Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Isobel blinked. Once. Twice. Enough times for the hallucination before her eyes to fade away.
It did not.
He was real. And he was here.
“R-Richar— Your Grace? What in earth are you doing here? And why did you ask me that? I am returning home, of course!” She told him, shock still evident in her expression.
Richard looked frustrated, a light sheen of sweat visible on his forehead as he breathed heavily. He refused to look away from her, and soon, his gaze made her nervous enough to want to draw back, even though she had nowhere else to go.
“You cannot simply leave!”
Isobel gawked at him. “I do not understand. My work at the estate was done. Arnold has been arrested with proof of his crimes that were submitted to the constables. My sister is hale and hearty and is planning her new wedding date. Cecil is safe. I have done what was asked of me — and dare I say, more! Is there a reason why I should not have left?” Isobel questioned, utterly at a loss.
Richard looked angry. She had only seen him this upset hours earlier when he had beaten Arnold.
And even then, there was a specific kind of wrath that did not measure up to and simultaneously fell short of what was targeted at her currently.
She did not know what to make of his mood, even more so about the sinking suspicion that it had more to do with her and less about her actions.
“You did not say goodbye.”
Isobel could not help the incredulous exhale that left her. She stared at him, waiting for him to rescind what was obviously a farce of an excuse, but he met her stare sternly.
“You… you came all this way… because I did not say goodbye?”
She hoped it was a mere jest and he would send her off without causing much more of a fuss. But it would seem the stars were aligned to favor anyone but her, because the stubborn man stuck fast to his excuses.
“Yes. That is exactly right,” Richard stated, obviously lying.
Isobel inhaled so sharply that she felt the breath choke her.
She was doing her best — had been so determined to purge herself of these feelings that wanted to cling to a man that didn’t belong to her. But she kept being pulled back, as though fate was trying to mock her for yearning for someone she could never in her wildest dreams have.
He… he kept getting her hopes up and dashing them as though she were worth nothing more than a cheap toy. He had his preferences and had explained that she met none of his criteria, and she had done her best to come to terms with it.
So why did he have to punish her so?
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Richard’s expression dimmed slightly, and he spoke up, for the first time seeming less like he was spilling whatever came to mind.
“What do you mean —”
“Why do you insist on making things difficult for me?” she pressed further, her throat tightening as she blinked unshed tears back.
“I held my end of the bargain, and I tried to move past whatever was between us. But you insist on confusing me, on playing with my heart. It is so weak and tired already, Richard. This back and forth… it is killing me. I have already made peace with my fate and I have accepted that I won’t have the man I love, but you –”
“Stop,” Richard ordered suddenly, looking at her as though he was seeing her for the first time. “Did you just — did you say the man you love? You love me?”
Once again, Isobel found herself staring at the man before her in utter disbelief.
“I — yes. Clearly. I thought — was that not obvious?”
Richard inhaled sharply, and when he let out his breath, it came with a request.
“Marry me.”
Isobel’s heart sank and then shot up so fast, she was certain she felt it hit her throat.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Marry me,” he repeated easily, as though it were that simple.
“Why on earth should I do such a thing?” she snapped, feeling irritation well up within her.
“Why would you not? You just admitted you love me. What is stopping us from getting married?”
Isobel let out a hollow laugh and told him bluntly,
“Do you not already have someone who fits your requirements perfectly? Someone you practically emphasized was better than me in every aspect?”
“I did no such thing —”
“Not to mention the fact that you made it clear that you were going to marry in an effort to strengthen your dukedom. Therefore, your duchess had to be perfect in every way. I am the furthest thing from perfection, Your Grace. Please leave—”
“You are wrong,” Richard spoke up, cutting her off.
“You are the most perfect woman I have ever laid my eyes on. I have never met anyone with a heart as big as yours. I have never crossed paths with anyone so stubborn and insistent on justice. I never imagined I would meet someone as beautiful as you either.”
“I look exactly like my sister,” she could not help but whisper.
Richard shook his head patiently. “That is not entirely true. To me, you shine brighter than she does. You stand taller, more self-assured. You certainly have a bolder personality, and I might have made distasteful comments about it previously, and I do apologize. I was too ashamed to confess that I had known right away that you were not Valerie because you were so stunningly different from her. I don’t want the idealistic forms of perfection.
I want you. It has been you from the moment I laid my eyes on you.
I had foolishly thought I could easily uphold my end of the deal because I had always strictly adhered to my plans, but the prospect of letting you walk out of my life…
of never seeing you again frightened me. I love you.”
Isobel’s heart was quaking within her.
She had been too scared to dream of this moment, no matter how badly she had wanted it. Because she knew reality was cruelly a stark reminder that such a life was beyond her reach.
But here he was, claiming otherwise, declaring his feelings for her and his intentions. And just like that, the prospect of a lonely future was fading from sight.
“But,” Isobel sniffed. “What if you wake up one day and you regret marrying me? You had so many reservations before. What if those suited you better than I do?”
Richard shook his head, reaching for her hand.
“That will never happen —”
“But what if it does? What if you wake up and feel as though you cannot stand me anymore —”
“Then marry me, you vexing woman!”
Isobel’s whole body froze, not because he had raised his voice, but because each syllable was dripping with desperation.
“Marry me, so I can wake up every day and thank God for bestowing such a blessing upon my life. Marry me so I can love you with my whole being — until you are convinced that there is nothing and no one more perfect than you are. I do not want or need anyone but you, Isobel.”
Warmth spread from where their hands were joined together to the rest of Isobel’s body, and the tears she had barely managed to restrain finally spilled over.
“Y-Yes,” she hiccuped. “I will marry you.”
Richard finally eliminated the distance between them, climbing into the carriage and pulling her into his arms. As Isobel found herself crying for the second time that day, she could not help but relish in the absence of the fear she had felt earlier.
In its place was gentle fulfilment and wholeness.
Richard had come for her, despite everything that seemed to claim he would not. He had come for her, and he wanted to make what they shared permanent. Her heart felt so full she was worried it would burst.
“Shh,” he mumbled gently, pulling back far enough for him to gently wipe her tears away. “It is all right, Isobel. I am here now, and I love you more than anything. I pledge to you on my life – that will never change.”
Isobel recovered some semblance of calm long enough to pull him closer by the collar and press her lip against his.
His hands wrapped around her immediately, and his lips moved against hers feverishly, before slowing down lightly.
He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and the slow pace caused her to feel as though her brain was melting.
She shivered as their tongues brushed against each other, moaning quietly when he sank his teeth into her lower lip.
When she pulled back to catch her breath and come to her senses, he pressed soft kisses on her forehead and nose, his touch so fond and loving. Isobel felt as though she were stuck in a dream.
“I love you,” Richard whispered. “And I will, every day henceforth.”
Isobel beamed, her cheeks filling with heat as she clung to his coat.
“And I love you. Forever.”
Richard smiled down at her and stole one more quick kiss before he leaned away to yell at the coachman.
“Turn the carriage around!”
Isobel blinked, confused.
“No – wait! Stop.”
The barely moving carriage came to a stop immediately, and she turned to him inquisitively.
“Surely a man of your refinement is aware of the rules of betrothal, Your Grace. You must ask for my hand first.”
It was Richard’s turn to be confused, and his expression said as much.
“I know you mean well, so I will ignore that slight insult,” he sniffed with an exaggerated expression of dismay.
“I do want to ask for your hand, that is why I instructed the coachman to turn the carriage back. Gregory is still in his home, and if we are fortunate, we can make him even more annoyed with our presence as he fulfils the task we need him to.”
“Oh,” Isobel giggled. “Gregory is not my father or a member of my family, really, so he holds no authority over me. The one you need to ask for my hand from is my brother, Graham. And luckily for us, he is right here in London.”
Richard grew visibly excited, and he pulled Isobel into his embrace once more.
“Then I want to do it properly. As eager as I am to marry you, I want to do everything right, so no one will have any reason to question the validity of our love. I will prepare and meet him in a few days. Is that all right?”