Chapter 38
“And why is he coming to visit me, after everything?” Reeves asked Agnes. “I thought we’d seen the back of your friend the duke.”
“I know things have been complicated,” Agnes told her brother. “But all things considered, I think you will want to meet with him today.”
“Well, I surely wouldn’t count on it,” Reeves grumbled. “He’s been disrespectful of you and of this family.”
“Oh, Reeves,” Bridget admonished. “Be kind. You don’t even know what the man wants to say. It might be something you want to hear. Give him a chance, why don’t you?”
Agnes hadn’t told her brother about her changed relationship with Gabriel.
The two were not formally engaged yet, though they had certainly declared their intentions to one another, and Agnes had doubts that Reeves would be able to place any trust in Gabriel after what they’d been through.
She was sure he would need to hear Gabriel speak for himself.
Fortunately, Gabriel had been clear with her that he intended to do just that.
She sat very still as the butler announced his arrival, looking down into her lap. The thought of watching him enter the room made her nervous. Would she be able to keep the smile off her face? Would she be able to prevent herself from jumping up and running to his side?
She had to. She had to keep her impulses under control long enough to allow him to speak to Reeves. If she couldn’t do that, Reeves was sure to react defensively to him, to think he was being inappropriate, when that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“Your Grace,” Reeves said, standing up. His voice was cool. “I’m surprised you wanted to see me today.”
“I can understand that,” Gabriel agreed. “But I hope you’ll be willing to hear what I have to say to you.”
“I’ll hear you,” Reeves said. “Perhaps Agnes ought to leave us, though. I think you’ve taken enough of her time.”
Agnes’ head darted up. This, she would not sit back and allow. “No,” she said firmly. “I’m going to stay, Reeves.”
“Agnes, this is my home, and if I ask you to step out…”
“You know I won’t do it,” she finished for him. “You know that I do as I please. So the choice is yours. Will we have an argument in front of His Grace, one that will result in my doing what I was going to do from the start? Or will you give in now?”
Reeves shook his head and turned back to Gabriel. “Very well,” he said. “She stays, I suppose. You may as well say what you came to say.”
Gabriel nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate you taking the time. I know you are a busy man.”
“I would worry less about how busy I am and more about the fact that you have disrespected my sister,” Reeves said. “You’ve made a fool of her in front of the ton.”
“He hasn’t done that,” Agnes said. “You know my reputation is no worse for what happened between us. You’re disappointed because you hoped our courtship would lead to marriage, Reeves, that’s why you’re reacting this way.”
“And is that so wrong of me?” Reeves demanded. “Am I a fool for hoping that my sister might finally find love? Am I to be mocked for believing that a man who courts a lady ought to have the best of intentions?”
“You’re not a fool at all,” Gabriel said. “I’m the one who’s been a fool, and that’s what I’ve come to talk to you about. You see, I’d like to ask you for Agnes’ hand in marriage.”
Bridget gasped and sat up straighter. “Agnes! Oh my goodness—did you know?”
Agnes couldn’t hold it back any longer. “I knew,” she said, smiling radiantly.
“I knew this was why he was coming here today. We spoke about it the other day. And I’m so happy, Reeves.
You’ll say yes, won’t you? I know how you wanted to see me married, and I’ve finally found someone I would want to do that with.
I love Gabriel. Give us your blessing, please. ”
Reeves was frowning at her. “You knew this was why he was coming here today and you didn’t tell me? This amounts to an ambush, Agnes. I can’t understand why you wouldn’t let me know what to expect. Didn’t you think I would like to prepare?”
“He wanted to tell you himself,” she explained.
“And I wanted the same thing, Reeves. I wanted you to hear it from him, because I thought that was the best chance we had at making you see—and believe—what we’ve come to mean to each other.
I wasn’t sure you would understand if I told you that he really does mean it, that he really wants us to be together. ”
“I really do,” Gabriel said. “I know I’ve made things more difficult than they needed to be—for everyone.
I know I’ve taken far too long to realize what I really wanted.
But now that I know, I have no intention of allowing a good thing to slip through my fingers.
I won’t let Agnes get away from me. I have been lucky enough to find a lady I want to marry, and by a stroke of fortune, she also wants to marry me.
How many men are that lucky in their lives?
” He nodded to Bridget. “You were, of course, and I know how thankful you must be for that. That’s how I can say with confidence that you know exactly how I feel right now. ”
“I don’t know if you ought to say that,” Reeves countered. “Yes, I found love, and I’m thankful for my wife—but I never played with her heart in front of all of society. I never made her feel as though I might not want her at all.”
“Well, that isn’t quite true,” Bridget laughed. “I had plenty of doubts in my time, Reeves. Oh, look at them. They’re in love. You’re not going to tell them no.”
“If you’re in love,” Reeves challenged, “then why the broken courtship? Why did you end things with my sister in the first place?”
“I’m the one who ended it,” Agnes spoke up. “Not him. And it was my own fault.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Gabriel countered. “I’m not going to let you take the blame, Agnes. I’m the one who took too long to realize my feelings.”
Agnes rose to her feet and took his hand. “We both took too long,” she murmured. “We both should have realized sooner. We would have saved ourselves a great deal of trouble and heartache. But we know the truth now. That’s what matters.”
“What truth do you know?” Reeves interjected. “Explain it to me, Your Grace.”
“I hope that you’ll call me Gabriel,” Gabriel said. “I’d like us to become friends. And what I need to explain is simply this—I’m in love with your sister. I acknowledge it’s not something I was hoping for when we began our courtship. I never meant to fall in love with her, nor she with me.”
“It’s true,” Agnes said quietly. “He’s telling the truth, Reeves.
Neither of us knew that this was going to happen.
I didn’t want it to happen. You know how I never wanted to marry.
But with Gabriel, things are just different than I ever thought they would be.
I have truly fallen in love with this man.
” She drew a breath. “And we are going to be married. As you know, I’ve always lived the life I wanted to live, and that doesn’t stop now.
But your opinion and your blessing matter to me.
I would like you to give us your blessing, if you feel that you can. ”
Reeves closed his eyes. “You were always too stubborn for my peace of mind,” he murmured. “And yet…I have yearned to see you find love. I can tell that you mean what you say. I can hear it in your voice.”
“I really do,” Agnes said fervently.
“And so do I,” Gabriel said. “I pledge to love her and to care for her always. You will never have to wonder whether you’ve made the right decision if you grant me her hand today.”
“Very well,” Reeves said. “If it’s what you both truly want, I suppose I won’t be the one to stand in the way.” He smiled slightly. “In truth, this was what I hoped for all along. I just hoped the journey here was going to look a bit different—but that’s out of my control.”
“You’re saying yes?” Agnes asked, her heart racing. This was the very last obstacle that had to be overcome. Everything else was the way she had hoped it would be. If she had her brother’s blessing, she would have everything she could possibly want. She would be watching her dreams come true.
“I’m saying yes,” Reeves agreed. “But you had better not make me regret it, Your Grace.”
“Gabriel,” Gabriel corrected. “Please. After all, we’re to be family now.”
“Gabriel,” Reeves said with a nod.
Bridget couldn’t contain herself a moment longer.
She bounded to her feet and embraced Agnes.
“This is so wonderful!” she enthused. “Oh, Agnes, I so hoped this day would come! I always believed that it would! You must be so happy! I’m so happy for you!
You’re going to be married! Oh, just think, one day our children will play together. ”
Agnes laughed. “You’re skipping ahead a bit,” she said fondly, returning Bridget’s embrace. “But I’m happy too. As happy as I ever dreamed I would be.”
“I suppose we’ve got some work to do,” Reeves said, getting to his feet as well. “We’ll host a wedding breakfast here, if you’re comfortable with that, Gabriel?”
“Yes, of course,” Gabriel said. “And we’re going to need to figure out what we want to do with Agnes’ house, now that she’ll be living at mine. I’m sure we’ll come up with something good to do with that property, though.”
“Oh, never mind property talk,” Bridget said. “We need to buy a wedding gown! Agnes, you’ll let me help you with that, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Agnes beamed. “I need your help. But I think, if it’s all right with Gabriel,” she glanced at him. “I think I would like Helena to be a part of that as well.”
“I think she would love that,” Gabriel agreed. “She already can’t wait for the wedding. She’s so excited to have an aunt, she can hardly wait for everything to happen.”
“I’d like to have you and your niece to dinner as soon as possible,” Reeves said. “Since, as you say, we’re going to be family, we might as well all start getting to know one another better. What do you say?”
“It sounds wonderful to me,” Gabriel said. “And I’ll have you to Bellmoor as well.”
Agnes broke away from her fiancé and went to her brother.
She embraced him. “Reeves,” she said quietly.
“You have always been the very best brother I could ever ask for. You’ve always been so good to me.
So patient with me. And now you’ve agreed to this marriage—the only thing I want.
Thank you. I’m so grateful for your patience and your love. ”
“I’m just glad that you’ve found what you wanted,” Reeves said.
“It means the world to me to see you happy, Agnes. I’m so glad that you’ve found love at last, and that you’re finally going to know what it’s like to be married and to have someone who appreciates you for all the wonderful things you are. ”
He shook Gabriel’s hand. “Take good care of my sister,” he said.
“I will,” Gabriel promised. “For the rest of my life. It will be my sacred duty, I swear to you. I swear it to the both of you.”