Page 22 of A Lady's Christmas
“If you’ll turn to the front page, Miss Carter.” Robert leans over and flips the page back for her.
Written in Alden Dandridge’s hand in the center of the page is,Gwendolyn Carter Estate.
“What is the meaning of this?” Gwen’s throat is dry.
Honoria whistles. “I think it means you are a very wealthy woman, my dear.”
“Why would he never have told me? Where did all of this come from?” Gwen looks from Robert to Theo.
Shoulders straight and gaze soft, Theo shrugs. “I’m sure it was left to you by your parents. Perhaps my uncle worried that if you knew, you might leave him.”
“I never could have. I loved him. He knew I loved him like a father.” Tears stream down her cheeks.
Robert clears his throat. “I shall wait in the foyer should you need anything.” He gets up and quietly leaves the parlor.
Dashing away her tears, Gwen draws a shaking breath. “You could have put all of this into a letter, Your Grace. There was no need to travel all this way.”
His eyes close for a long moment and anger flashes in them when they open. “I would have come with or without the money, Gwendolyn. I was about to chase you down on horseback when Mr. Geldman came to me with this new information.” Standing, he runs his finger through his hair, and paces. “Then, I had to come by coach to accommodate Mr. Geldman, and we had to verify the value of your estate.”
“Why are you here?” Gwen demands, her nails biting into the palms of her hands.
“Because if you had stayed to say goodbye, I would have asked you to marry me.” It’s more shout than explanation.
Honoria sighs. “That could have been more romantic.” She rises and picks up the tray of biscuits and tea. “I will be in the office. Perhaps Mr. Geldman would like some tea.”
Once they are alone, silence fills every space in the room.
Gwen recovers first. “I did not spend the night with you to trap you into marriage.”
“Gwendolyn, I am not trapped. I wouldn’t have made love with you if I hadn’t intended to marry you.” His jaw ticks and he rubs the back of his neck, which he often does when he expects a scolding.
“Then why would you want to marry me? For most of my life, we have been enemies. Now you return and woo me as if you care. What am I to believe?”
Kneeling on the floor, he takes her hands. “We were never enemies. I was a foolish boy and then an even stupider young man who didn’t want to be told whom he should marry. I was certain that my father and uncle were trying to tame me and take away my freedom.”
“Is that why you ran around town and the continent?” Gwen tries to pull her hands away.
He holds fast and rubs her palms where she made nail marks. “Honestly, I think I did it so they would see I wasn’t good enough for you. Then my father died, and I didn’t know how to change. I’d been playing the rake for so long.”
“Now that I have the funds to make my own way in the world, you want to marry me, and then I will have nothing again.” Pain radiates from the center of her chest. Loving him while he merely wants her for a prize is too horrible.
He grips her hands tighter. “Gwendolyn, look at me.”
There’s little choice, so she stares into those mesmerizing eyes.
His pupils dilate. “I will never touch one cent of that money. It’s understandable that you will think I would chase you for your money. But if I’d wanted to, I could have kept the money a secret. Mr. Geldman is in my employ, and he would have done as I said. However, I want to marry you and, God help me, I long for you towantto marry me.” He draws a long breath. “I love you, Gwendolyn. If there is any chance that you return my feelings, I will spend all my days endeavoring to make you happy.”
She never believed he would love her or tell her. Now her mind reels with her own heart’s desire. “I do love you, Theo.” She stops his attempt to hug her with a hand to his chest. “I won’t be bullied.”
“I’m well aware. I have no desire to return to our old ways.” His crooked smile is too alluring.
“If I were to marry you, all my assets would become yours. You say you don’t want my money, but the law already will have given it to you.” None of that is his fault, but she can’t help her anger at the situation.
“It occurred to me that you might not like that. I can have Mr. Geldman put the funds in a trust that only you can access. You could start a charity, or save the funds for our children, or do some other clever thing, but I promise you, I will never touch that money for myself or the estates of the Duke of Stratham.” He sits beside her. “Marry me, Gwen.”
Joy floods her as if she’s a girl again and he’s the knight who saved her from despair. “I prefer the way you say Gwendolyn.”
“Tell me?” With his heart in his eyes, he looks vulnerable and it’s something she never thought she’d see from him.
