Page 19 of Miss Harvey's Horribly Lovable Fiancé
“There is no finer man.”
If she truly believed that, then what was their problem here? “You compliment me.”
“And you should not do that for me.”
That angered him. “Listen to me well. You are sweet perfection. For me, the finest and fairest of them all. A diamond, many say. I do agree. In looks and charm and wit. But then I did not know your name or your sparkling reputation before we met and bantered in that dark parlor. And as for your intellect, it is second to none. Second to no woman I know who happily accounts for her father’s pennies.”
“Thousands of them.” She sniffed and snuggled against him, as if she held to a lifeline.
“Indeed. Hundreds of thousands.” He stroked her hair. Fine, silken, the color of honey, her curls tumbled into his fingers so easily. The way she had tumbled into his heart so readily. So completely. “And as for unworthy?”
She looked up at him, her large dark eyes a hurt animal’s. His heart wrenched. “I am, you know. I’ve done things.”
“So have I.”
“But you’re not ashamed of them.”
He splayed his fingers into the hair at her nape and held her quite still. “My sweet, what have you done that you are ashamed? Stolen? Cheated? Lied?”
“Yes! I lied!”
He shook his head. “When? About what?”
“At Miss Shipley’s. I would blame other girls for distracting me if I hadn’t finished my work.”
“I see. How old were you?”
“That does not matter. It shows character.”
“Do you still lie?”
“No. I have no work that I haven’t finished.”
He shrugged. “Well, there you have it.”
“You mustn’t make light of this. Suppose I…?”
“What?” He went blank. “Didn’t finish some work I assigned you?”
“No, no. Do be serious. What I’m saying is that I have a nasty streak. And you are so…level-headed.”
“I cannot say that.”
“You never get angry, Giles.”
He cradled her close and chuckled. “But I do. If you had seen me yesterday, you would have thought me straight from Hades.”
“Why? What did you do?”
“Shouted at my father.”
“Why? If he does not care to come for the wedding, that may be because he had heard rumors of my hoydenish ways.”
“Ah, yes.” He tapped the end of her nose. “A raggamuffin girl who trolls the lanes and haunts my dreams.”
“Do I?” she asked in awe.
“What do you think?”
