Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Without hesitation, Hugo ran into the room and lunged at Middleby. His fist connected squarely with his jaw, his head turning with a jerk. The sickening thwack that followed only made him want to hurt the Earl more.
Middleby staggered backward, a look of shocked disbelief on his face as his legs wobbled beneath him like a toddler’s. Before he could recover, Hugo had a hand on his silken cravat and the other on his waistband. He lifted him into the air, dangling him as if he were a bag of trash.
Middleby, a sputtering and terrified mess, crashed hard on the floor. He might as well have been a rag doll.
“Get out,” Hugo snarled, chasing him down the hall and out of Arrowfell. “If I ever see you near her again, I will not only beat you, Middleby. I will destroy you. I will dismantle your family’s estate piece by piece until you have nothing left but the clothes on your back. Do you understand me?”
Middleby scrambled to his feet, rubbing his swelling jaw. “You… you cannot do that! You cannot treat me in such an insufferable manner for merely proposing to an unattached woman.”
“Try me,” Hugo dared, his eyes a terrifying, glacial blue. “I assure you, I can. And it looked like your attentions were most unwelcome. I am warning you one last time.”
Middleby did not need to be told twice. He turned and fled, a coward in full retreat as he bolted away from the house, looking around frantically as he hobbled.
Hugo watched him go for a long moment before turning and re-entering the house, closing the door behind him.
He turned to Elspeth, who had been waiting in the foyer, and his face immediately softened.
“Oh, Elspeth, are you all right?” he asked, his voice now a soft murmur. “He did not hurt you, did he? Because if he did, I would go back out there—”
Elspeth was shaking, but she held herself with a rigid dignity as she put up a hand.
“No. I am fine.” She took a step back from him. “Thank ye, Hugo. I… I am grateful for yer intervention. I daenae ken what got into him—why he acted that way. I never gave an impression that I wanted anythin’ from him.”
“He is a worm.”
“Aye.”
“Elspeth…”
“I will return to Inverhall at once,” she added quietly, her gaze fixed on the staircase. “I believe I have overstayed me welcome. London and me, we are finished.”
“No,” Hugo pleaded, his heart still racing. “Please, wait. Elspeth. Let me gather my thoughts.”
But she was already moving, her footsteps quick as she began to ascend the stairs.
“I must collect me things,” she said, not looking back. “I daenae wanna spend another moment in this cursed country.”
He followed her, taking the steps two at a time. He was in her room before she could close the door, his hand slamming it shut behind him.
I cannot lose her.
“Elspeth, listen to me,” he demanded, his voice raw. “I am trying to talk with you. This is incredibly hard for me. Please.”
“There is nothin’ to say, Hugo,” she muttered, her back turned to him as she pulled a trunk from the corner.
“Ye made yerself perfectly clear this mornin’ when ye snuck out before I woke.
Nae a single word about last night. No congratulations, no speaking about the party with me. Nae to mention the mornin’ after…”
“I lied,” he declared. “I lied to you, and I lied to myself.”
“It doesnae matter.”
“I could not stand to see you go. The thought of losing you, of not having you near me… I sabotaged myself before you could hurt me.” He ran a hand through his hair, his desperation almost palpable. “It is a form of self-preservation, I think.”
“Hugo, that makes no sense.”
“I was so terrified. I have never felt this way about anyone, not since… not since her. I made a vow after that to never be so weak again. To never let myself need anyone. And you… You came here and undid all of it. Every wall I’d ever built, every fortification I’d put in place, you just, you tore through it like a hurricane.
And I hated it. I hated feeling so vulnerable.
I tried to push you away because I was so terrified of how much I wanted you. You rattled me.”
“That doesnae make it alright!”
“You were magnificent last night. Not just the way you carried yourself, organized the party of the century, or raised so much money for those in need. You looked impossibly beautiful in that green dress. I could not take my eyes off you, much as I cursed myself for it! You are my every fantasy, you haunt my dreams! Is that what you want to hear?”
Elspeth turned to face him, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and pain.
“So what, then? Ye thought ye would break me instead with yer cold words? Ye thought ye would be a coward and run from yer happiness?” she spat.
“Ye think ye are so noble, keepin’ a vow made in a moment of pain.
But all ye have done is cause more of it. And not just for yerself!”
“I know,” he admitted, his voice thick with shame. “You are right. You have always been right. I am a coward. I am terrified of wanting you, but I do. I want you entirely, Elspeth. I want all of you. Every single part. I will get down on my knees if you want me to.”
He stepped closer, reaching for her hands.
“Oh, Hugo,” she whispered.
“What I said the other morning, it was not true. I cannot let you go. And what is more, I do not want to let you go. All I have ever wanted was to maintain control, but with you, I am powerless. All I want is to make you happy.”
He took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering.
“I love you, Elspeth. I have fallen completely and irrevocably in love with you. Please, do not leave. Stay here. Not as my responsibility, not as a guest, but as my wife.”
Elspeth stood utterly still, seconds of silence feeling like minutes as Hugo held his breath.
“And what?” she asked. “What makes ye think I will even consider such a thing? After everythin’ ye have put me through, I dinnae deserve that, even though I understand why. Takin’ me from Inverhall, that night in the inn, all the mixed signals you have given me!”
Hugo took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, brushing his lips over them tenderly, reverently. “Because I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I will prove to you every single day that I am worthy of your forgiveness and your love. Just tell me what to do.”
A corner of her mouth twitched.
“What would ye do, Hugo?” she asked.
“Anything,” he replied at once. “I will let you lead your life on your own terms. I will support your work, your causes, and everything you want to do. I will give you Inverhall back, no questions asked. You can have as many muddy garden parties as your heart desires. You can give as much money as you would like to St. Jude’s.
I have more than I could ever spend. There is just one thing. ”
“And what is that?”
“I will never let you go. You can live on your own terms… as long as I am a part of your life.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Grovel, Hugo.”
“I am yours.”
“Grovel some more. I like this version of ye.”
A flicker of a smile spread across his face. He knew he had her then.
“I am on my knees, Elspeth,” he said as he knelt before her. “I am not too proud to beg.”
She let out a soft laugh, the sound a beautiful, fragile thing that filled his heart with joy.
She stepped forward, closing the space between them. “I love ye, ye bloody idiot,” she whispered. “And aye, I will be yer wife.”
“Really? Do you forgive me?”
“Aye. I think a part of me has always wanted to be yer wife, since I saw ye from a distance in the gardens of Inverhall, me dress covered in mud as me eyes met yers. I cannae explain it. It feels funny to say it out loud.”
“I think I felt it too. I do not know what it means, and this is very new to me, but I am happy to learn. To let you be your own person. There is just one place you must relinquish all control to me, Elspeth.”
“And where is that, Hugo?”
Hugo rose to his feet and pulled her into him, his arms wrapping around her waist. He took her lips in a kiss that was both a promise and a prayer.
Elspeth pressed her chest against his, to which he could only moan.
“I think I could get used to this,” he said, slipping his tongue in her mouth. “I was powerless against you from the start.”
“Aye, I think that is true. But there is just one question. Where will we live, man of many homes?”
“Wherever my Duchess would like.” Hugo lowered his lips to her ear and tugged on the lobe gently. “Just say the word.”
“Home is where you are. I say we spend the rest of our lives goin’ between them all, livin’ life to the fullest, livin’ our dreams.”
“You are my dream come true, Elspeth.”
“The carriage is ready, Your Grace,” a footman announced from the door.
Hugo’s head spun as he tried to slow his racing heart. “We are going out, Elspeth,” he said, his voice husky. “A celebration.”
“A celebration of what?” Elspeth asked, her voice laced with amusement.
“Our future. And my glorious groveling. I want to take you to the finest restaurant in London. I will be spoiling you from this day forward.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a question or a command?”
“A humble request, my love. One I hope you will oblige me by accepting.” He offered her his arm with a flourish. “I had planned this even before tossing Middleby out on his pompous arse.”
Elspeth smiled, a genuine, joyful curve of her lips that made his heart swell. She took his arm, and they descended the grand staircase, leaving Arrowfell.
The carriage ride was a blur of cobbled streets and flickering gaslight. Elspeth rested her head on his shoulder, and he felt a profound sense of peace.
This is it.
It was the life he had always longed for, but never dared to hope for.
They arrived at the restaurant, a grand, bustling place called The Imperial Tableau, the name etched in gold above the heavy oak doors. A liveried doorman bowed low as they entered.
“Your Grace,” he greeted. “We are most grateful that you will be dining with us this evening.”
The air inside was thick with the scent of roasted meat, fine wine, and the low hum of conversation. The main dining room was a spectacular sight, with soaring ceilings, velvet-draped walls, and massive crystal chandeliers casting a warm, golden glow.
Elspeth had never seen such a place in all her life. She felt like a princess in a fairytale.
A ma?tre d’ with a perfectly waxed mustache led them to a quiet, secluded table by a large arched window. Elspeth took in the opulent surroundings with a twinkle in her eyes.
“This is absolutely magnificent,” she breathed.
Hugo pulled out her chair, and she sank into it. He took his seat across from her and leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. “You deserve this, Elspeth. All of it. This is just the beginning.”
A waiter appeared then, his notepad at the ready. Hugo ordered a bottle of the finest champagne and a selection of delicacies.
“We will have a bit of everything,” he said, giving Elspeth a wink. “It is a special night, and we will dine as the chef sees fit. Please have our tab and the tab of everyone here tonight sent to Arrowfell.”
The waiter nodded, a flicker of a smile on his face. “At once, Your Grace! You are incredibly generous.”
Elspeth laughed, a rich, full sound. “A bit of everything? Are we to try and bankrupt you, Yer Grace? Why so generous?”
“Please, try and bankrupt me. I would welcome the challenge. We can start with the caviar, then the truffled mushrooms, then the roasted duck. Perhaps we can make sure everyone dines as well as we do. I only care for you and your happiness.”
Elspeth placed a hand on his. “Hugo, ye daenae need to prove anythin’ to me. I ken ye are a wealthy man.”
“No, I am not proving anything,” he said softly, turning his hand over and lacing his fingers through hers. “I am but a man in love who wants to spoil his future wife.”
A warm blush crept up her cheeks, and she squeezed his hand.
“I havenae had a man want to spoil me before,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Me faither never had the means for such things, and I have always been a practical woman. That is how me maither raised me. Although I think she would have liked this place a lot. She enjoyed food.”
“It makes me happy to hear you speak of her. And well, you can be practical tomorrow,” Hugo said, bringing her hand to his lips. “Tonight, you are my future Duchess, and you will have anything you desire.”
“Anything I desire?” she teased.
He slid his foot to her ankle, slowly rubbing it up and down. “Anything.”
Their food arrived, a parade of exquisitely presented plates. They shared the rich, creamy truffled mushrooms and the savory, tender roasted duck, conversation flowing easily between them.
Elspeth regaled him with stories of her wild garden parties at Inverhall, and he confessed his secret desire to one day build a library so large it would require a ladder on wheels to reach the highest shelves.
“A library for a practical man,” she teased.
“Indeed. For my practical woman.”
As they finished their meal, Hugo took a small velvet box out of his coat pocket. Elspeth’s breath hitched, and her hand flew to her mouth. The restaurant—the people, the noise, the flickering lights—all faded away. The only thing that mattered was the box in his hands.
It cannae be…
He opened it, revealing a magnificent diamond ring set in a delicate filigree of platinum. The diamond sparkled, catching the light and refracting it into a thousand tiny rainbows.
It was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen.
“This belonged to my mother,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “She would have adored you. She would have loved your fire, your passion, your light, and your love for the earth.” He slid the box across the table. “Elspeth, my love, will you wear this ring as a symbol of our future?”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him, truly looked at the man who had turned her life upside down, the man who had knelt before her, begging for a chance.
“Aye, Hugo,” she whispered. “I will wear it tonight, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of our lives.”