Lord Markham chuckled and shook his head. “Heavens no. That is absurd. There is not a single thing you could say to me that would make me doubt my love for you, my lady.”
Lady Emmeline’s smile returned to her lips, and she lowered her gaze as her cheeks colored.
“I would like to ease your mind about the altercation in a much larger, darker garden that began our association,” Lord Markham continued.
“There is no need to explain yourself, my lord. It is in the past and will stay there, where it belongs,” Emmeline fobbed him off.
“But I wish to tell you. It has been on my mind for a while.”
“How so?” Emmeline asked, and her eyes widened. “Has he contacted you?”
“No, not at all. Do not fret over him. He will never set foot in London for as long as he lives. That I can assure you, my lady,” Lord Markham said.
“That is such a relief,” Lady Emmeline breathed and glanced at the flowers. “You may tell me, my lord, but on one condition.”
“Anything you wish, my lady,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation or reluctance.
"Will you promise to explain a certain cryptic farewell comment you made that fateful evening?" Emmeline asked.
"I do not know what comment you are referencing," Lord Markham admitted, his confusion obvious as he placed her hand on his arm.
They strolled away from listening ears, through the lush hedges, and the cheerful songs of the birds in the trees eased the tension.
"At the end of our last dance, I made a proclamation that most certainly gave away my feelings for you” Lady Emmeline explained and glanced at Lord Markham. “I told you I would miss you, my lord.”
“I recall that. I had to fight within myself not to kiss you at that very moment,” Lord Markham admitted.
“That would have been quite the scandal, indeed,” Lady Emmeline said and chuckled with amusement. “Do you honestly not remember your reply? It has been on my mind since that fateful night. I have pondered the meaning and analyzed it repeatedly. I thought for a time you were saying goodbye and I would never see you again.”
“It seems as though I had occupied your thoughts more than I initially thought. The fact that you were concerned about me pleases me very much,” Lord Markham smiled.
“How could I not think of you, my lord? You had made quite the impression on me,” Lady Emmeline said as her cheeks colored. “When you showed up in the park and acted as if the conversation had never occurred. It puzzled me even more. Was it Mr. Skeffington? Did you fear him? Did he threaten you? Please, tell me. No one I discussed this with has given me a satisfactory answer."
"Oh, my sweet lady, you should have come straight to me. There was nothing for you to fret over. It was certainly nothing to hide inside you for such a while. It was very unnecessary,” Lord Markham answered and stroked Lady Emmeline's cheek. “Yes, Mr. Skeffington made threats, and he was someone who evoked fear in a person. However, he had nothing to do with my comment."
Lady Emmeline’s brow furrowed and she glanced at him expectantly.
It took a few moments before Lord Markham answered, but the sparkle in his eyes was sincere and Lady Emmeline knew he would mean every word he would soon utter.
Lord Markham cleared his throat and squeezed her hand lightly.
“I could not have said goodbye, for you had already taken my heart. I was too shy to return such a telling confession of infatuation,” Lord Markham admitted without a shred of self-doubt. It warmed Lady Emmeline’s heart that he was not comfortable enough to speak of what was on his mind, or his heart. It was the way she had wanted it to be from the start, and now she could not wish for more than the love he bestowed onto her.
“My heart rejoiced at your words,” Lord Markham continued, and Lady Emmeline simply gazed into his eyes, seeing their future very clearly in the brown pools of promise. “I was willing to face anything Mr. Skeffington would dole out just to be near you, yet speaking the words as you did was a frightening proposition."
Emmeline started to giggle uncontrollably, and Lord Markham glanced at her as though she had gone mad.
“What could possibly be funny, my lady?” Lord Markham asked.
Emmeline wiped a tear from under her eye and stifled her amused laughter, glancing at Lord Markham. “All this time, I worried and analyzed those simple words and I should not have. Forgive me for my silliness. I hope you can learn to understand how I overthink almost everything. It is a fault I cannot seem to rid myself of.”
“Fear not, my lady. It is not a fault. I love everything about you. Just promise that you will come to me and ask for an explanation should I ever cause such concern with my choice of words. I want you to be happy. Always," Lord Markham proclaimed, blushing at his courageous admission.
At that moment it was Lady Emmeline's turn to be shy. She loved him with all her heart and soul. She had said it often to her family and friends, but only once to Lord Markham. In fact, she had told Bethany on countless occasions that she loved Lord Markham. Saying it to the man himself while they were alone, however, would take more courage than she had at the moment.
Changing the subject, Emmeline asked, "What was the altercation about? Must it remain a secret, or will you willingly reveal it in detail to me?"
“I have not a thing to hide from you, my dearest,” Lord Markham answered and a grin formed on his lips, causing the dimple in his cheek to deepen. “My dear, once again it was all about you. I knew what a cad Mr. Skeffington was, and I did not care for the idea that he had set his sights on you.”
“That is rather endearing, in a threatening way,” Emmeline mumbled.
“Indeed,” Lord Markham scoffed. “I demanded that he stay far from you, never sharing another dance or even a greeting. He did not take it well. As you happened to see, he became seriously angry. He threatened to kill me should I tell you of his misdeeds.”
“He threatened your life, yet you still wished to court me. That is very brave of you, my lord,” Lady Emmeline said, rather shocked at the revelation, but also having feelings of great admiration towards Lord Markham.
“I did not consider myself as brave, my lady,” Lord Markham objected, and he lowered his gaze as a pang of sadness filled his eyes. “I was taught by my father to follow my heart, regardless of how dangerous it may be, as the heart is the strongest part of your body. Some think it is the mind which is the strongest, but it is not. The mind can be persuaded to change, but the heart not so easily.”
“Your father is a wise man, my lord,” Lady Emmeline uttered quietly. “He raised a wonderful man, that much I can say.”
“Thank you, my dearest. Your words are kind.”
Lord Markham smiled and looked into her eyes, and he continued with his tale. “After Mr. Skeffington threatened me, I knew I had to protect you regardless of my fear. I had been drawn to you since the beginning of the season, and if I had to die to save you, then so be it.”
A chill came over Emmeline as she considered what might have happened, and it left her feeling momentarily mortified. Luckily it was short-lived, and it was followed by warmth around her heart as his words processed in her mind. He would have given his life for her. It was more than she had ever dreamt a man would be willing to do for her. She had only read of love such as that in her books, and it did not occur to her that such a love could be possible. Even the love shared by her mother and father, which she considered the strongest love in the world, did not amount to the love she saw in Lord Markham’s eyes at that moment. All Emmeline’s shyness and reluctance to speak her mind disappeared without a trace as she looked into his expressive eyes. The young woman took a deep breath, and she followed her heart.
"My lord, I love you now and always shall. I feel complete and whole deep inside of my spirit because I shall never have to fear missing you again."
THE END
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About the Author
Eliza Heaton grew up enjoying the amazing landscapes of her hometown in Perth, near Edinburgh, Scotland. She often visited the Isle of Skye with her parents during her summers as a child and dreamed of becoming a writer. She attended university in Edinburgh where she completed her Masters in English Literature with a focus on the Victorian and Regency periods.
Eliza currently lives in the Dean Village area of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she can walk along the Water of Leith creating the characters for her books. Cathedrals, statues of viscounts, and castles welcome her as she walks and imagines the perfect love story to write next.
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