Saving Lord Berkshire - Laura Beers Page 0,73
privacy,” Hannah remarked as she and Amelia started backing up towards the door.
“That won’t be necessary,” Katherine insisted as she watched Edward climb through the window.
Edward straightened himself to his full height, and she took a moment to admire his dashing figure. He was dressed in a blue riding jacket, an ivory waistcoat with matching cravat, and buff trousers. He was, by far, the most handsome man that she knew, and her heart lurched at the mere sight of him.
“Kate,” he murmured as he watched her.
She took a step back, creating more distance between them. “What is it that you want?”
“You,” came his simple reply.
“Me?”
He took a step closer to her, his eyes full of longing. “Yes, you,” he repeated. “I want to marry you.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t,” she argued. “You only want to marry me because you feel an obligation.”
“That is part of the reason, yes,” he replied, his eyes never straying from hers, “but that is not the only reason.”
“Then what is?”
He closed the distance between them and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am not good at giving speeches, Kate, so I must urge you to be patient with me.”
Unsure of what he was attempting to say, she remained silent, her eyes searching his face.
“You are good and kind, and everything that I am not,” he said, his words starting out soft, intimate.
“That isn’t true.”
His lips curled into a smile as he shared, “I was miserable before I met you. You have brought back joy into my life, something I never thought possible. And I’m afraid I can’t go back to the way I was, not anymore. You have changed me for the better.”
“That is good,” she murmured.
“Everything has changed since I met you, and I want you to be by my side always,” he continued, leaning closer. “You saved me, Kate.”
Tears came to her eyes as she listened to Edward, but he wasn’t saying the one thing that she wanted to hear. The one thing that she desperately craved.
“And there is one more thing,” he said.
“Which is?” she asked, hoping.
He leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. “I am hopelessly, desperately, inexplicably, in love with you.”
“You are?” she breathed.
“I am,” he replied. “I tried to fight it at first, but I realized that I was born to love you, Kate. Let me love you the way you deserve.”
Tears started rolling down her cheeks, but she made no effort to wipe them away. These were happy tears.
She wanted to agree, but she had a few terms of her own. “I want to continue working as a matchmaker.”
“So be it,” he replied in a rush. “I just want you to be happy.”
“And my sisters will reside with us.”
He nodded. “I believe I already agreed to that.”
A smile came to her lips. “Then I suppose we can marry.”
Edward leaned back and smiled down upon her. “Do you truly mean that?” he asked.
“I do,” she replied, “because I am in love with you, as well.”
His eyes widened. “You are?”
“Yes,” she replied. “The reason I broke our engagement is because I was worried that you would never return my affections, and I would spend my days pining after you.”
He pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, my love, I promise that I will always love you, and you will never go a day without me making you feel loved.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Leaning back, Edward’s eyes darted towards her lips. “I would like to kiss you now,” he said.
“I wish you would.”
He bent his head slowly and brushed his lips over hers.
“So lovely,” he murmured against her lips. “Just as I had imagined.”
Katherine drew a deep, staggered breath in response to his kiss and found herself wanting more. She rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a quick, very abrupt kiss.
He chuckled against her lips. “I see that one kiss was not sufficient.”
“Not with you.”
A devilish smile came to his lips before he kissed her, but this time it was different. He deepened the kiss as she felt his arms tighten around her. And, at the touch of his lips, she knew she had no intention of ever turning back. She loved Edward, and she would love him until the day she died.
The sound of a man clearing his throat caused them both to jump apart.
With a smug smile on his face, Martin stepped into the room with Hannah and Amelia by his side. “I see that you two have worked out your differences.”
Edward slipped his arm around