Chapter 20 #2
Roman glanced behind him, then stepped into the library and immediately closed the door. He took a few steps toward her before stopping. “Aren’t you going to admonish me for closing the door?”
“I should, but I don’t want to.” The other door to the library was already closed. “Are you planning on ravishing me?” she asked.
“Don’t tempt me.” He closed his eyes briefly, then smiled. Then, he immediately sobered. “I came here to apologize. And please don’t flirt with me.”
She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. “I will not flirt with you.”
Roman groaned softly. “Just the way you say that is flirtatious.”
What was happening? Weren’t they at odds? Wasn’t he angry?
Ellis managed to take a deep breath. “Please make your apology, though I don’t think you owe me one.”
“The hell I don’t,” he said harshly. “I walked out on you the other night, and I should not have. I’m apologizing for that, and because I should have told you that your mother sent me a letter.”
“I know about that,” she said.
He blinked at her in surprise. “You do?”
She nodded. “The duchess was here earlier. She informed me of her desperate attempt to extort you. I greatly appreciate your denying her demands.”
His shoulders sagged. “You’re not angry that I refused her?”
“Of course not,” Ellis said with fast conviction. “I wouldn’t want you to give her a shilling.”
“Good.” He sounded relieved. “I didn’t see a point in paying her. I didn’t think she could be trusted to leave, and Sheff agreed with me.”
“I agree with both of you.” She hesitated as she searched his familiar face, her gaze lovingly appreciating the hawk-like sharpness of his nose, the masculine angles of his jaw and cheekbones, the deep gray of his eyes fringed in gorgeous black lashes.
“Sheff told me you called on Rowland Harker. That must have been difficult for you.”
Roman’s jaw tightened briefly. “It had to be done. I’m also sorry for making you think I was going to call your father out.” His expression softened, and she resisted the urge to embrace him. There was still more to say.
“I don’t think of him as my father any more than I think of the duchess as my mother.” Ellis shuddered in revulsion. “I hope the meeting with him gave you some sort of satisfaction, if not peace.”
“It did. But I will have no problem never seeing him again, and I realize that could create some difficulty for you. Though if you don’t think of him as a father—”
“I do not,” Ellis confirmed vehemently. “You shall never have to see him again. I honestly don’t know if I will either.
It’s sad, really, because I suspect he actually has a decent heart.
He seems almost…compelled to behave in the manner in which he does.
It reminds me of someone consumed with drink.
” She shook her head. In truth, she pitied Rowland Harker, for he prevented himself from forming deep and meaningful connections with people, including his own family.
“I don’t want you to keep yourself from him on my account,” Roman said. “But it doesn’t sound as though that will be a hardship.”
“It will not,” she agreed. “Does this mean he isn’t going to come between us?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. Which leads me to the other reason for my visit. I’ve come to offer you a proposal,” Roman stated rather matter-of-factly.
Whilst it wasn’t the manner in which she might have expected him to make a marriage proposal, Ellis was too glad to care. “And what is that?” She smiled expectantly.
“I’ve just come from Lacey and Company, and Josiah agrees it’s past time we have a branch of the library in Bath,” Roman replied. “We would very much like you to be the librarian at that branch.”
Ellis’s heart sank. He didn’t mean to propose marriage to her at all. But he’d behaved in a flirtatious manner. This didn’t make sense.
“Or,” he continued, and Ellis held her breath.
“You could accept a different position, one that I would prefer to see you take.” He moved toward her and dropped to his knee in front of her, taking her hand.
“I think I heard you say ‘I love you’ the other night, but I don’t know if I imagined it—because I wanted it so badly to be true—or if it really happened.
Either way, I am here to tell you that I love you, and nothing would make me happier than if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Ellis replied without hesitation. “I did say that the other night.”
He smiled, but only briefly. “And what about marrying me? Is that a yes too?”
“Resoundingly.” Ellis grinned. “As much as I would love to be the librarian in Bath, I believe it would interfere with my duties here in London as your wife.”
Roman closed his eyes briefly and bent his head. Turning her hand, he pressed a kiss to her wrist.
He looked up at her. “You’re sure this is what you want? Because I want you to have a choice. I want you to choose your future.”
“I know,” she said. “Why did you propose the library first? Did you think that was what I wanted most?”
Roman grimaced faintly. “I feared it might be. You have always been clear that you didn’t wish to marry, and I can’t say I blame you, considering how your life has been managed for so long.
However, I am never going to do that to you.
As my wife, you will be my equal partner at Lacey and Company.
We will share the stake in the company together. ”
Ellis realized this was very close to Pandora’s book, A Season in Shadow, where Dinah was able to make her own choice. But while Dinah chose herself, Ellis was choosing Roman. However, she realized in choosing him, she was also choosing herself—and a chance for happiness she had never expected.
Ellis knelt down in front of him.
“What are you doing?” Roman asked.
“You weren’t standing, and I want to kiss you.”
Roman cupped her face in his hands as he grinned. “Not if I kiss you first.”
He pulled back several moments later. “What made you change your mind? About marrying.”
Ellis felt embarrassed telling him, but she didn’t want there to be any secrets between them ever again.
“I realized I thought I didn’t deserve to be happy.
The duchess had quite convinced me that I wasn’t worthy of love and that I wasn’t at all wanted.
Coming back to Henlow House, I see how everyone here loves me.
And no one has ever made me feel as wanted as you do. ”
“Ellis, nothing is truer than the endless want I have for you.” He kissed her again, hard and fast, then looked into her eyes as he cupped her face.
“I felt much the same—that I was unlovable. Love and a family of my own are all I’ve ever wanted.
Then Clarissa chose someone else. But I do have a family—the Laceys. ”
“And me,” Ellis said quickly, aching for how lonely they’d felt until finding each other.
“And you.” He smiled gain. “You are my family. As well as my love.”
She pressed her lips to his and was immediately consumed with insatiable need she now knew was driven by the deep love they shared.
Would they ever tire of one another? She couldn’t imagine it, especially not now.
They kissed eagerly, feverishly, and she soon pushed his coat off.
Ellis pushed him backward, but he clasped her waist and pulled away.
“We can’t do this on the floor in the middle of the library at Henlow House. Now, if we were at Bolton Street—”
Ellis kissed him again to smother his complaints before rising and pulling him up along with her. “The settee is right there. Will that be acceptable instead of the floor?”
Groaning, Roman stood. “I should not let you seduce me, Miss Dangerfield. It’s highly improper.”
“It’s a bit late for propriety, don’t you agree?” She arched a brow at him as she guided him to the settee and pushed him down.
Roman chuckled. “I suppose. Do as you will, my love.”
“Thank you for your consent.” She hiked up her skirts and straddled him.
“I don’t suppose the door locks?” Roman asked.
“We’ll be quick,” she replied instead of telling him they did not. She slid her hands between them and stroked him through his breeches. This truly was madness. Anyone could interrupt them.
His gray eyes smoldered with want as she stared up at him. “I am powerless to deny you, even when common sense begs me to.” He cupped her head and pulled her down to him for a searing kiss.
Ellis shuddered with desire, desperate to feel him inside her. Would he remove himself from her body as they’d always done? They didn’t really need to, unless they preferred to avoid having a child just yet.
She snagged his lip with her teeth before lifting her head slightly to look at him. His lids rose, and she nearly lost herself in the haze of passion darkening his gaze. “Will you pull away from me when you climax?”
“Do you want me to?” he asked softly, and she couldn’t tell what he might prefer.
“No,” she said tentatively. “Is that all right?”
“That is more than all right, for too many reasons to count.” He kissed her again with something akin to possession, and Ellis felt she might burst with joy.
She continued to stroke him, and his hips moved with her, seeking her body. As she began to unbutton his fall, she heard the door open.
Damn.
Jerking away from him, she scrambled off Roman and adjusted her skirts. He worked to refasten his breeches, but his poor body was in a rather advanced—and unmistakable—state of arousal.
Thankfully, it was only Jo. Still, Ellis gave Roman a look that told him to stay where he was.
“Oh!” Jo immediately turned her back. “I did not mean to interrupt.”
“It’s quite all right.” Ellis found Roman’s coat and thrust it at him.
“I take it the two of you have made up?” Jo asked.
“We’re to be married,” Ellis replied.
Jo gasped and glanced over her shoulder at them. “Is it all right if I turn back around?”
“Yes, we’re decent.” Ellis smirked at Roman’s groin. “Mostly.”
He gave her a roguish smile as he donned his coat.
“Then I’m going to hug you.” Jo rushed over and embraced Ellis, and they both laughed.
Jo stepped back and beamed at them. “When will you wed?”
Ellis watched Roman as he finally stood. He appeared to have recovered himself, which was unfortunate. However, Ellis was certain she could return him to his former state with little effort.
He lifted his shoulder. “As soon as possible. I’ll obtain a special license.”
“Thank goodness,” Ellis said, causing Jo to laugh again.
“This is wonderful news,” Jo said. “I’m going to plan a dinner to celebrate. And a wedding breakfast.”
“That is very kind of you,” Roman said.
“Ellis is my sister,” Jo replied simply, as if that explained her generosity, but Ellis knew that blood ties did not guarantee love or affection. “I love her very much, and I’m beside myself with joy.”
“One thing we did not discuss was the Duchess.” Roman looked at Ellis. “What are we going to do about her threats?”
“We got carried away before I could explain that,” Ellis said. “When she was here earlier, Sheff said he would pay for her to leave us alone. He’s asked his solicitor to draw up a contract so she can’t ask for more money. After that, he will give her a set sum, and we will be rid of her at last.”
Roman appeared relieved. “An excellent plan.”
Ellis went on. “I do think we should put it out through Mr. Lacey that publishers should not take any inquiries from the Duchess of Henlow about a memoir or from anyone claiming to write an exposing tale about the Henlow family. We must warn them that such a manuscript is riddled with lies, and that anyone who publishes it will be sued for libel.”
“What an excellent solution,” Roman remarked with an admiring glint in his eyes. “I’m sorry I missed that confrontation earlier today.”
“We’re sorry we missed your confrontation with my father,” Jo replied. “I still can’t quite believe he said he’s going to try not to philander, but I suppose we’ll see if that actually happens.”
“He did say it would be very hard.” Roman frowned slightly. “It sounds as if he has true difficulty in denying his baser needs.”
Jo clapped her hands together. “I’m going to go tell Sheff the news, if you don’t mind.”
“Please do,” Ellis replied with a smile.
“I’ll make sure no one comes in here for the next hour or so,” Jo said as she went to the door.
“Ten or fifteen minutes is probably fine,” Roman called after her. As the door closed, he pulled Ellis into his arms, and she laughed softly.
“How quickly can you get that special license?” she asked.
“Tomorrow. We can marry the following day.”
“That doesn’t give us much time to plan the wedding breakfast.”
He raised a brow at her. “Do you want more time?”
“I don’t want to wait a single second to be your wife, but I can be patient.” She narrowed her eyes and looked at him in sensual invitation. “Somewhat.”
“I much prefer your impatience, dear almost-wife.” He swept her into his arms again. “Would you mind showing me?”
“Every minute of every day.” She kissed him, and it happened that ten minutes was more than enough.
Still, they managed to fill the entire hour.