Chapter 10 #2
The well-prepared speech seemed to vanish from his tongue, and his lips moved soundlessly, wordlessly, as he staggered beside the coach, trying to keep his balance.
“And stay back!”
The voice was angry, fierce, almost a little violent, but it caused a leap of joy in his stomach not unconnected to the pain in his ribs. It was her.
James, Viscount of Paendly, choked. “You know, it does my heart good to see just how violently you will protect yourself and our child, Rowena.”
There was a gasp from the coach as a beautiful face emerged from the coach, and saw that the man she was terrified of attacking them was actually him – the man whom she had left at the King’s Head Inn over a month ago.
“Rowena Kerr, I love you,” James said simply.
“You – you are no highwayman!” She managed to splutter.
James laughed, and shook his head. “Just a man wearing a black cloak – ‘tis surprising how similar the outline is. Oh, Rowena, at every turn, I am impressed by you. To think that you would kick a stranger – and it was a painful kick, I can assure you – to protect our child – ”
“I would never need to,” cut in Rowena bitterly, stepping out of the coach and glaring at him, “if you had wanted anything to do with me.”
Her words cut into James like a knife, but he embraced the pain as he embraced the shooting stabbing pains in his ribs: because he deserved them. He deserved this, because he had not recognised her worth from the very beginning.
“I cannot apologise enough,” he said quietly. “I was a fool, and could not see you for what you were – the precious jewel that was just in my reach, and I did not grasp you when I could. And I no longer care who knows that I am ridiculously in love with you, Ro.”
Was that a flinch that he saw across her beautiful face as he shortened her name?
“I am sorry,” James smiled a little self-consciously. “It is what I call you in my dreams, when I cry out for you in the darkness, when I felt across the bed for the woman I knew would not be there, but I felt should be.”
She was not saying anything. Was that a good sign? Her gown was fluttering in the breeze now, but she did not shiver in the cold. Her eyes did not move from his.
James tried taking a step forward, towards her. “Allowing you to escape me at the King’s Head Inn was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“The biggest mistake of your life was finding me at the Wingston Inn,” Rowena spat back, but there was no vehemence in her words, just pain, hurt.
He was standing before her now, and he reached out a hand to touch her arm. She moved away, but not far enough to escape his reach.
“Now I am telling you this in no uncertain terms,” he said in a low voice, feeling the tingle of her skin under his fingertips. “It was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will be grateful for that impulse for the rest of my life.”
Was that a flicker of a smile? A smile for him?
“Do you really believe that?”
James brought his free hand to Rowena’s cheek, and he could not be imagining that she was leaning into it, could he? “I believe that it was fate that brought us together, and fate again which has allowed me to find you. Because I love you, Ro.”
There was no flinch at the repeat of his name for her, and the flicker of a smile seemed to appear again.
James swallowed. It was now or never, he knew that, and though it was absolutely what he wanted, the decision itself felt a little alien.
“I am so convinced,” he said quietly, “utterly convinced, that I have no compunction of doing this.”
Rowena’s eyes darted over his face. “This?”
James moved in a swift movement until he was on bended knee before her, and he saw her eyes widened, her cheeks start to flush.
“Rowena Kerr, you are the true highwayman. You have stolen my heart entirely, and I want nothing in return but your own. Will you do me the greatest honour that anyone could do in this world, and marry me?”
Although James knew what response he wanted to receive, it certainly was not the one he was given.
Rowena frowned. “You have to promise me something.”
The ground was damp and his ribs were sore, but at this moment James would have promised her the moon. “Anything.”
A smile danced across her cheeks, as Rowena said seriously. “Promise me no more duels.”
Relief. Sweet relief and joy and excitement was flowing through him now, and James’ shoulders slumped as he laughed. “I can safely promise no more duels – or attacks on travelling coaches, either. ‘Tis a dangerous business, falling in love.”
Rowena giggled, and pulling him up to his feet, reached up to his neck and pulled his face down to hers. James abandoned himself to the kiss, knowing that this was the first of many of the rest of their lives together.
“Excuse me?”
James jumped, pushing himself away from Rowena and staring around him for the source of the voice.
Luke, the Marquis of Dewsbury, had poked his head out of the coach.
“Although I am very relieved that you have come to a right understanding, can we please get back on the road? I have a wife here who is significantly less conscious than she needs to be, and I think that visit to the doctors is highly necessary.”
“Unconscious?” James moved forward with his hand out to shake with the Marquis, who took it with a smile. “Come, Dewsbury. Let’s get both of our womenfolk on their way.”