Page 79 of Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch
Clearly not, because he was taking both her hands in his, not caring who might see them.
“Ursula, it’s you I want, and I’m hoping you’ll say yes.” From his pocket, he extracted a ring. “This was my mother’s, and I know she’d be pleased to see you wearing it.” He lowered his voice a little, glancing about. “I got carried away, yesterday, when we were alone in the bothy. I made a mistake, but no matter what happens, we can put it right. It don’t matter to me where you’re from or what your family are and, if there’s a baby, it’ll be born in wedlock. I won’t let you face anything alone, little bear.”
Ursula frowned, looking at the ring and then at Rye.
“If there’s a baby?” She wasn’t sure what he meant.
“It was all my fault. You must’ve noticed? I didn’t…” His brow creased in embarrassment. “I didn’t do what I should’ve to protect you from that. It was just so doggone amazing, I lost my head.”
He held the ring in front of her finger. “You were wonderful, Ursula. Youarewonderful. Just say ‘yes’ and I’ll slip this on right away. There’s no need for us to wait. You know how it works here? All we need do is declare ourselves married before witnesses and it’s good as done. They don’t mess about up here. O’course, we can have a formal ceremony later, with a white dress and all the fancies, but we don’t need to wait a moment longer. Just say it, Ursula. Say “yes” and be my bride, right here and now.”
Ursula felt her legs buckle under her. He wanted to marry her because he got carried away and made a mistake? Because he thought she might be pregnant? Did that happen when you’d only had a man inside you once? She supposed it could. It hadn’t occurred to her that it was a likelihood. Rye had murmured something about taking care of that side of things and she hadn’t given it another thought.
But she understood now.
He was asking her to marry him because he felt he should—that it was the “right” thing to do. Not because he loved her, or couldn’t live without her. Not because he needed her and couldn’t bear to let her go. Only because he had a sense of honour, and he thought she might be carrying the next Dunrannoch heir.
It would be easy to say yes—to let him slip that ring on her finger, but was that what she wanted? Didn’t she deserve better? If she was to give up on her plan for independence and entrust her future to a man, she needed to know he wanted her for the right reasons.
Slowly, she curled her fingers into her palm.
“Ursula?” Rye’s voice wavered. “Am I takin’ things too fast? I can give you more time if you need it.”
With her stomach turning somersaults, Ursula made herself look into his eyes. It was breaking her heart to do this—to turn down what she would have grasped with her whole heart, if only he’d asked her in a different way, if only she believed he was asking her for the right reasons.
“Rye…I…” She didn’t get any further.
From across the room, someone was sounding the dinner gong very loudly, and calling for attention.
“Guests!” Lady Balmore addressed the room. “On behalf of the Earl and Countess Dunrannoch, I bid you welcome. We hope you enjoy the hospitality we’re so pleased to share with you. Eat, drink and be merry.”
A round of applause rippled through the room.
“There has been sorrow within these walls, but we must look to the future. I therefore suggest a toast to our new viscount—Lord Balmore.”
Ursula felt herself blush to the roots as everyone around them turned to stare at herself and Rye, standing within the window alcove.
Arabella continued. “I know that Lady Fiona and her cousins will be eager for us to return to our dancing—” She smiled in the direction of her daughter. “But, I invite you to indulge in some festive merriment—a parlour game that was a favourite when I was a girl.”
Her suggestion was met with an excited hum.
“I expect most of you are familiar with the rules. I shall select two guests to come and hide with me, somewhere in the castle. Your task, dear guests, shall be to find us within the hour and, when you do—singly, or in pairs—join us in that hiding place. When we gather ten, our tin of sardines shall be full and all who have completed their mission shall be rewarded with a prize!”
The applause, this time, was all the louder. Several of the footmen already had their eye on which of the maids they’d like to partner with, no doubt; skulking about the house in the dark would be reward in itself!
Ursula breathed a sigh of relief. Once the party dispersed through the house, she’d slip away. No one would even notice.
Arabella, however, hadn’t finished.
“Without further ado, I invite Lord Balmore and Miss Abernathy to join me in seeking out a hiding place to baffle you all.”
Holding out her hands like the good Moses, Lady Balmore parted the sea of guests, creating a path across the room directly from the window alcove to where she stood beside the gong.
“Hear, hear!” shouted someone.
“Show us how it’s done Lord Balmore.” Ursula was sure she recognized the first footman’s voice.
With his usual beaming smile, Rye offered her his arm.
