Her eyes lifted to meet his, amazement in their depths as if he’d suggested she might wish to fly across the Channel.
What could he do but continue to explain what he meant even if it felt as if each word coming out of his mouth only deepened the hole in which he’d stepped?
“I didn’t want you to worry about taking a position in someone’s household if that wasn’t what you wanted. But by acting rashly—”
“You feel your proposal was rash?” The look of alarm on her face caused his heart to pound uncomfortably.
“Not at all. I know my own mind—”
“But you don’t think I know mine.” The chill in her grey eyes reminded him of a stormy winter sea.
“You have a wonderful mind.” Dear heaven, how had his simple question come to this? “However, you’ve been through so much of late.”
“And you think it’s been too much for me. That any decision I make would be made for the wrong reasons.”
“Yes. No.” He closed his eyes briefly. “No. Allow me to try again.” Thank heaven Richard and Caroline hadn’t yet joined them to witness his utter failure with this exchange.
“Please do.” Beatrice pushed her chair back from the table, folded her hands in her lap, and looked at him expectantly with one brow raised.
Why had he not realized how much backbone the woman had?
He admonished himself for the question. That should’ve been clear given the fact that she’d escaped the brothel despite being locked in and drugged. Beatrice had spirit in spades. It was another quality of hers that he found incredibly attractive. Perhaps not at this particular moment when it was directed at him but attractive still.
“I should very much like to marry you if you’ll have me.” Especially after the stuttering mess he’d made of the conversation. “I was merely suggesting that if you would like to explore your...options with other men, I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured to marry me.”
There. Surely that explained his position. He watched her warily, wondering if he’d made yet another mistake.
“I see.” She stared at something across the room, leaving him to worry about her thoughts.
When she said nothing for a long moment, his concern grew. Did he dare take her hand? He desperately wanted to re-establish the connection he normally felt with her. Anything would be better than the vast crevice that now stretched between them.
“I should very much like to marry you,” he added. Would repeating it help cross that distance? Though tempted to simply take her in his arms and kiss her until she said yes again, that would be pressure of a different sort and would only leave him wondering.
At last her gaze returned to his, holding steady on him. “I would like to marry you as well.” She held up a finger. “With one condition.”
“Which is?” He was willing to agree to anything to convince her to remain his. But he waited with bated breath all the same.
“If either of us should decide we won’t suit, we will be honest and share that with the other person.”
“Of course.” He already knew he wouldn’t change his mind. Thank goodness he wasn’t standing. His legs wouldn’t hold him as they were weak with relief. “I agree.”
Her reserved expression made him wonder if he should offer her a handshake to seal their agreement. How had what he hoped to be a confirmation of their relationship shifted to something that felt like a business dealing?
“Perhaps it would be best for us to wait a bit longer to announce our betrothal then,” he suggested, hoping she’d disagree.
She nodded almost reluctantly.
Why did he feel as if he’d disappointed her?
“Good morning.” Caroline entered the room with Richard at her side. Her steps slowed as she glanced between the two of them as if sensing the tension in the air.
“And to you.” Daniel rose to greet her and nodded at his brother.
“Come to drink my coffee again, eh?” Richard asked, seemingly unaware anything was amiss.
“Mine is still better, but yours will do in a pinch.”
“Before I was expecting, I mixed a bit of coffee into my warm chocolate,” Caroline advised Beatrice. “I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, coffee no longer seems to agree with me.”
“You don’t care for fish anymore either,” Richard added as the butler arrived with their plates.
“One has to wonder if that means your child won’t care for those things either.” Daniel smiled at Beatrice but the one she returned was only lukewarm. Blast it all.
After breakfast, a footman brought in the post.
“Another letter for you, Beatrice.” Caroline handed her the envelope.
“It must be from Sarah, telling me of her travel plans.” But from her expression as she studied the handwriting, Daniel wondered if it was from someone else.
She quickly opened the letter. “Oh dear. Sarah arrived in London yesterday, according to her mother.” She stared at Daniel. “And she intended to go to the same registry office that I mentioned in my letter.”
“But you told her you didn’t like that one,” Caroline protested.
“Yes, but apparently she still thought it was a good place to start.” The worry in Beatrice’s eyes brought Daniel the same concern. “I should’ve told her the truth.”
“To what end?” Caroline asked. “The fewer people who know what happened the better. We agreed on that.”
Beatrice shook her head, clearly not convinced. “Perhaps her mother has it wrong. Why wouldn’t she contact me upon her arrival?”
“She might yet do so,” Daniel said. “If not, there has to be a way to find her.” He glanced at Richard, but his brother shook his head.
“I’m not certain how,” Richard said. “She could’ve gone anywhere.”
“I need to visit the registry office and see if she’s been there.” Beatrice rose, the letter still in hand.
“Allow me to do so.” Daniel’s stomach sank when Beatrice shook her head.
“You don’t know what she looks like.”
“Then I’ll accompany you.”
“Very well. I’ll get my things.”
Daniel shared a look with Richard. He had a terrible feeling about the situation.
Chapter
