Chapter 21 #2
“I understand why you did it.” She lifted her chin from her knees and scraped her teeth over her lower lip.
“Although I don’t think it was fair of your parents to ask that of you.
I suppose what I’m most interested in is knowing what you’re most scared of and why the secret is holding you back from marriage. ”
He wished he was closer to her so he could take her hand and revel in sharing a connection with her, but she had put distance between them for a reason, and he was going to respect that.
“There are two ways that being with you could cause problems with my family. The first is if we’re caught doing something we shouldn’t outside of marriage.
” He gestured meaningfully between them.
“The scandal would draw a lot of attention to me, and my mother becomes unstable whenever I’m the subject of attention. ”
“Why?”
He sighed. “Because there’s a possibility that while everyone is staring at me, they might put two and two together. On another matter, Theo would be upset with me for damaging your reputation. He cares about you. You’re his wife’s best friend.”
“All right.” She tilted her head in acknowledgement. “And what’s the other reason?”
“You’re the daughter of an earl and the sister-in-law of a duke. Most people would expect you to have a big society wedding. People would be watching us closely, and, as I said, Mother doesn’t like anyone looking at me for too long. She prefers I not receive any notice at all.”
Sophie crawled awkwardly over to him, and his heart rose as she kissed his cheek. “You’ve been a very loyal and devoted son and a good brother. You’ve done more than anyone should expect of you. Surely you deserve to have some happiness of your own.”
He swallowed, his throat suddenly tight. “I’ve made mistakes….”
She scoffed. “Who hasn’t? But you have a big heart, and you care, and you’ve tried so hard. Your parents made a mistake, but that shouldn’t be allowed to control your life. Do you want to marry me?”
“Yes,” he replied, echoing his earlier confirmation.
She smiled, and it was a quieter expression than what he was used to seeing on her vibrant face. Sweet and a little shy. He liked it.
“Then we will marry,” she said simply. “We’ll find a way to do it that won’t destroy your family.”
Nicholas’s chest ached. He wasn’t sure it was possible, but he wanted to believe it more than anything. “How?”
She pressed herself alongside him and wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt so right tucked against him, and he wanted to keep her there forever.
“What are the options?” she asked.
He held up one finger. “We have a big society wedding, my mother loses her mind, and we hope she doesn’t hold it against us forever.”
“And also that no one notices your resemblance,” Sophie added. “Option two: We have a small wedding and hope that it doesn’t make the ton even more curious.”
“What else can we do?” Nicholas mused, racking his brain about what course of action others in his position might take.
Sophie’s quick intake of breath told him she had an idea.
“What is it?” he asked, smoothing his hand down her arm and savoring their closeness.
“We could do what Violet did.” She raised her eyes to meet his. “Run away to Gretna Green.”
He snorted. She had to be joking.
When she didn’t laugh, his eyes widened, and he scowled. Surely she knew that eloping wasn’t the answer.
“That would create an even bigger scandal!” he hissed, ducking his head closer to hers as if afraid of being overheard. “If we ran off now, then we’d be the talk of the house party, and by the time we returned to London, all eyes would be on us.”
Sophie bit her lip, her eyes flicking from side to side as she thought.
“Then we wait. We don’t leave early. We don’t announce our engagement.
I’ll distance myself from the baron so it’s clear he no longer has my favor.
When we depart on the final day of the party, it will be for Gretna Green rather than London. ”
“But don’t you see—”
“We’ll send letters to your mother and brother and leave a note for my mother so no one worries.
After all, Mother would hardly leave here without me.
We’ll have to depart early in the morning and ensure she found the letter quickly so that she doesn’t sound the alarm and instead quietly returns home. ”
He stopped protesting, a furrow forming between his brows. “There would still be talk when we got back to London.”
Talk that would upset his mother more than he cared to think about.
“Then we don’t do that.” She smiled, clearly beginning to believe that this plan might actually work. “We go from Gretna directly to Blackwell Hall and retire for the season. By the time next season comes around, there will be a new scandal, and no one will care about us.”
That… might actually work.
He drew her close, touching the tip of his nose to hers. “How did I end up with such a clever woman?”
She kissed him. “You think it might work?”
“It might,” he agreed, nuzzling her again. “I’m afraid to hope but I think it could.”
For once in his life, didn’t he deserve for things to go his way?
“Then let’s do it.”
“It’s a plan.” He pulled away. “I wish this weren’t all so complicated and that I could lie with you all night. Unfortunately, I’d best leave before we get caught.”
“Be careful, Nicholas. If Mother finds you, our plan will be for nothing.”
He nodded. He wouldn’t let that happen.