Page 45 of The Heir's Fortune
And, for now at least, she was alone, not a figure to be seen around her.
Gideon had told her last night that the horses they had recovered had, indeed, belonged to a stable near the coast and they would be sending servants to return them to where they belonged. No word had been heard about her captors since, and the cabin where they had kept her had been cleared out.
It made her wonder just where they could be now, but this was not why she was out here. She was trying to clear her mind, not fill it with anxious thoughts.
When she turned around to return to the house, breathing heavily from her sprint, she started in surprise at the rider who appeared in the distance. She paused, her heart pounding at the thought of who it could be until she noted the way the man moved, the tilt of his head and the size of his horse. Her pulse began racing for an altogether different reason.
Gideon.
She hadn’t risked returning to his bedroom last night, nor had he appeared at her door. It seemed that they had come to an unspoken agreement that they would wait to see whether there was a chance for them before they continued to become closer, for otherwise, it might only lead to heartbreak. It had taken years for Madeline to open her heart to a man, and now that she finally had, there was an equally good chance that they could never finish what they had started.
She and Gideon rode toward one another, each at the same speed, a quick trot, until they drew their horses next to one another. Neither of them said a word but rather held each other’s gaze, slow and serious.
“Do you always ride in the rain?” he finally asked, water slowly dripping off the brim of his hat.
“I do,” she said. “Do you?”
“Not usually,” he said. “Only when I am chasing a woman who insists on running from me.”
“I am not running from you,” she said. “When I saw you… I rantoyou.”
“So you did,” he said, reaching out a hand and catching hers within it. The rain had soaked her glove to her skin, and his hand warmed hers through.
“Madeline,” he said, drawing her as close as their horses would allow. “Whatever happens, I need you to know something.”
She waited.
“I am falling in love with you.”
Madeline felt the tears begin to well in her eyes, and as they started to fall, she hoped he wouldn’t notice but rather would simply think that they were part of the moisture from the sky.
“Don’t say that,” she whispered.
“It’s the truth,” he said simply with a shrug. “A truth you needed to know.”
“Why are you telling me this now?” she asked, trying to keep her breathing steady and even.
“In case I don’t get the chance later. I know I am making a mess of things, but even if we cannot be together, you deserve to know that you are worthy of love, that you deserve a man who can give you the world.”
“Are you sure—” she began, but choked off her words with a sob.
“Sure of what?”
“That it is not just that I am simply the last option? Everyone is arriving, and they are all in pairs, married off, but me. I?—”
“Madeline,” he said, his voice almost harsh. “I am not saying this to boast, but only because you need to understand the truth. I will be a duke one day, and as much scandal is attached to this family’s name, the title still goes a very long way. I could have nearly any woman that I choose, but if I am given the choice – I will choose you.”
Her legs were facing his way in the saddle, and it didn’t take much to slide off her horse and move to his lap. Her leap was not graceful nor was her seat comfortable, but he didn’t seem to mind as his arms came around her to hold her up tightly. She leaned in, her lips descending on his, and he kissed her back with all of the passion that had been in his words.
He had questioned her decision to ride in the rain, but he hadn’t chastised her, hadn’t told her that she was being foolish. He respected her, and he… well, apparently, he was falling in love with her.
It was more than Madeline could ever have hoped for, and yet, she was reluctant. For happy endings never worked out for her. It was why she always fought Cassandra on what made a true romance. Madeline felt that the happily ever afters Cassandra so enjoyed were not realistic, and it made no sense to count on them. Madeline had seen too many tragic endings.
This love story had all of the makings of a tragic gothic novel as much as it did one of Cassandra’s romances – so would she take the risk, or would she walk away before it was too late?
CHAPTER 17
The next day brought with it a flurry of arrivals, and the quiet country respite that Gideon had been enjoying was now a house party once again.
