"That is not the only reason I am here," Thomas told her and she sucked in breath when he closed the remaining distance between them. She instinctively craned her neck to look up into his striking green gaze and her breath caught in her throat. His hands landed upon her hips and pulled her into him.
For just a few seconds she allowed herself the joy of being close to him. She felt his warmth and the tingling sensation that spread across her flesh at his mere closeness. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his breath upon her face, even pushed herself onto her tiptoes to kiss him.
Then, just before their lips could meet, Alice snatched herself from his arms. She pulled away so abruptly that she almost stumbled over a wrinkle in the thick rug beneath her feet. Her hands reached out and she gripped hold of the arm of the couch to save herself before Thomas could intervene. Alice waved him away quickly, shaking her head.
"Do not touch me, Lord Warrington," she insisted. "You lost that right when you made me another one of your secrets."
Thomas inhaled sharply. Alice stared at the ground, unable to look at him, holding onto the couch arm for stability because her knees were trembling so badly, they might give way at any moment.
"Is that what you are angry about? That I would not court you publicly?" Thomas asked. The hurt in his tone was obvious. He clearly believed her anger unwarranted. And that only made her angrier.
"Do you deny that we agreed this was nothing serious?" She demanded, unable to answer his question for fear it might make her look young and naive.
"I do not deny it," Thomas shook his head.
"Then I am nothing more than one of your secrets and none too serious flings," Alice hissed, bile rising in her throat, threatening to choke her.
"Alice, that is exactly why I am here," Thomas replied. Alice blinked up at him, shocked to her core when he added, "I wish to tell you that the past does not matter. All that matters is the present. I am here because I am in love with you, Miss Skeffington."
His words made Alice's stomach do a somersault. Defensively, she wrapped her arms around herself, a chill running the entire length of her.
I must be imagining this!she thought, pinching herself. The pain was all too real, and she flinched.
"Am I mistaken in revealing my feelings to you, Miss Skeffington?" Thomas asked. He took a step backward as though her reaction had stung him. "Am I wasting my time?" Another step backward.
"No, no!" Alice insisted. She hurried to close the gap and found herself returned to his arms. "But it does not change your assuring me that our attachment was not a serious one."
"It was not but I do wish it to be," Thomas told her and his fingers tightened on her hips. "Alice, I wish to court you publicly. More than that, I wish to…." He did not finish the sentence. Instead, he dropped down before her, his hands leaving her sides to reach into the breast pocket of his jacket. When he produced a small black velvet ring box, Alice's hands flew to her mouth. One remained there even while her other slid into Thomas' offered hand.
"Miss Skeffington, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
How can this be?Alice thought. "Lord Warrington, you are aware that I was just scolding you?" It was the only thing she could think to say, allowing humour to ease her frayed nerves.
"I am well aware, Miss Skeffington, and I am here to tell you that I will happily take you scolding me every day for the rest of my life for how foolish I have been over the last week and a half."
Alice's heart soared and her cheeks flushed with heat. Thomas squeezed her fingers in his free hand and lifted the ring box in his other. "I'll take all you can throw at me so long as you say yes," he announced, gazing at her with hope and fear in his glowing green eyes.
Alice's heart could hardly take it. She felt it threatening to rip into two with pity for the poor man laying himself at her feet. She would give him half though she sensed now that he had already held her whole heart for quite some time.
"What do you say, Miss Skeffington, will you put me out of my misery?"
Alice's lips twitched upward in a smile.
"Oh, Alice, would you give the poor man an answer, already?" her mother's voice called from the doorway though Alice was relieved that was where she remained, out of sight.
Dripping down onto her knees in front of him, Alice cupped Thomas' face in both her hands and asked, "Lord Warrington, are you absolutely sure?"
"It took me some time to realise it, but I see now I have never been surer of anything in my life," Thomas told her, his words making her entire body tingle with delight.
"I believe I denied this to myself also," Alice admitted. "I fear I have loved you from the very moment you rode into Kendall Hall stinking of horse and filthy with dust."
The two chuckled at the memory and affection passed between them, Thomas nodding in agreement. "I have feared the same."
"Then perhaps neither of us need fear any longer?" Alice suggested. Thomas did not answer with words. His only response was the growing hope in his gaze. "Yes, Thomas, I will marry you."
Alice heard a great exclamation of joy from her mother in the hallway even as Thomas pulled Alice into his lap and kissed her so passionately that her head began to spin. Alice relaxed into it when she heard her mother rushing away from the door screaming to her husband and anyone else in the house who might hear, "She said yes! She said yes!"
Sheer happiness brought tears to Alice's eyes, and they fell, cascading down her cheeks like a stream until Thomas' lips left hers.
"Do not weep unless they are tears of joy," he insisted, reaching up to thumb the tears away.
"They are," Alice sniffled and threw her arms around his neck once more.