Chapter Thirteen
Elias
“I know it isn’t the gentlemanly thing to do, but please allow me to speak first,” Elias said. He needed to ensure she knew his words were true and were not influenced by anything that she might say to him.
She nodded and looked so beautiful for a woman who had just been in such a perilous situation.
Her neck was red and there was a thin line where the knife had broken through her skin, causing a small amount of blood to escape.
He wanted to go back upstairs and thrash the bastard again for each tiny drop of blood she lost because of Durham’s horrid, disgusting behavior.
Elias pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the cut on her neck. Once he was certain she wasn’t actively bleeding, he set the cloth aside and took her hands in his.
“I’m not a man of perfect words, nor am I typically a man of feelings,” Elias started. “I pushed down and swallowed that part of myself after my mother died, believing that love held no place in my future and that I’d be all the better for it.”
He drew a deep breath and watched as her eyes searched his.
“But that changed when I met you, Beautiful. I fought it and told myself that what I felt for you wasn’t love.
But I was mistaken, as I am wholly and completely a besotted man.
” He paused and brought her hand to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles.
“What I’m trying to say, Miss Lydia Cary, is that I love you.
And I need to know before our fathers arrive if you wish to be my wife?
Because I’m not certain that I can live without you. ”
For words that had been so hard for him to speak, and even harder for him to acknowledge, he found they rolled right off the tongue when his perfect woman sat before him.
He knew it was true, that he loved Lydia with all of his heart.
There would never be another woman for him, for as long as they were fortunate enough to have each other.
Which would be for many decades to come if he had things his way.
Elias looked up at her and saw that tears had formed in the corners of her eyes. She grinned at him and then threw her arms around him. “I love you so much, Elias,” she said into his neck.
“Does that mean you will marry me?” he asked, turning to kiss her brow.
She lifted herself so she faced him. “I want nothing more than to be your wife.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, needing her kiss more than he needed anything for the rest of his life, thankful that worse hadn’t occurred that day, and that they had found their way to their rightful places at each other’s sides.
When she opened to him, he swept his tongue into her mouth, needing to taste her and brand her as his.
It would take a long time before the image of Durham holding her at knifepoint would no longer haunt him, but every kiss from her and every day spent with Lydia as his wife would help to erase it all.
He could only imagine it was far worse for her, so he would do everything in his power to ensure she knew she would never fear for her safety and she would be deeply loved every day of their marriage.
“What is the meaning of this?” someone boomed from the doorway.
Elias broke their kiss, and realized they had been in quite the compromising position with him on his knees clutching onto Lydia, suckling her tongue. He glanced over to see his father and Lord Cary staring at them.
Coming to stand, he held out his hand to Lydia and pulled her to join him. “Father, Lord Cary, we have a few important matters we must discuss.”
“I’d say we do,” Lord Cary said, glaring at Elias.
“Papa,” Lydia warned, encouraging her father to keep his cool.
“Lydia was attacked,” Elias said, watching as Lord Cary’s expression shifted to one that was downright murderous. “It was Durham,” Elias continued. “He had her a knifepoint, threatening to kidnap her in order to marry and rape her.”
Lord Cary’s face went white and Elias’s father spoke first. “Where is he now?”
“Tied up in Lydia’s chamber. Hudson is guarding him. We must send for the magistrate, but I wanted to inform both of you before I did so.”
Elias’s father reached for the bellpull as Lord Cary rushed to his daughter and threw his arms around her.
“Are you hurt, my sweet girl?” Lord Cary asked, pulling back from his embrace to look her over.
“No, Papa,” she said. “Just a bit shaken.”
Lord Cary turned his head to Elias. “Do I have you to thank for saving my daughter from the blackguard?”
Elias shook his head. “Not me. I stumbled upon the situation at the right time, but your daughter is quite capable. When the opportunity presented itself, she broke free and got herself away from Durham.”
“He deserves a good thrashing,” Lord Cary snarled.
“Well, I did give him that,” Elias said sheepishly. “His face won’t be recognizable for some time.”
“Good man,” Lord Cary said, extending his hand to Elias.
Elias took it and gave him a firm handshake.
A footman appeared, entering the study with them.
“I need you to have someone discreetly leave and fetch the magistrate. We need him here straight away, so have them escort him back directly,” the elder Lord Snowdon said.
Before the man could depart, Elias caught his attention. “Send another footman to escort Lady Billings to us immediately.”
The man hurried off and both of their fathers eyed him curiously.
“She was involved, and she will need to depart our estate. I won’t have her sleeping under the same roof as Lydia or our family,” Elias spat.
“I quite agree,” his father said.
A few moments later, a footman entered, holding onto Lady Billings’ elbow as they entered.
When she looked around and saw everyone scowling at her, she immediately turned on the tears.
“I did it for us, my love. Durham told me you and I would finally be together,” she said to Elias. “He said that Miss Cary loved him, but was distracted by you. That if I helped him find a chance to speak with her, they would be married and you’d come back to me.”
“Did he tell you he intended to hold me at knifepoint and threaten me with heinous things if I didn’t marry him?” Lydia asked, stepping forward to face the woman.
Lady Billings shook her head. “No,” she said, wide-eyed. “I had no idea. I would never have helped him if I had known that.” The woman shifted her focus back to Elias. “You must believe me, Elias. I just wanted us to be together.”
“I have already told you countless times over the last few years that we will never be together. And now you will leave my family’s home and never speak to Lord Cary’s family or a member of my family again.”
“But Elias,” she started.
“It’s Lord Snowdon, my lady,” Elias ground out, beyond done dealing with the woman.
“I do not give you leave to address me informally and it is best that you remember it. And heed my warnings that you are not to address any of us again, nor mention anything that occurred here to another soul, or I shall ensure you receive the cut direct from every one of our acquaintances.”
She bowed her head.
Elias’s father spoke to the footman. “Escort Lady Billings to her chamber and remain with her while her maid packs her things, then ensure she is loaded into her carriage.”
Lady Billings huffed, but followed along when the footman grabbed her arm to do as he was instructed.
“There is one more matter of import,” Elias said to Lord Cary, while Elias’s father grinned at his son knowingly.
“I’m in love with your daughter, my lord. I humbly request your permission to make her my wife. My father is here to attest to both of you,” Elias said, catching Lydia’s gaze, “that it was my intention to do so before this entire unfortunate series of events occurred.”
He needed her to know that it wasn’t the knife to her throat that sparked him to take action and name his feelings, but that he found himself outside of her chamber at that moment because he intended to ensure she knew how much he loved her.
“It’s true,” Elias’s father said, mostly speaking to Lydia. “He declared his intentions to me earlier.” His father grabbed Elias’s hand and passed something to him.
Elias moved the small box through his fingers, eyeing his father curiously. He opened it and saw his mother’s betrothal ring nestled in the box. Tears formed at the corners of Elias’s eyes as he caught his father’s gaze again.
His father beamed and gave him a small nod.
“If my daughter wishes to marry you, I have no objection to the match,” Lord Cary said, having kept his focus fixed on Lydia.
“I do, Papa,” Lydia said, clasping Elias’s empty hand. “He’s the man I love.”
“Welcome to the family, my boy,” Lord Cary said, patting Elias on the back.
Elias removed the ring from the box and took Lydia’s left hand in his to slip it on her finger. “This was my mother’s,” he whispered.
Her eyes welled with tears as she glanced up at Elias and then she caught his father’s gaze. “I am honored to wear her ring.”
The elder Lord Snowdon stepped forward and scooped her into a hug. “I am honored to call you my daughter, dear girl.” He pulled back and clasped her chin. “It just might be the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. Now you’ll have the tough job of keeping this son of mine in line.”
Elias playfully nudged his father’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him, Beautiful.”
Lord Cary chuckled as he watched the scene unfold. “I believe we have a betrothal to announce this evening.”
“That we do,” Elias’s father said proudly. “But first, let’s ensure we rid the house of all the unwanted parties.”
“Lead the way,” Lord Cary said. Elias was certain that the man would throw a couple of punches of his own at Durham.
Both of their fathers departed the room to take over the handling of Durham and Lady Billings.
Lydia eyed the ring on her finger and then looked up at Elias with so much love shining in her eyes—it took Elias’s breath away.