This woman was dismissing him! Up until now, Colin had been doing his utmost to control his temper, but suddenly he had had enough. He had never met a woman so infuriating.
Without thinking, he snapped, “If I asked you to marry me, would you take that seriously?” Colin stiffened as the words left his lips, his mind absorbing what he had just done.
The room became quiet; starkly quiet. For a long moment she eyed him curiously. Putting down her reticule, she spoke in a composed voice.
“I accept.”
Chapter 10
I have just accepted a proposal of marriage. The impulsive side of her had responded when she heard the words, his offer something she had never thought to hear from anyone. She was certain he had asked her, although she could not imagine why. Is it real?
A curious reaction bubbled up inside her. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It would not be a love match, as she had always wanted. The gentleman was very handsome, she admitted, especially when he became flustered. If she was being honest with herself, she felt energized in his presence and enjoyed the interchanges, terse as they were. There was a level of excitement she could not deny—abruptly astonished to realize she had become focused on his lips.
Nora started to speak, to say she had made a mistake—anything to unbind her from this man—yet she did not. As she thought about it, it was the perfect solution. Marriage to Lord Shefford could be the complete answer. She would have the protection of his name—whatever that meant—and perhaps she would have the financial wherewithal to save these children, if he agreed. She might also be able to create an opportunity for a stream of revenue, through charitable contributions, to support a place for single women to live, as long as they held a paid position. It could work. Still, marriage was a leap in the dark. Nora realized her imagination was doing leaps and bounds of the same magnitude. Nonetheless, she could not deny herself. Marriage, children of her own, a home and a loving husband were all things she had imagined having… just not with a member of the ton.
What would Mama and Father have to say about it? I suspect Grandmama will be over the moon.
“Did you say, you accept?” Lord Shefford had paled to the color of whey and looked so dumbfounded Nora was hard put not to laugh.
“I did indeed. It seemed the most reasonable proposition you have put forth this day,” she acknowledged, pleasantly. “I will admit to being surprised by your offer.”
“You are not alone,” he muttered, his voice almost too low for her to hear.
Nora was obliged to bite her tongue to hold her humor at bay.
“I beg your pardon? I did not quite catch what you said,” she commented in the sweetest of voices as she once more removed her gloves and hat. She could not forsake her betrothed at this most romantic of moments, she thought cynically.
“I said, I meant it,” he replied.
His mouth spoke the words; however, his eyes registered what Nora could only determine as shock.
“Are you quite certain, my lord?” As she offered him a chance to back out, it occurred to her that maybe she was rather giving herself a chance to renege.
“Quite certain, my dear.” He cleared his throat. “I do not suppose you would stay and discuss one or two matters with me before you leave for your grandmother’s house, would you?”
He almost sounded as though he were pleading. “I will be happy to, my lord,” she returned. “I am not the girl to accept an offer of marriage and then leave the gentleman in the lurch.” Nora’s brain screamed at her to stop talking. She had locked herself into this betrothal. She glanced at Lord Shefford and noticed he was staring at her with a curious look on his face.
“Since we are now betrothed, I should dearly like to know what you are thinking…” he started.
“Indeed? I fear my thoughts are quite jumbled. I have no notion why you asked me to marry you. We barely know each other; in addition, our exchanges have been less than amiable.”
“We can change that,” he mumbled, moving closer.
She savored the fresh essence of bergamot that his nearness brought, yet was a little shocked by the curious reaction it caused. Perhaps it was the excitement of this day so far, she mused. Suddenly nervous of what it all meant, she fought against an impulse to swoon and instead, gazed into his face, finding herself transfixed by the movement of his lips.
“I can admit to my astonishment at having,” he said lazily, “proposed… so quickly. However, I cannot regret it.” He tilted her chin up with his finger.
Her heart began to pound as strangely familiar pulses of pleasure shot down her neck and across her shoulders the second he touched her face.
“As we have just become betrothed, I am inclined to seal the proposal with a kiss.” Without waiting for her agreement, he slanted his head and captured her lips with his.
At first, Nora was speechless. Yet his lips felt so soft and wonderful. He pulled her closer and a strange headiness took over her senses. This kiss! Nora had known nothing like it in her life. She craved more. A sense of need thrilled and overwhelmed her. She relaxed and circled her arms about his shoulders, fingering the dark brown curls at the base of his neck. Nothing she had known had prepared her for this. He nipped gently at her closed lips and she opened them to admit his tongue, which swirled around her own and touched the sides of her mouth seemingly to gain her participation. Nora could not resist the temptation he offered and met his tongue with her own, dipping and swirling together as if in a dance. Their breaths mingled with a ferocity she had never imagined. Everywhere his hands touched, even merely sliding down her
