They lined up for the quadrille, and although conversation would be limited, she was too pleased to be in his company to care. “If you still want to know when this is over, I’ll tell you.”
His eyes twinkled, and she loved that she could make him happy. Was being with him truly such a far stretch? She was still in his class. She would obviously benefit far more from their marriage in the eyes of society, but now those things did not matter to her.
The music started, and the intricate patterns of the dance began. She turned the possibilities over in her mind. She was sure Ethan cared for her. He had made that abundantly clear, but caring wasn’t love. Was it possible that with a bit more time, he might fall in love with her?
She hoped so.
As their hands touched, energy shot from his body into hers. Every little brush of his fingers, lingering a moment too long, and the way his heated gaze trailed over her body as if she already belonged to him, made her burn.
Who knew love could feel this way? This head-to-toe hot and edgy feeling, as if she were burning up with fever, but also full of energy. She felt as if she could scale the highest cliffs, swim across the largest lake, survive the most frigid Scottish winter, and still have all the energy in the world.
The music ended on a low, drawn out note. Applause sounded, but instead of jerking her back into the present, all it did was drown-out all other sounds but his voice as he asked, “Come with me?”
She took his arm, staring into his bottomless eyes. She would go anywhere, do anything, if only it meant more time with him.
There was something different about Madeline tonight. Ethan couldn’t say what exactly, but she had changed. The tension in her shoulders, the worry lines around her eyes, had eased.
And the way she looked at him . . .
He shivered in anticipation, hoping, praying that Madeline experienced the same longing he felt for her.
They slipped out the door to an empty terrace where he would, hopefully, have all the privacy needed to declare himself without damaging her reputation. They stopped at the railing, both taking a moment to look out at the torch-lit gardens, neither removing their threaded arms.
“It’s beautiful tonight,” she said with a small sigh.
She was beautiful. “Shall you ask your future husband for a night garden like this as well?”
She chuckled. “I think my future husband might get tired of me asking for so much.”
Her eyes, filled with merriment, met his, and breath clogged his lungs. “You’re so beautiful,” he said almost reverently.
Her eyes turned serious, and something infinitely more powerful filled them. He reached out and caressed a loose, silky strand of her hair before tucking it behind her ear. She had incredible hair, hair a man dreamed of loosening, pin by pin, until curls tumbled around her shoulders. He could imagine her that way, soft and inviting. He wanted to run his hands through the chocolate tresses and take in her scent until he was saturated in it. In an attempt to distract himself from that particular train of thought, he told her, “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to speak last night.”
“It was rather impossible, wasn’t it?”
Her lips curved slightly, and the urge to sample just a soft taste of her tore through him.
He cleared his throat. “My mother seemed intent on making that impossible.”
Her body stiffened.
“What is it? Is something wrong?” Her eyes slid back to his, and he could see indecision there. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“Your mother paid me a visit today.”
Shock then anger wove through him. He could imagine what his mother had said. “I hope she didn’t upset you. That would displease me greatly.”
“She didn’t upset me, exactly. Everything she said was to be expected.”
“What did she want to speak with you about?”
“I think it was more about her making demands and me listening and obeying.”
“That would be her,” he said with disgust.
She finally released his arm and rested her forearms on the baluster. “She wanted to make it clear that you were as good as engaged to Lady Louisa Tisdale.”
He had been prepared for all sorts of things his mother could have told Madeline—all except that. “It isn’t true.”
Her body sagged, and she glanced over her shoulder. “I didn’t believe her at first, but then doubt crept in until I was no longer certain.”
He reached out and cupped her cheek. “If I was practically engaged to another woman, I would never have kissed you.”
“You’re forgetting. I kissed you,” she teased.
He smiled, his heart lightening again, now that he saw her ease. “How could I have forgotten such an important detail?” His eyes searched hers, and he let out a ragged breath. “I want to kiss you again. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “Truly?” She placed her hand over his, which gently caressed her cheek.
“Yes, truly. Madeline, there’s so much I want to say, so much I need to discuss with you. When I first saw you—”
Noticing movement by the doorway, Ethan cursed and pulled away from her.
Madeline’s eyes widened, and she stepped away from him just as her mother flew out the doorway. “Madeline, dear, you need to come with me now.” Her mother wrung her hands, and her words were frantic.
Ethan stepped forward. “What is it? What has happened?”
Mrs. Maybury’s worried eyes met his briefly before returning to her daughter. “You’ve been compromised.”
You’ve been compromised.
Her mother’s statement buzzed in her head like a swarm of bees. It was the one thing every debutante dreaded and what all gossips yearned to hear.
She’d been compromised. But how?
They were on the terrace, but it was within sight of the ballroom, so there was hardly anything scandalous in that. She’d always done everything to keep her reputation intact, everything except Lady Louisa’s task—
Her eyes flew to her mother. “What are they saying?”
Her mother shifted uncomfortably. “Perhaps it’s best if we discuss this at home. It is already spreading through the room like wildfire.”
So, that was it. She had wasted her opportunity with Lady Louisa and she would lose Ethan too. No man in his right mind would associate with a woman who had a tarnished reputation.
Tears of frustration smarted her eyes. How quickly things had changed. Just a moment ago, she was so happy, feeling as if all was right in the world. And now, everything crashed down around her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to Ethan, unable to look at him.
He didn’t answer her but instead spoke directly to her mother. “Am I to understand that I am involved in the matter?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, it seems as if I should also be involved in the decision-making.”
Her mother’s eyes lit up. “Oh. Oh, well—”
“Go and fetch Mr. Maybury, then meet Madeline and me in the library.”
Madeline watched as her mother practically trembled with excitement and fled to do his bidding. Her mother thought there would be a match between them, but that wouldn’t happen now. “You don’t have to help me with this. It is of my own making.”
He didn’t respond to her comment, instead saying, “Let’s go.”
He took her hand in his, and she let him. It wasn’t as if he could compromise her twice. She did not speak as he led her through the maze of the house until they reached the dimly lit library.
He shut the door, and Madeline pulled her hand from his, pacing the plush Persian rug in front of the fireplace. There had to be a way out of this, some way that didn’t end with her losing everything.
“Madeline, it’s going to be all right.”
Tears pricked her eyes again, but she willed them away. “I don’t see how.”
“Just wait until your parents get here.”
> Like that would do anything to change the outcome. They had no power, no wealth. They were at the mercy of society. It was a good thing she had enjoyed dancing with Ethan tonight, because this would be her last ball.
“They won’t be able to do anything.” When he only watched her with one raised brow, she continued, “I already know why this happened. The way I handled Lady Louisa earlier was a mistake. I turned my nose up at her and blatantly disregarded everything she had said.”
Madeline tried her best to ignore the admiration in his eyes at her confession. “The night of the task, one of the other girls was charged with observing something scandalous. And, well, she did. She saw me kissing you. After I ignored Lady Louisa, she must have told the girl to start spreading the gossip.”
Ethan stilled, and a ball of lead curdled in her stomach. Her lip trembled, and that was when he came to her. He tightly wrapped her in his arms, and the dam holding back her emotions broke. She sobbed.
“Why did it have to end this way? Everything was going so well.” She looked up and saw a smile on his lips. “I’m serious!”
He ran his hands up and down her back, and she could tell he was trying not to laugh. “Poor, darling. Sounds like a terrible day. I guess you’ll just have to marry me.”
Shock and anger pulsed through her, and she pushed at his chest to get him to release her, but he held firm. “Do not mock me, Ethan.”
He did laugh then and pulled her closer. “I’m not. I want you to marry me.”
“Don’t say that.” She squeezed her eyes tight, willing herself to stay strong. “You don’t have to do that. I love you too much to let you make such a sacrifice.” Her eyes flew open as she realized what she had just said. “I mean I care about you too much to let you do that.”
He branded her neck with a hot kiss and chuckled against her skin, and she felt the vibrations throughout her entire body. “No. You already said it, and you can’t take it back now.”
Fear and desire filled her, leaving her confused and afraid. “I didn’t mean to say that.”
But when he lifted his head, and she saw his eyes full of relief, her heart trembled with cautious joy.
“I certainly hope you did, because I love you, Madeline. I couldn’t bear it if you didn’t love me too.”
She lifted her arms to his shoulders, scared to believe his words. “You do?”
“Yes. I know it’s mad, how quickly it all happened, but I love you. I wanted to tell you last night and just now on the terrace. I was trying to think up some way to convince you to marry me. But, apparently, I had already compromised you. Rather convenient, don’t you think?”
A happy laugh escaped her. “You’re serious?”
“Yes. Isn’t that what you wanted to say to me last night too, before Lady Louisa joined us?”
“No! I fully intended to tell you that I couldn’t see you again.”
He chuckled and pulled her in tight, cradling her head against his chest, where it felt so right. “It’s a good thing I compromised you, then.”
“I do love you,” she said, needing to say it again. He pulled back a few inches, and his tender expression pushed her to continue, “It is mad, but from the first few moments of speaking with you—”
“After hunting me down and kissing me,” he corrected, gesturing for her to continue.
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hold back a small laugh. “From those first few moments, I wanted to be with you. I might not have recognized the feeling at the time, but I know now I wanted you even then.”
With one arm wrapped around her waist, he trailed his other hand up to the back of her neck and held her gaze on him. “And now you’re mine.”
“Yes.”
“Forever.”
When she didn’t agree immediately, he softly squeezed her neck, and her lips quirked. “If you insist.”
“Oh, I do.” He leaned closer, his lips just a breath away from hers. “I very, very much do. Say you’ll marry me. Say you’ll be my wife, my duchess, and the mother of our twelve children.”
She gasped. “Twelve!”
“Twelve.” His eyes stoked hotter, burning into hers with promise.
“Could we compromise down to four?”
He brushed his lips softly against hers. “I’ll deny you nothing. Anything you ask of me, anything your heart desires, will be yours.”
Pleasure rushed through her, and all teasing fell away. “All I want, all I desire, is you.”
His lips covered hers then, and they were one—one breath, one wish, one desire—never to part again.
Click on the covers to visit Janelle’s Amazon author page:
Janelle Daniels is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author. Janelle wasn't one of those people who knew they were meant to write from a young age. After jumping from one hobby to the next, she discovered her passion for writing at nineteen. After one manic writing episode, Janelle was hooked.
A mother of three, Janelle spends her days chasing down the 'beasties' and her nights writing (poor husband). If she can spare a second after spending time with her family and writing, you can usually find her curled up to a computer, catching up on her latest TV show addiction.
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