Page 99 of The Reckless Love of an Heir
Henry looked at her, his eyebrows lifting.
‘From what Henry has said, you have already given your consent.’ Her father turned his back on her and walked about his desk. ‘You better see the Archbishop and obtain a special licence, Henry. However, considering you are in mourning, everyone willguess what this hasty marriage is about.’ He sat down and looked at the papers on his desk. ‘Now get out, both of you, I am trying to keep my rage in check over your foolish, thoughtless, behaviour and I am not likely to succeed.’
Susan bit down on her lip as she turned away, tears pressing at the back of her eyes. Henry’s arm came about her and his hand settled at her waist.
‘And you must think of the kindest way to tell Alethea!’ her father called after them.
Susan looked back, and his gaze speared her with the accusation of her disloyalty.
Henry released her and picked up his hat from a side table. He opened the door and then stepped back, giving her a stiff smile. ‘Susan.’
She left the room ahead of him, whispering as she passed him. ‘Why did you tell him?’
‘Because there is only one reason why I would not wait until after we have finished mourning. It is the day after William’s funeral. There’s no other explanation.’
‘But to tell my father.’
‘He would have known anyway…’ He held out his hat towards the waiting footman, who stood to one side of the room trying not to listen to their whispering. ‘Please put this somewhere out of the way.’ The man took it. Then Henry’s hand embraced Susan’s elbow. ‘Where may we go to talk?’
‘Not the drawing room, Alethea is there.’
‘Where then, the garden?’
She nodded.
He lead her, through the pressure of his hold on her elbow, into the dining room and out through the French doors.
As soon as he closed the door she began speaking, while acuckoo called repeatedly in the distance. ‘Why did you tell my father?’ Her fingers curled into fists.
‘Why did you think I would not?’
‘Because, I…Alethea…’
‘Susan. I told you I love you, and I know you love me, please stop fighting happiness. You give everything of yourself to everyone else, but do you not think if Alethea truly loved you she would want to see you happy too?’
‘But she loves you, Henry, and she is my sister.’
His hands came to each side of her face, his palms pressing against her cheeks. ‘She does not love me. And I know she is your sister, but that does not mean you must lose everything for her. Your father said you had asked him to look for a position for you. Why?’
Her gaze lowered to his chest, unable to face this or him. ‘I did not want to see you anymore. You would have married…’
His thumb brushed beneath her chin, lifted her head and her gaze back up. ‘The only woman whom I wish to marry is standing before me. If she would not have accepted me, I would have taken no one. Do you hear me?’
‘I feel guilty, because I have taken you from her?—’
‘You have not taken me, I was probably always yours, we had just not discovered it yet. And if there is guilt to be faced, we share it equally.’
‘Henry…’ Her heart stretched out.
‘No, Susan.’ His hands fell to his sides. ‘You must not take me out of sympathy, you must not accept me for my sake as you did last evening. Accept me because this is what you want too, and for no other reason, put yourself first.’
She swallowed. Her throat was dry. She longed to. Her whole body was connected to him, humming with feelings of love and… ‘Yes.’ She looked up at the sky rather than him, as she felt the freedom of the words, and the cuckoo began calling again. ‘Yes.’ She smiled, when she should not be smiling, and looked at him.
His arms wrapped about her and he lifted her right off her feet and twirled her about. When her feet were on the ground again, his lips pressed on hers.
He ended the kiss. ‘We have to act now, Susan. Shall I go into the drawing room, then you come in with an excuse to take your mother away so I may speak with Alethea? It is my responsibility to tell her.’
‘She will be furious with me.’
