needed you most.”

He knew the pain she must have felt that fateful night. And then to have him propose again when it suited him…

He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound.

“Celia. Please be my wife. Not because you need to marry. I know you don’t need my title—you are already a countess. You don’t need my money—you have plenty of your own, and yours it will stay. You don’t need anything really—you have managed without anyone’s assistance.”

As he said this, he realized how worthless his offer sounded, but he went on.

“You don’t need me at all, but I hope you’ll say ‘yes’ simply because you want me. Because you want to spend your life with me. You don’t need anything, but I would still offer my heart and love for all the days we abide together. Celia, will you please be my wife?”

He waited. His breath stuck in his chest as he hoped for that one word that would change his life. He hadn’t expected it to be the wrong word.

“No,” she said while shaking her head.

His breath left in a rush as sorrow surged in once more.

*

Seeing the hopein Kit’s eyes drain away called her attention to the fact she’d just refused him. Or so he was left to think. She reached out and clasped his hand while shaking her head quickly, only to realize that she was now emphatically refusing him.

“No. I didn’t mean to say ‘no.’ I meant to say…” She swallowed and met his waiting gaze. “I think you’ve asked me to marry you enough.”

He blinked and stood. “My apologies for taking up your time.”

She was making a mess of this. She would have been better off to have just accepted his proposal, but she’d wanted to be clear.