Page 104 of Nothing Compares to the Duke
“Quicker this way,” he told her breathily as he changed his grip on the balustrade to move closer to the hedgerow.
“And more dangerous.”
He tipped his head back and looked down at her. “Have you forgotten who I am completely?”
“No.” The word came out too softly, too quickly.
Rhys watched her a moment and then nudged his chin up. “Clear the way.”
“Don’t break anything.”
Bella thought she heard a chuckle in reply. Then she sucked in a quick breath.
Rhys let go and dropped, landing with a thud, though the darkness made it hard for her to see precisely where.
Stomping footsteps followed and a dozen people emerged onto the balcony above, looking over the side. A few called down to him, but he made no reply.
Bella leaned over the rail to get a closer look just as Rhys got to his feet. They were inches apart for the first time in weeks and yet he gave her a smirk that was no different from the one he’d given her a thousand times as a boy. He watched her intently, as if waiting for something. Expecting something. Hoping.
“You’re not hurt?” she asked in the most unaffected tone she could muster.
“Were you wishing that I was?” His tone was teasing but when he looked up at her, his expression grew serious, weighted with an emotion she couldn’t name.
His brows winged up as if he was expecting her to curse him or be angry.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she told him, trying to match his light tone. “If you’d injured yourself, how could you walk me down the aisle?”
“You really do want to discuss marriage.” His smirk melted into a beaming smile.
Suddenly she knew what she hadn’t realized until this moment. There was never any fear when she was with Rhys. When she was with him, all she truly felt was an odd kind of relief, a rightness, as if they were both where they were meant to be.
He bit his lip and his gaze swept over her from the pins in her hair to the slippers on her toes. When he looked up again, he wore a more sober expression.
“Shall I ask you again?” He squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and offered her his hand.
“You’re intoxicated.” Bella took his hand and almost gasped at how good it felt to feel his skin against hers again. “I’m sober, so perhaps I should do the asking this time.”
He grinned and bent his head to nuzzle his cheek against hers. “You’re intoxicating,” he whispered, “so we’re even.”
Bella laughed, the first time she had in weeks. “Shall we talk inside the town house?”
He glanced back at his balcony and grimaced. “There are dozens of people there you probably don’t know.”Turning back, he cast his gaze toward the Wainwrights’ town house. “What about where you’ve come from?”
“A ball. I’m chaperoning Louisa.” Bella peeked at the watch fob pinned to her bodice. “I should probably get back soon.”
“So we must do this here? In the middle of the street.”
Bella squeezed his hand. “I return to Hillcrest tomorrow. You could call on me there.”
“I’m not a patient man.” He reached for her other hand and brought them both up to place kisses against her knuckles. “Also, I think I should be the one to ask.”
“We discussed this.”
“If we had a daisy we could decide this fairly.”
Bella laughed again and all the worry she’d felt for weeks loosened a bit more. “Ask. I’m ready this time.”
Shock chased across his features. “Arry, will you marry me?”
