said. As they walked, she debated in her mind the best way to set his mind at ease about Walter being at the ball.
Once they entered the room, he turned and reached for her hand. It did not bother her at all; it was something he did when he felt she needed comfort.
“Now, then, what is it?” she asked.
“I … I don’t think Bartlett can be trusted,” he told her earnestly.
“Ambrose, going to his ball and agreeing to talk to him every now and then does not mean I trust him. All will be well, I promise.”
Though she spoke as comfortingly and confidently as possible, he did not seem to be at all convinced. If anything, it seemed as though the opposite was true.
“Trust me on this, please,” he pleaded. “I can tell he is still interested in you. I am afraid he will break your heart all over again. I know you haven’t forgotten how charming he can be, and I truly don’t think you are prepared for it.”
Georgiana felt touched he was so concerned about her, fixing on that rather than the mixture of emotions she suddenly felt at the thought Walter might still feel something for her.
“Thank you, Ambrose, for caring so much about me. You are the best friend anyone could wish for.”
She would have continued, but the flash of disappointment and something else, which flickered across his face caught her by surprise as he dropped her hand.
“I … Georgiana … I want to…” he looked as though he was desperate to say something but could not bring himself to.
She stood in stunned silence as he paced back and forth in front of her. She had never seen him behave in such a manner before, and it worried her to see him so agitated.
She was about to reach out and grasp his arm to stop him pacing when he turned to her and grabbed both of her hands in his own. “Georgiana,” he said, “we have known each other for so long, ever since we were children. Each year, sometimes each day, my feelings for you have only grown stronger.
“At first, I admit, what I felt for you was the love of a friend, which quickly deepened into the love a brother might feel for his sister. But, for a long time now—for these past few years in fact—my feelings for you have grown much deeper than even that.
He took a deep breath and went on. “Georgiana, I love you. Not as a friend, or as a brother, but as someone whom I would give anything in the world for the privilege of spending the rest of my life with. I know you so well … how you love horses and reading. I know your favorite author has changed from time to time, but that it is currently the author of Emma. I know you hate pickles and anything that tastes of vinegar.
“More than that, I know how kind and big your heart is, and how much you value your family. I want to be your family. Not as a friend, or even as an honorary brother. I want to protect and treasure your heart for the rest of my life … if you will let me.
“I know you have never thought of me in a romantic light. But, if you could just give me a chance … let me court you, Georgiana. Let me show you how deeply I feel about you.”
Georgiana stood there, looking stunned, throughout his entire speech. The earnestness and intensity with which he spoke proved to her how much it meant to him and was enough to make her eyes water with emotion.
It took her a moment or two to realize he was waiting for an answer but, even then, she wasn’t certain what to say. She was deeply touched, but she still had no romantic feelings for him.
A thought came into her mind she felt might buy her a little more time. “But when I first met Lord Bartlett … you didn’t say anything…”
“As I told you … I want you to be happy more than anything else,” he replied quietly.
His gentle statement touched her heart every bit as much as his confession of love. Still, she had one more thing to say, even though he had already mentioned it. “You know I don’t love you in that way…”
“I know,” he replied, the sadness in his eyes as he released her hands indicating he took her statement as a gentle