Page 48 of Married to the Rake

Chloe stared into his olive eyes. “Pardon?”

“It is a perfect solution. We elope and your father can do nothing. Our families will have no choice but to try to reconcile.”

“I think you underestimate their hatred for one another,” Chloe murmured. “Besides, I thought you were talking of courting me not eloping!”

“Do you want to marry that Lawrence fellow or do you want to marry me?”

She swallowed. She had not thought this far ahead. All she had considered was that she needed to tell Brook how she felt and escape her family, even for a little while. But eloping? It would bring scandal indeed and she could not be certain her father would ever talk to her again.

She could not be married to a stranger, either. She could not. Even if she did not love Brook, she could never do such a thing. If her father was angry, it would be of his own doing.

“I want to marry you,” she said firmly.

A grin broke across his face. “Excellent. We shall make arrangements. If you meet me tomorrow, we can be married in Scotland within a week.”

“Goodness.” She felt a little breathless. “What will your family say? What if they try to disown you? What if—”

He gave her a swift peck on the lips. “All will work out, I promise. My father is not likely to disown his only son, no matter what.”

She nodded slowly, trying to process the enormity of the decision they had just made. It would be a difficult deed even if their parents liked one another. To go against them like this had to be about the wildest thing she had ever done.

“I will look after you, Chloe. No matter what. I promise. You will never have to do anything you do not wish to do.”

His words were like a thick blanket, wrapping around her. Suddenly she felt safe and secure. So long as she had Brook at her side, they could face almost anything.

She smiled gratefully and touched his jawline, feeling the stubble coming up from a long day. The freedom to touch him so made her smile widen. “Are you certain about this?” she asked, praying that he did not change his mind. However, she was no fool. She never went into anything without analyzing it first and the rational part of her mind could not help but want to ask these questions.

“More certain than I have ever been of anything else before.”

Releasing a breath, she stroked her thumb across his jaw. “You do realize, if you marry me, you would be stuck with me forever.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“And you do realize, that we are quite different people. I am no good at balls and the like.”

“We are different people. I realize that.” He took her hand. “I know all about you, Chloe. You are clever, and kind, and determined, and absolutely perfect for me. I will admit to being no perfect gentleman in my previous life—though I will state that most of the rumors about me were utterly exaggerated—but when I’m with you, all I want to do is steal away to those libraries with you. I could not give a fig about balls and dancing and socializing when I’m with you, Chlo.”

“In truth?”

He plucked a rose from the nearby bush and gave her a look. “Have I ever lied to you?”

She shook her head. He might be roguish and he certainly had the past of a rake but he had never lied to her.

“I love you.” He squeezed her hands. “I will do whatever I need to prove that to you.”

“You do not need to do anything.” Her lungs felt tight with excitement. “I love you too,” she confessed quickly before her courage vanished.

Brook offered her the rose. She took it, holding it loosely in her palms. He leaned into her, pressing warm lips against her forehead. “I love you,” he repeated on a whisper.

A tremor ran through Chloe. His presence set her pulse to racing.

If her father caught him here, she didn’t doubt he’d shoot him on sight.

Shaken by the thought, Chloe rested her head on his shoulder. “We’ll really elope?” she asked.

“We’ll go to Scotland,” he said, taking her hand in his. His thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand. “Old Mr. Lawrence will not reach us there.”

“But my father could,” Chloe said.

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