“Well, I do, my dear.” Lady Bedford squeezed her hand. “After all, it’s an occasion I didn’t think would happen. I had all but given up.”
“What are you talking about?”
But Lady Bedford merely smiled at her and walked away. Dorothy watched her go, wondering what she had meant by that. Something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It was making her uncomfortable.
She hovered at the edge of the room, wondering if she should take her mother’s advice and leave for a moment. Anything to get her composure back. What she was uncomfortable with at a regular tea party her parents had arranged, Dorothy had no idea.
She just had a feeling that something was going to happen.
“You’re looking rather pensive.”
Dorothy looked up to see Gabriel standing at her side. She hadn’t even noticed him joining her. She managed a small smile.
“I’m just lost in thought, that’s all. It’s already been a long day.”
Gabriel chuckled.
“Well, I hope I’ll be able to cheer you up shortly. I have some news that I know will make things better.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll see shortly.”
Dorothy was confused. What was he talking about? How could he have news that would make her feel happier?
Then realisation dawned. Dorothy stared at him.
“Are you … are you going to be proposing to me?”
Gabriel blinked.
“Why would you say that?”
“That’s all I can think about. And you’ve been in a very good mood lately.” Dorothy folded her arms. “I don’t like surprises, Gabriel. You know that. So tell me the truth: are you planning on asking me to marry you?”
Gabriel looked like he was going to deny it, but Dorothy saw the flicker in his expression. Her heart sank.
“You were, weren’t you?”
“Dorothy …” Gabriel spread his hands. “It’s to be expected, isn’t it? You and I have been courting each other for a while, and it’s pretty much what everyone is waiting for.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Everyone’s talking about it. Your mother is certainly expecting me to propose marriage today.”
So that was why she had organised a surprise tea party with only a day’s notice. Dorothy was beginning to feel a little light-headed again. She swallowed.
“That doesn’t mean you should actually go through with it and propose. And in front of so many people?” She nodded at the guests her mother had invited. “If I were going to have a proposal, I wouldn’t want it in front of everyone. I don’t want to be stared at.”
“We can go elsewhere, and I can ask you to marry me then,” Gabriel suggested. He reached out and touched her cheek, his fingers brushing against her jaw. “Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”
This was what Dorothy had been hoping for, after all. She needed someone to want to marry her, and then she could go on with her life. Gabriel was a good option, after all. He was wealthy in his own right, a friend, and kind to her. He was … safe. Just that.
He didn’t excite her, didn’t get to know her interest in art or do something daring to keep things interesting. Everything was just safe. Dorothy hadn’t realised that this was not as attractive as she expected.
He wasn’t Lucas, and Dorothy wanted to keep it that way. She couldn’t be with someone she couldn’t trust, someone who didn’t truly know her.
If you know this is what you should do, why do you feel sick at the thought of becoming Lady Burville?