The Duke is Wicked (League of Lords #3) - Tracy Sumner Page 0,90
coughed lightly under his breath, clearly embarrassed. “I thought to do this properly. The grand gesture this go.”
“You mean to say you scattered these petals yourself?”
“Well, no.” He made a show of straightening his cuffs, his cheeks tinting. “But it was my idea.”
Delaney took his hand in hers, staying his nervous movement. “It’s a grand proposal. What more does a girl need than a tiara, flower petals and her favorite stained glass windows?”
“There’s champagne, too. And when the hour is up, a private viewing of those medieval manuscripts you fancy.” He shifted from one glossy boot to the other, yanked his hand through his hair, then glanced at her to see if she noticed. Oh, her sweet, vulnerable duke. “I brought you here, to a place you believed you’d never visit, a place important to you, to say the impossible is possible. Love, even for people cursed with gifts they didn’t ask for and don’t know how to control completely, can be healing. It can. I…” Swallowing deeply, he crossed to the spot where the meager light shot through the stained glass and fell to the floor in dull blue and green ripples. Gazing up at the magnificent window panes, he continued, “I was wrong. When I think of you, when I’m with you, I’m calmer, happier. For the first time, I’m where I should be. There’s a way…”
Scrubbing his hand over his jaw, he chanced another peek at her, then looked back to the windows with a slow exhalation. “There’s a way for me to gain control while experiencing such strong emotions. Passion, love. Possession and the expectation that I must protect you. Those aren’t going away. What I feel for you and this baby aren’t going away. I’ll apologize in advance for the precautions we’re going to take, apologize sincerely for the fires and my being older than the man you’d planned to attach yourself to—”
Delaney moved before he could complete the confession, wrapping her arms around him and nestling against his back. Dropping his head, he covered her hands with his and pressed them into his flat, quivering belly. “We’ll live together then, the American hellion and the elderly, fire-starting duke?”
“Ah, Temple, would you agree to a different arrangement? Even for your safety?”
“Of course, not.” She smiled, glad her elderly duke couldn’t see her face and the triumph shining in her eyes. This was the most crucial wager she’d ever negotiate. “And none of this aristocratic separate bedrooms silliness, either. The nursery will be on the same floor as well. I have news for the lords and ladies of the ton. I won’t stand to be apart from either of you, no matter what standards dictate.”
“Bedchambers,” he corrected, his hands clenching over hers. “No, none of that ridiculous business. Nothing separate. Not from this day forward. You and the baby, there with me. Is that satisfactory? Again, with precautions until my control is sharper. You see…” He turned in the circle of her arms, his hand going to her chin to tilt her gaze to his. “I feel like I’ve come home when I haven’t had a home in…forever. I’ll promise anything in this spot that is ours and ours alone. To love, to protect, to stay. Despite the fires that rage, the attic you lock yourself in. You’re mine, and I want you. I want this baby more than you know, even if I fear our gifts being inherited. I’m yours, trust me on this, when I’ve never belonged to anyone. Because of my gift and my uncertain future, I shouldn’t ask. But I’m going to.” Swallowing tightly, he dropped his brow to hers. “Temple, love of my life, will you marry me? Will you come to Oxfordshire? Will you come home?”
Home. Since her father’s death, the accident that had caused her to flee America, she and Case had been orphans, in a way. Home was an empty Mayfair townhome in a vibrant city that had rejected them, the lack of soul and life in the hallways and sitting rooms and parlors, the missing sounds of family, a haunting echo. Drawing his hand to her belly, Delaney whispered her answer in his ear. Yes. She could have a family, be his family. And, frankly, they were well-matched, aside from the societal gap. Competitive, daring, affectionate, kind. Curious about the world and what they brought to it. She would help him, and he would help her. Over the years, they’d find their way.