Page 48 of The Mysterious Miss Lydia
“He won’t,” she said.
He felt his defenses crumple in the face of her sweet sincerity. “Very well.”
She grinned and his heart gave an answering kick to his ribs.
He felt his breast pocket, confirming it was empty. He hadn’t thought to bring the missive with him. “But your assistance will have to wait.” He glanced about them pointedly. “This isn’t the time or the place for such things anyhow.”
He saw her eyes go wide behind her mask. “You’re right. They’ll surely send someone any moment now to fetch me. You won’t want to be caught.”
He smiled. She was adorable when she was fretting over him. “What about you?”
She lifted a shoulder. “No one will wonder at me being in here. And honestly…” She grimaced as she adjusted her mask. “My mother would likely celebrate if I was to trap you into marriage.” She wrinkled her nose as she added quickly, “Not that I would. But she’s so desperate for me to marry, she would not mind how it came about.”
He opened his mouth and shut it just as quickly. He had more questions and concerns in the light of that offhand comment than he knew what to do with.
Surely this delightful, lovely girl could have her pick of men.
But as quickly as he had that thought, he was seized with a dark, violent emotion that made anything but curling his hands into fists impossible.
Any man would be lucky to have her...
But he didn’t want her to have any man.
His lungs struggled to function as the realization that had been niggling at him all evening finally began to work its way to the front of his brain.
He wanted her for himself.
Forever. For always.
He wanted her to be his in every meaning of the word.
The thought struck him like a blow to the chest, as if all the certainty he’d been struggling with since his brother died had come back all at once.
He’d never felt more certain about anything in his life. This woman was his.
She just didn’t know it yet.
“Lord Galena?” she said softly. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. He was better than all right. Like something had shifted inside of him, his insides felt like they were finally settling into place.
They both stilled when they heard footsteps in the hallway.
When the steps passed, he reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Go. Rejoin your friends and family.”
She nodded. Was it his imagination or did she look as crestfallen as he felt at the thought of parting?
He gave his head an exasperated shake. “I’ll come to call on you so we can discuss.”
“But...” She looked so concerned, he wished he knew her every fear so he could allay them. But time was not on their side.
“I know it’s not as exciting as bumping into one another on the streets or in the park,” he said with a teasing tone. “But I’mafraid now that I know who you are, I must insist I treat you the way you deserve.”
She blinked. “And...how is that?”
His heart twisted. It ached at the honest confusion in her eyes.
“Like a young lady who deserves to be properly courted.”
