Marrying Mr. Darcy (Love Manor #2) - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,3
good as the ones I chow down on with Penny far too regularly back home. Almost.
“Yum.”
“Well, I’m glad we cleared that up,” Sebastian says. “Perhaps we could write an English-American dictionary.”
“Already exists,” I reply.
“Really? Why didn’t I know about that?”
“Seb, there are websites, apps, you name it. We Americans have been trying to understand you Brits forever.”
Sebastian let out a low, rumbling laugh. “Is that so? You do know we invented the language, don’t you?”
“And we perfected it.”
“Is ‘chillin’ with my BAE’ considered perfection, I wonder?” He’s got a glint in his eye.
“Oh, definitely,” I confirm.
Zara raises her hands. “I’m going to leave you two to your extremely romantic conversation.”
“Thanks, little sister,” Sebastian says. “For everything.”
“Tell Chef Henri the mac and cheese is beyond amazing.”
“Will do,” she replies before she winks at us and turns to leave.
“Why did she wink?” I ask Sebastian.
“Who knows with Zara. She is a law unto herself.”
“She’s great, and you know it.”
I’ve gotten to know Zara pretty well over the last few months, and I really like her. She’s easy going, sweet, and always poking fun at her big brother. As amazing as Sebastian is, he can be a stick in the mud and super formal. The way I see it, Zara and I help to lighten him up a little.
We finish up our mac and cheese, and Sebastian collects the cookies from the table along with another couple of brewskies.
“Cheers,” he says and we clink cookies.
I sink my teeth into mine. It’s crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, just the way it ought to be. “So good,” I mumble as a couple of errant crumbs fall to the table.
Sebastian laughs. “And so ladylike.”
I finish my cookie far too quickly and grin at him, “You know me. I am all about being a lady.”
He stands up and takes me by the hand. “Come with me.”
Together, we wander over to the edge of the gazebo. Lit by the glow of the setting sun, the gentle slope leads down a tree-lined stretch of lawn to an ornate fountain, with the beautiful, turreted Martinston in the middle distance. My belly twists at the sight of it. Not because it’s beautiful, even though it’s utterly breathtaking. Because by choosing me and not the wealthy Camille and her ready cash on Dating Mr. Darcy, Sebastian and his family risk losing their home.
He takes my hands in his and pulls me in for a kiss. “Speaking of being a lady,” he leads.
“I promise I’m gonna keep trying my best to fit in as the English lady your granny expects me to be. It’s just taking me some time to learn your ways.”
Sebastian’s granny hasn’t exactly warmed to me, but I’m hoping to turn that around now that I’m here for an extended working vacay.
He shakes his head. “I’m not talking about Granny.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You becoming a lady.”
I’m still in the dark here. “Riiiight?”
“Lady Martinston, to be precise.”
“But that’s your mom and your granny’s title.”
“It could also be yours—” he leads.
Finally, I catch his drift, and my heart rate instantly jumps up to OMG-is-this-really-happening levels. “Oh!”
“—if you’d agree to marry me,” he finishes.
“What?!” I shriek, and I’m certain all the wildlife within a one-square-mile radius leaps into the air in shock.
“Did you…did you just ask…?” I ask breathlessly as my heart beats out of my chest. I give it another shot. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”
The edges of his beautiful eyes crease into a smile. “I did.” He lowers onto one knee, and I swear my heart is in my mouth as he gazes up at me with love in his eyes.
“Emma Brady, you have my heart, now and forever. I cannot imagine my life without you.”
My breath is ragged as I look down at him, his eyes soft, only the tightness of his jaw giving away his nerves.
Is this really happening?
“Emma, since we met, I’ve been captivated by your beauty, your quick wit, your intelligence, and your passion. You have shown me what it is to love and to be loved in return. As you know, I was due to propose to someone at the end of filming Dating Mr. Darcy.”
I nod rapidly like one of those bobbleheads you used to see in the rear windows of people’s cars.
“Although I knew in my heart I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, I wanted to give us time. My darling, I’ve had more than enough time.”