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Would it be so terrible to be married to Mr. Hawthorne even if he didn’t love her? There were worse fates, to be sure.

Her heart thudded as he gazed down at her face.

He certainly looked like he loved her.

“I never proposed to Miss Benson,” he said in a direct voice. “I just heard the rumor tonight, but I assure you, such a thing never occurred.”

Leah’s throat was dry. “What? But she said⁠—”

“She lied.” Mr. Hawthorne stepped closer, gripping her hands. His eyes were gentle as they roamed her face. “Lady Cartright informed me that most of the guests believe Miss Benson rejected a proposal from me on the thirtieth of December. It occurred to me that you must believe it as well.”

Leah nodded, her skin tingling with disbelief. “Then what happened?”

“I explained to her that I was not in a position to marry her.” His eyes softened. “I explained that my heart belonged elsewhere.”

A shaky breath escaped her lungs. “I thought…” She licked her lips, her head spinning. “I thought I was your second choice.”

Mr. Hawthorne lifted his hands to her face, his sincere eyes gazing into hers. “You were never my second choice. You are my only choice, Leah. I can’t imagine it being anyone but you.”

Relief crashed through her. The skin on his palms was soft and comforting against her face, and she felt like she could breathe for the first time in days. Her heart pounded fast within her chest.

“You were right,” he continued quietly. “It is terrifying to feel so much for you, and to have come to feel it in so short a time. I cannot know whether you return my affection, but I find I cannot keep the truth from you any longer. I adore you, Leah. I love you. I have never known anyone so clever, so charming, so entirely captivating.” His gaze lingered on hers. “And beautiful.” His finger caressed her cheek, his eyes softening at the corners. “I offer you my heart, whether you will have it or not. Though, knowing you, I have little hope of persuading you to keep anything that does not suit you.”

Leah gave a breathless laugh. A smile pulled on her mouth, her hands finding his jacket. Never had she felt more relieved in her life. Nervousness built in the pit of her stomach, but she forced the quiet words past her throat. “I love you, too.”

She tugged him forward, and then they were kissing. His lips tasted of spiced punch. He pressed her against one of the stone walls, his mouth seizing hers with even more passion than it had before. She held his lapels, the intensity of his kiss drawing a sigh from the back of her throat.

His lips parted from hers abruptly, and she could see the same passion in his eyes. It simmered in the dim light, and he leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead.

Her hands curled into fists on his chest, which rose and fell heavily as his breath rustled her hair. “Have you reconsidered your answer?” he mumbled before leaning back to look in her eyes. He took her hand again, a hesitant smile on his lips. “My dear Leah, will you marry me?”

His expression caused a laugh to bubble out of her chest. “Of course I’ll marry you.” She paused. “My dear Felix.” She felt shy saying his Christian name, but the flirtatious grin on his face made it worth it.

He kissed her again, but this time he didn’t stop until she eventually stepped away, grinning up at him. There was too much to say; her heart was bursting with excitement. “Will you come to Switzerland with Katherine, Tom, and me next summer?”

Felix’s eyebrows lifted, his eyes dancing with amusement. “When did you decide to go to Switzerland?”

“It’s my reward for securing a proposal.” She twisted her fingers around his, suddenly nervous to look at his face.

“Is that why you were so eager to find a husband here?”

“At first, yes.” She sighed. She didn’t want to hide anything from him. “But I quickly realized that I wanted to be with you far more than I wanted Switzerland.”

He brushed at a strand of hair on her forehead. “How lucky you are to have both.” He grinned.

Leah gasped in delight. “So you will join us?”

“Of course. I can’t have you traveling the world without me. I would miss you far too much.”

Leah’s cheeks tingled with heat. She could hardly believe how quickly her circumstances had changed. Joy surged in her chest as she gazed into his eyes. “We are both engaged before Twelfth Night. Just as we planned.”

He chuckled. “It is safe to say that this is not what either of us planned.”

“But better?”

He smiled, pressing another kiss to her lips. “Far better.”

Epilogue