Page 70 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
“Alexander…” She whispered his name, needing reassurance but feeling guilty for it.
“Yes, Anna?” He smiled at her, his eyes beaming with joy.
“You know you don’t have to do this,” she said softly and tenderly.
“Do what?” he asked, not understanding.
“You don’t have to marry me, you know,” she clarified. “Just to thwart the impending scandal, I mean. I knew what I was getting myself into, and so did you. If this is the price of spending that time with you, so be it. I… I want you to know that I would not change a single thing.”
He cupped her chin with the tips of his fingers, gently lifting her face so that their eyes locked. He responded with a heartfelt confession.
“No, Anna.” He shook his head. “My words and my proposal are genuine, just like my emotions for you.”
“Truly?” she gushed, unable to control herself. She was overwhelmed by love for this man, and she could not remain silent about it any longer.
“Truly.” He smiled back. “I fell in love with you the moment I laid my eyes on you. Not only for your beauty, but your bravery, your wit, your reluctance to accept what life has bestowed upon you and demanding what you think you deserve. You are the kind of woman I had been searching for, but I didn’t even know it. And somehow, through some fluke of fortune, you found me instead.”
He paused for a moment, as overwhelmed as she was. “It is my sincere desire for you to be my wife. But… only if you want it as well, without being forced into it by external arrangements and fear of social judgment.”
She was touched by his honesty as she gazed lovingly at him. There was only one answer she could give him. With her heart laid bare, she spoke the words that flowed straight from her heart.
“I love you, Alexander,” she replied, barely suppressing an onslaught of joyful tears. “I want to be your wife. That is all I ever wanted, but I feared this desire, I feared to give in to it. Now I see that your heart sees mine as it is. You see me for who I am, not for who I am expected to be.”
“Anna… hearing those words means everything to me.”
In that moment of shared confessions, they sealed their commitment with a passionate kiss. It was the merging of two hearts that weathered the storms of doubt and uncertainty. She finally allowed herself to give in to him, without any fear. She finally belonged to him and he belonged to her.
Anna’s fingers gently grazed the side of Alexander’s face, caressing him tenderly. His hands, in turn, found a secure place at the small of her back, pulling her closer in an embrace that symbolized the union of their hearts. Their kiss lingered, only prolonging the embrace they had enjoyed minutes ago.
They were now sealing their commitment to each other, grounded in genuine love and shared devotion. In that stolen moment, with a tender kiss, the world outside faded away. There was no one but the two of them, promising each other a love that would last forever.
When he pulled away, his eyes were still sparkling. “Let’s go find Tom and Eliza. Although I fear they probably won’t like being interrupted.”
Anna chuckled as he took her by the hand and led her out of the parlor. Still basking in the afterglow of their shared moment, they walked in unison. Up until that moment, Anna had felt she always had to sneak through the corridors of his home, but now, she truly felt as if she belonged there, with him by her side.
As soon as Alexander opened the door to the drawing room, they stumbled onto a delightful surprise. Tom was with his back to them, down on one knee with a small velvet box in hand, proposing to a shocked Eliza. Neither of them noticed Alexander or Anna, so Anna pulled Alexander by the hand, bidding them to stay in the doorway and not interrupt the special moment.
Eliza’s eyes were wide with astonishment, her hand covering her mouth in sheer disbelief. Anna wondered if Tom had already spoken the words, or if he was just getting ready to. The atmosphere brimmed with excitement as Tom finally spoke the words that Eliza longed to hear.
“Eliza Littleton, will you marry me?”
Eliza did not need a single moment to think about it. Her response echoed in a resounding “Yes!”
Tom got up, placing the ring gently on her finger, after which he took her into his arms, swirling her in the air. Laughter erupted all around, a harmonious symphony of joy, as Tom placed her down, embracing her and gently kissing her on the lips.
“I do believe that congratulations are in order, on both sides!” Alexander was caught up in the contagion of happiness, exclaiming his words loudly.
Everyone exchanged heartfelt wishes, agreeing on a celebratory supper to be hosted right there, in Alexander’s home.
“I will just rush home very quickly and—” Anna started, but Alexander interrupted her.
“No, no.” He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her waist as if to keep her close and preventing her from doing what she just informed him of.
“What do you mean, no?” She chuckled.
“Just that.” He shrugged. “You’re not going anywhere. This is your home.”
She laughed aloud that time. “But I can’t just stay here indefinitely.”
