Page 54 of Burning Secrets of a Lady's Pen
Imelda’s lips felt like they were on fire as she dazedly made her way back out of the maze and blindly through the crowds of guests in the Vauxhall Gardens.
“You know why I do and would.”
Oh, God. She did, didn’t she?
Hadn’t she already had that realization standing there on her aunt and uncle’s doorstep seeing the look on his face when her father had so carelessly announced the ‘upcoming betrothal’ he had heard about? Hadn’t she already resigned herself to giving up any hope for any of that? To focusing on her work and her work alone?
Her heart raced as she mumbled some excuse or another to some faceless person wishing to start a conversation with her, her hands clammy despite the fire that seemed to have overtaken the rest of her body.
She had. She knew she had. But every nerve ending within her had come to life when Corin had grabbed her like he had. Latent parts of her that she hadn’t even known existed had fired right up at the feel of his lips against hers, and even now, even with no real discussion between them, her brain felt as if it were slugging through the most violent sort of quicksand.
“Oh, that finale!” Aunt Lydia’s voice was almost spectral to Imelda’s ears as she wandered back into the fray of her family, slipping unnoticed into the mix of them as they walked back from where they’d gone to stand to take in the fireworks display.
“I do love fireworks,” Charlotte agreed happily, grinning at Imelda as she allowed Spencer to walk arm-in-arm with her in the direction of one of the many tables set up in the garden. “They were so beautiful!”
Fireworks.
Imelda didn’t think they had held a candle to those ones bursting internally within her where Corin had held her.
“And still, they couldn’t hold a candle to your beauty,” Spencer chimed in, his voice as bold as the compliment he gave Charlotte.
Giggles overtook the group of them, but Imelda felt her feet root to the ground as she watched her brother stop walking entirely.
There was a look on his face. One she had only just learned to identify. It shined out of him, like some darkly entrancing inner light that built the longer that he stared at Charlotte. Like he could have devoured her and put her on some too-tall pedestal in the very same breath. As if she had been crafted of the fireworks she had just been complimenting herself.
“You’re too kind.” Charlotte laughed, her face blushing a pretty shade of red that caught in the light of the lanterns around them.
“I am many things,” Spencer agreed solemnly, “though I do not think kind is fitting here. Enraptured, maybe. Entranced. In love.”
Just like that, all the quieter conversation among their group ceased as if Spencer had snapped his fingers and demanded their silence.
“In—” Charlotte began, her eyes widening and then widening even further as Spencer fell down to one knee before her.
“In love,” he repeated, taking her hand in his and brushing his thumbs over her knuckles so sweetly, Imelda almost felt as if she were intruding. “I meant to wait. Really, I did. But watching you watch those fireworks, watching you here now in this lighting, I couldn’t bring myself to wait any longer. I think I’ve been waiting for you my whole life, Charlotte de Trafford.”
Imelda, despite all her own personal preoccupation, felt tears sting her eyes.
“Oh, Spencer,” Charlotte whispered, her lips curling in a tremulous smile.
“I know I’m going out of order and I’m sure your mother would wish me to make a much more grand affair of all of this, but I promise you that if you do me the great honor of becoming my wife, I will spend every day making as grand affair out of our life together as is possible.”
“Of course, I will marry you.” Charlotte laughed.
Spencer slid a ring onto her finger only moments before rising to his feet, sweeping her off of hers and spinning her in a circle before kissing her.
It was a rare public display and the applause coming just from their group of friends and family was deafening in response.
Imelda smiled, pushing everything else aside as Charlotte was finally released, and everyone descended to start congratulating them.
“Oh, Imelda. I do hope that you are happy,” Charlotte practically sang as she grabbed Imelda up in a hug. “I know that we didn’t talk about it, and I know that he is your twin, but…”
“But nothing.” Imelda chuckled, squeezing her friend for all that she was worth to try and allay any worries there. “I could not have chosen a better sister-in-law for myself!”
Charlotte’s laughter in her ear was sweet, her hands releasing Imelda after only another moment. “Oh, good! I just—you know, I did not expect Spencer, or see him coming even, but I am so glad that you dragged him along with you to all of those affairs. I’ve never met a man more honorable or kind.”
Imelda snorted, shaking her head as she eyed her friend teasingly. “Did he hit your head on something when he was spinning you around? Honorable? Kind?”
Charlotte giggled, her lips still twitching as the sound of her name being called interrupted them.
