Page 56 of An Amiable Foe
She held the handkerchief in her fist, the weak threads of hope already dissipating. “Deny it.”
After a stunned pause, Perry relaxed and a chuckle escaped him. He rubbed his hands on his face and looked at her with such tenderness that doubt, fear, and confusion shrieked at her from within.
“I won’t deny it, and I should hope she has arrived by now. Mrs. Osborne is mymother.”
Marianne raised her eyes to his, frozen but with the first tendril of hope piercing the ice of her heart. “Your mother?”
The implications that came from this revelation caused her to go cold with shock. Perry was not married to someone else. In fact, it seemed—she was almost sure of it, or he would not be here—that he still loved her.
She had been steeling her heart and telling herself that she would be absolutely fine on her own. But now it seemed she would not have to be alone anymore. She began to tremble violently.
“Yes, my mother. I went to get her.” Perry reached out for Marianne’s hands and held them to his chest, covering them with his own.
“You are cold, my dear.” He released her hands and took off his jacket to put around her shoulders.
“Your mother.” Marianne was still trying to make sense of this shift in events. Her lips were dry, and a shudder went through her from the medley of emotions that hit as the foundations of the castle she had carefully built around her heart began to crumble.
“After I put aside reason and entered your drawing room that night, I left Brindale to plead with my mother to come serve as chaperone for us. I was afraid that if I stayed at the castle with you so close by at the cottage, I might be tempted to visit again.”
Perry stopped speaking, and looked off to the side. “And I feared it might lead to my behaving in a way I was not proud of. Somehow, the risk felt urgent since I knew my uncle was leaving. I made up my mind early the next day, conjured up an excuse to Lord Steere, and left as soon as I could.”
Marianne had difficulty lifting her eyes to meet his gaze and managed only the top of his waistcoat. “You were afraid you would be tempted to kiss me and then not marry me because I am not of your standing?”
“What do you mean, not of my standing?” He sounded almost angry. “Marianne, I knew I wanted to marry you. I was just afraid that once I started kissing you… Well, there was a danger that I would not act the part of a gentleman, and that was not a risk I was willing to take. You deserve nothing less than the utmost proper and honorable attentions from me. So I removed the temptation by rushing off to implore my mother to travel over fifty miles to meet my future bride.”
“Oh.” Marianne was besieged by a whirlwind of feelings that no longer included stabbing grief and hurt. She darted a glance up at him, her teeth catching her lip to keep from offering so transparent a smile.
“However”—Perry lifted his eyes to the sky, an odd smile playing on his lips—“in order to introduce my betrothed to my mother, I believe the natural order of things is that the lady must be asked. And she must accept.”
Marianne laughed nervously and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief, then inexplicably covered her face with her hands.
“I do believe that is the natural order of things,” she said in a muffled voice.
“Therefore, Marianne Edgewood…” He put his hands on her arms and waited until she looked at him. It took several seconds before she had gathered the courage.
“Will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife? I once cared most about winning my uncle’s approval and my own place in society. But I’ve come to realize that I don’t give a fig for any of those things if I can only win you. Say you’ll marry me, because I love you and don’t think I can live without you.”
She studied his gray eyes, which somehow seemed more blue under the sky. “I will, Perry.”
He let out a deep breath he had been holding and smiled broadly. “I am so glad,” he whispered as he lifted his fingers and trailed them along her cheek. He leaned forward but waited until she had lifted her face before he touched his lips to hers.
Marianne melted into him, allowing herself to sink into his embrace and be healed, allowing herself to trust. She then continued to cling to him as joy and excitement coursed through her. Perry held her tightly in return and kissed her hungrily, not letting her go until she lost count of the minutes and her surroundings.
At last, he kissed her once more and stepped back, looking as flushed as she felt. He lifted his gaze to the garden around them, then turned to her with a shaky grin.
“Let us sit for just a moment before we return to the drawing room, where I am sure they are expecting some sort of announcement.”
He led her to one of the benches that was placed on the side of the path. “I was never more surprised than when I found out you were staying with Miss Belford. When did you become such fast friends?”
Marianne was more concerned with how he discovered it than she was with answering his question. “How did you find out? I didn’t tell anyone. Well, I suppose you must have learned it from Miss Fife. She saw me leave with her.”
“No, Miss Fife did not inform me,” Perry answered in a dry voice. “She sent me on a wild goose chase to Vernon, who was of no help at all. Not only did he not know where you were, but he refused to help me find you.”
“Oh, Perry, I have so much to tell you. But first, what happened?”
Marianne rested her head on his shoulder, smiling and limp with relief. The muscles in his shoulder were firm against her temple without the padding of his coat.
“Well, after I left Vernon, I was bent on returning to Miss Fife and shaking it out of her, but Joe Dobson was sent as an angel of mercy to keep me from committing a crime of violence. How do you ever put up with that woman? Never mind that. You won’t be anymore.”
