Page 69 of The Butterfly
“I love ye, Livvie. Ye know that, don’t ye?”
Turning a bit in her chair, she smiled. “Of course I do … and I love you.”
“Aye. I also know ye’ve come such a long way. I’m proud of ye,mo gradh. Now that ye’ve gotten better, I cannae help but wonder if ye might not want more out of yer life.”
She frowned. “What could be more important for me than you and Serena?”
“Goin’ back to the society ye were born to. Perhaps findin’ a titled man who willnae care about Serena’s origins or any of it … someone who can give ye the fine life ye deserve.”
She stiffened, her jaw going tight. “Niall, don’t you dare … don’t you turn craven on me again.”
Raising a hand to halt her, he shook his head. “I’m not. I want ye for the rest of my life, Livvie. But I want ye to know ye have a choice … ye always had a choice. Ye’re the sister of one o’ the most powerful men in England and Scotland both. With his clout, no one’ll care where ye’ve been. The lords’ll still pursue ye, and without Bertram about, ye’d be free to enjoy it again. I just want ye to know ye dinnae have to choose me just because … well, just because of all that’s happened. Ye have a right to want the things ye were born for.”
Olivia reached across the space between their chairs to touch his hand, her palm warm and sure against his. “I was born to be with you. And nothing—not Bertram’s death, not my recovery, not a bloody thing—is going to change that. I know what I want … I think I’ve known since I was a little girl pretending to a princess up on your shoulders. I want my knight. Now get down on your knees and ask me to marry you before I wring your neck.”
He couldn’t help a laugh, a wide grin splitting his face as he found himself jumping to do her bidding. Anything to please his princess.
“Aye, m’lady,” he said, dropping out of his chair and onto one knee, holding the ring up between them.
“I dinnae have much to give ye other than myself, my name, and the wages of a butler. But if ye’ll have them, they’re yers. Everything I have … all that I am … it’s always been yers. Will ye marry me, Livvie?”
She threw herself at him, slamming into his chest and almost causing him to lose his balance.
“Yes,” she whispered before she kissed him—first his brow, then his nose, then his cheek, his jaw, and finally, his mouth.
He clung to the ring with one hand and her with the other, burying his face in her hair. Had someone asked him to describe the joy welling up in him as he returned her kiss, he would have failed. It proved simply indescribable.
“This is it,” he told her while sliding the ring onto the third finger of her left hand. “Nothing’ll ever come between us again,mo gradh, I swear it.”
She smiled and cupped his face, her eyes as bright, clear, and filled with happiness as he’d ever seen them.
“I swear it, too. I’ve always belonged to you, Niall … my one regret was that the world could never know it. Now, I want nothing more than for them all to know that I am yours and you are mine.”
He breathed a bit easier knowing she was still willing to endure the scrutiny of her peers for his sake. He’d make sure she never regretted her choice a day of their lives.
Taking his hand, she stood and urged him to his feet. “Perhaps the minister can come today!”
He clutched her hand as she all but dragged him from the room, her excitement a tangible thing filling the air with such warmth. The lilting melody of the pianoforte drew them to the drawing room, where Adam had passed the time at his favorite instrument. Spying them from the corner of his eye, he ceased playing and stood, gazing at them expectantly.
Raising their joined hands to show him she was wearing the ring, Olivia grinned. “We are getting married. As soon as you can arrange it, if you please.”
Adam graced them with a rare smile. “Congratulations. I wish the world for both of you.”
Olivia released Niall and went to him, coming up on tiptoe to embrace her brother. Hart leaned down from his substantial height to meet her, wrapping both arms around her slender waist.
“Thank you,” she whispered, becoming choked up again. “This means the world to me.”
“Youmean the world tome.I’ve done all I can to care for you, but now, it is Niall’s turn. If I’m forced to let you go, I would not want it to be to anyone but him. Be free, butterfly. Be happy.”
“I will be.”
After kissing her forehead, he pulled away from her as if to leave the room, but Olivia’s hand upon his arm halted him.
“Hart, I know you said you did not want to discuss Daphne anymore, but are you certain you’re doing the right thing? Are you sure you will be all right?”
“I am, and I will be,” Adam replied. “Stop worrying about me, and enjoy this moment. I must go make the arrangements.”
Olivia released him, and he crossed the room to leave. Pausing at the door, he turned back as if he’d forgotten something.
