Chapter 7
Love is the ultimate stage. Seize all its hours.
—From the Diary of Lillian Wright
“You should go to him,” Dare said. “Chatteris won’t rest until you’re in his sight.”
Pippa slowly nodded, but in her heart, she hesitated. How to face the man who had boldly declared he wanted to claim her? Now that her thoughts had cleared, doubt and uncertainty once again made their way into her reasoning.
“He’s right,” a low voice drawled. A large silhouette filled the doorway of the drawing room.
“Nicholas?” Pippa couldn’t quite hide her surprise. She examined him from top to toe. “Why are you not in bed?”
Nicholas’s gaze swept over her. “You didn’t come to me, so I came to you. You weren’t hurt in the fall?”
Gooseflesh broke out over her skin. “I’m unharmed.”
Dare chuckled. “Since you are here, I shall take my leave.” He winked at Pippa. “Take care, my lady.”
“You too,” Pippa said. The moment he left, Pippa scolded, “You should return to bed. Why are you so stubborn? Does your head not hurt?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“When I think about you, it doesn’t hurt.”
“Impossible.”
The corners of his mouth quirked. “Dare seems quite taken with you.”
“No,” Pippa denied. “I dropped a drawing at the park. He returned it to me.”
Dark eyes burned into her. “Do you still want to kiss him?”
Pippa nearly choked on air. “Of course not! Why would you think that?”
“I merely wish to clarify your intention.”
“My intention?”
Nicholas nodded. “Mine is clear. I wish to marry you.”
“You do not!” She blurted the first thing that came to mind. Marrying Nicholas would be a dream come true. But she was selfish. She didn’t want him to marry her out of duty.
“Yes, I do.”
“You’re always scowling at me.”
“Because you’re always getting into some scrap or other. Like the time that mangy cat scratched you after you attempted to pet the thing.”
“I saved the cat, and it wasn’t mangy. As I recall, you growled at me that day. Growled. Like an animal!”
“You had scratch marks all over your hand.” His eyes narrowed. “That is all you remember? I also dressed your wound.”
Pippa thought back. He really did. “A gentleman’s act of kindness.”
“Does that kindness extend to dressing your wound every day for a week?” He scoffed. “And what about the time you stumbled into the Thames, who was the one who pulled you from the freezing waters?”
“Well”—Pippa gave a small cough—“the water wasn’t that cold.”
“And when you fell ill after that, who nursed you back to health?”
“The doctor.”
“On my orders. Nancy might have stayed by your side, but I didn’t leave the house until you were well again.”
Pippa could barely contain her excitement.
Her mind raced. She recalled all these incidents but hadn’t thought much about them.
Nicholas had worn a look of displeasure in each of these moments, which, incidentally, only fueled her desire to tease him.
Then again, if she thought about it, Nicholas had never been a man of many words.
A grunt here, a growl there. His actions spoke clearer than his words.
She never even imagined …
Her heart suddenly settled, and she smiled at Nicholas. “Did you know that my mother’s last words to me were to live my life without regret. She said to gather as many moments as stars in the sky.”
“I remember her to be a remarkable woman.” His voice lowered. “Just like her daughter.”
Pippa blushed. “She made a lot of mistakes. Wrote about all of them, yet she never regretted her choices because they were hers. Just like I will never regret that I stole a kiss from you.”
His gaze sharpened. “Does that mean … Will you marry me?”
“Are you being sincere?” Pippa had to be sure. “If we are to be united in marriage, we must be sure. Nancy is your sister and my dearest friend. If you are not being sincere … If you wish to marry me out of duty …”
Her mother had never won the love of her father. Yet she never regretted her marriage, but Pippa doubted she could do the same. She wanted to love. More so, she wanted to be loved in return.
“Pippa, I’m beyond all hope.” He took a limping step toward her and clasped her hands in his. “The Pearler ball left me no room for denial. I am utterly obsessed with you. I cannot say when the obsession started, I can only say that you hold my heart, Pippa Averly. Undeniably. I love you.”
Pippa could no longer contain her joy. “You love me?”
“I love you.”
She laughed happily. “Then I must admit, from the moment I kissed you, I never wanted to kiss another man.” Her smile widened when he merely arched a brow. “Well, except for this morning when I thought to forget about your kiss.”
“No forgetting,” he commanded before claiming her lips in a hot kiss, as if to remove the notion completely from her mind. “Only me,” he breathed.
Pippa flashed her teeth. “Where is the legendary control you wrestled back from me?”
A soft huff. “You’ve wholeheartedly ensnared me, love. My heart. My soul. My sanity. Where you are concerned, the word holds no meaning.”
Inside, Pippa brimmed with delight.
She handed him the sketch, finally understanding that, in the end, the only thing worth seizing was happiness. Nicholas had always been that. She wanted him to know she saw all of him.
“What’s this?” he asked, then froze. His gaze lifted to hers. “You sketched this?”
Pippa nodded. “It’s the day we met. I’ve wanted to tease you about it so many times, but I never had the heart. So, I poked fun at other things, hoping to catch a glimpse of this Nicholas—the earl who sniffs flowers in the garden.”
“Pippa …” He brought his ungloved hand up and slowly stroked the back of his fingers along her cheek.
Her pulse quickened, and Pippa finally said, “I love you too. Yes, I will seize you. Marry you. Kiss only you.”
* * *
The sixth rule of being an exemplary brother: Lead by example.
Nicholas’s lips followed Pippa’s confession, and he only pulled away when both of them ran out of breath. This was not the place to ignite their desires. What he needed was a bed. And time.
Lots and lots of time.
“Your injuries …” she whispered.
“Don’t hurt,” Nicholas denied. “Not when you’re here.”
She laughed. “Do you think I believe that? If it hurts it hurts, whether I’m present or not.”
“Have a heart, love.” He trailed a thumb over her lower lip. “You’re finally in my arms. A small injury is nothing. Tell me you love me again. No, wait. Don’t. I won’t be able to hold myself back. Let’s get married. I can get a special license within the hour. Three at most.”
“We haven’t yet told—”
He caught her answer on his lips. He couldn’t help himself. She was just too damn irresistible, and he refused to listen to anything but yes. Unfortunately, or perhaps very fortunately, Nancy’s bright voice sliced through the spell that had almost woven them together.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Pippa gasped, and Nicholas encircled her waist when she attempted to scramble from his embrace.
“Yes,” he outright declared.
Nancy put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed on them. “My brother and best friend have thrown dust into my eyes. I shall not let this pass!”
Jeremy appeared behind her, a grin displayed on his face. “Don’t mind me, I’m just here for the theatrics.”
Nicholas remained nonchalant. Now that his sister discovered the truth all by herself, they could get married sooner rather than later.
“When did this start?” Nancy demanded. “How did this start? Neither of you told me anything!” She held up her hand when Nicholas opened his mouth. “Wait … It should be the Pearler ball, right?”
“I kissed Nicholas instead of Dare,” Pippa admitted. “You were there for the rest.”
“What?” Nancy exclaimed, eyes turning to Nicholas. “The same night you pawned me off to the most notorious rake in England?”
“The very same.”
Nancy’s mouth opened and shut. “You won’t even deny it! Am I not your loving sister? Aren’t you supposed to protect me from libertines on the prowl?”
“It was unavoidable.” Nicholas paused, then added, “Jeremy was there.”
“Jeremy? Is he not a man as well?”
Jeremy snorted.
“Never mind that,” Nancy said before she rubbed her forehead. “I need a minute to process this.”
The room fell into silence—for all but one second—before Nicholas made a grunting sound. It had the desired effect.
“Are you in pain?” Pippa grabbed his arm. “You should rest. Let me help you back to your chamber.”
Nancy scoffed. “Do not even try to hoodwink me. I want answers.”
“Pippa has agreed to become my wife,” Nicholas simply said. “Do you have any objections?”
She pursed her lips. “What if I do?”
Pippa stiffened in his arms, and Nicholas gave her a reassuring squeeze. He knew his sister too well. She might not look it, but Nancy was practically beaming imperceptible happiness.
“I suppose,” he said thoughtfully, “we shall then have to elope.”
“Don’t you dare!” Nancy exclaimed. “I shall never forgive you if I’m not included in your wedding!”
“You’re not disappointed?” Pippa asked.
“Of course not.” Nancy’s pout transformed into a wide grin. “You’ve always been my sister in heart, now you shall truly be family.”
Nicholas lowered his head to inhale the delicate scent of honey wafting from the arch of Pippa’s neck while Nancy nagged about their improper behavior and keeping her in the dark. Proper. Improper. He couldn’t care less about impropriety at this moment.
He had found his love.
He was never letting go.