Tears sprung to her eyes and she held her breath as she looked up at his tense face.
‘I know I’m not worthy of you. I know that a man like me has nothing to offer a woman like you. But all I can offer you is my undying love. Nellie, will you let me love you, cherish you, honour you? Will you make me the happiest man who ever lived by consenting to be my wife?’
Nellie nodded quickly, wanting to drive away the anxiety gripping his face. ‘Yes, yes, I will, yes.’
‘You will?’ His eyes grew wide. ‘You will?’
She continued nodding vigorously.
He took hold of her hands, his face no longer tense, his lips and eyes smiling. ‘Oh, Nellie, I love you so much and I will do everything in my power to make you happy. Truly happy. Whatever that takes. I know you don’t want to live at my home in Kent. If you want us to live here, then I’m happy to move in with you. Anything you want is what I want as well.’
Nellie looked up at the ceiling and thought about her small rooms, rooms barely big enough for herself, never mind two people, particularly a man as energetic and vigorous as Dominic.
‘Well, let’s not be too hasty about that. I’m sure I can cope with living in your town house.’ She laughed, her happiness bubbling out of her. ‘Oh, Dominic, we can work out details like that later. As long as I’m with you I don’t care where we live.’
She forced herself to be serious. She had promised herself she would tell him how she felt and now was the time. ‘I have to tell you that I have fallen in love with you as well. I didn’t want to. I tried not to fall in love with you, but I failed, miserably.’
‘Well, I’m pleased there’s one thing you failed at,’ he said, still smiling.
Part of Nellie wanted to just smile and leave it at that, but he had been honest with her, so it was her turn to be honest with him. ‘And I also want to make an apology. I have been rude to you, made fun of you, put you in a compromising position, even caused you to be beaten up...’
‘No, Nellie, you...’
She squeezed his hands and shook her head. ‘I did. And all because I judged you harshly, because you’ve got money, because you mix with aristocrats. I’ve been so rude to you I can’t believe you could fall in love with someone like me. I’m sorry, Dominic, and I promise to try to change, to not be so rude in the future.’
‘No, no, no, Nellie. Don’t change a thing.’ He pulled her hands up to his lips and lightly kissed them. ‘I love your rebelliousness. I love the way you can be so cheeky and, yes, I love the way you can mock people who deserve to be mocked, especially me. I was a pompous buffoon when I met you and you taught me to laugh at myself. Being cheeky when people deserve it is part of your spirited nature, it’s part of what caused me to fall so hopelessly in love with you from the moment I saw you.’
‘Oh, is it, really? You like it when I’m rude to you? I’ll hold you to that one.’ Nellie smiled back at him. ‘Well, I also have to confess that I started falling in love with you the first time I saw you as well, when you were dancing at Hardgrave Estate. I think that’s why I made fun of you, because I knew you were a man I could never have. I could never be the one you were gliding across the floor in your arms. I could never be the one you were holding. Deep down, that was what I really wanted, but couldn’t even admit to myself, so I did what I always do. I made jokes. Then when you were in my rooms, in my bed, I wanted you so badly it was almost painful. But I still knew you weren’t for me. But even though I knew that I still stole a kiss from you that first night when you were sleeping because I just couldn’t stop myself.’
‘You did?’ Dominic threw back his head and laughed out loud. ‘Why didn’t you wake me? Then the kiss wouldn’t have had to be stolen, I would have gladly given it to you for free and given you much more into the bargain, as you well know.’
Nellie bit her lip, remembering how the next day he had unintentionally shown how he would indeed have given her so much more. ‘Well, you’re awake now, aren’t you?’
Still laughing, Dominic drew her towards him. ‘I am indeed.’
As his arms encased her and his lips found hers Nellie could hardly believe such happiness really existed. She was being kissed by a man who loved her, who she loved with her heart and soul. Breaking from him, she took his hand. ‘Well, you’ve promised me much more. Was that just an idle promise or are you going to make good on it?’ She raised her eyes towards the ceiling, indicating her rooms upstairs.
‘You’re damn right I am.’ Scooping her up in his arms, Dominic carried a laughing Nellie up the stairs and into her room.
Epilogue
There was laughter, there was dancing, there were toasts. Guests were hugging each other and even occasionally breaking into song. It was just how an engagement party should be. It should be a celebration of love, with the happy couple surrounded by friends and family. And that was exactly what the engagement party
