Now Lucas was feeling at a loss for words. He had prepared himself a speech, something to show that he was serious about things and that Dorothy should give him another chance. But looking at her now, all he had rehearsed was now gone. He couldn’t remember any of it.
“Well?” Dorothy raised her eyebrows. “Are you going to say something?”
“I … well …”
Dorothy rolled her eyes and turned away.
“Honestly, this was a waste of time. I’m off. You can escort Frederica back.”
“Dorothy, wait!” Lucas hurried after her and stepped in front of her. He kept darting back and forth as Dorothy attempted to get around him. “Please, this is hard for me. Just give me some time.”
“Time?” Dorothy barked out a harsh laugh. “You had plenty of time to come and see me in the first place! And you squandered that away. Now you see that I’m not as bad-looking as you thought, and so you decided to seduce me?”
Lucas winced.
“You make it sound so sordid.”
“Well, isn’t it? I’ve got a rake who won’t leave me alone.”
“I’m not a rake. Sure, I have had affairs, but not as many as you think.”
“Lady Marcia was very sure of it.”
Lucas snorted.
“If you believe anything Lady Marcia says, you’ll end up believing the most ridiculous things.” He started to reach for her, but Dorothy backed away, so he lowered his arms. “Look, I was foolish and fought against the engagement. If things had been done properly, and we had been allowed to court each other without everything etched out in stone, I’m sure things would have been different. And I want to find out.”
Dorothy looked bewildered.
“What are you saying, Dashwood?”
“I’m saying that I want to court you properly. Get to know you in a better environment where we’re not sneaking off to the library or the kitchen. I should have asked properly at Derbyshire’s house if we could do that, but then you backed away so fast I couldn’t catch you. When Pierce and I were leaving, we encountered Lady Frederica. She and Pierce came up with a plan, and I went along with it.”
“So you ambushed me at my house to … ask me to go out with you?” Dorothy asked faintly.
“I wouldn’t say we ambushed you.”
“I would.” Dorothy didn’t look happy. “How is this going to look to other people? We used to be engaged, and we never saw each other. Now we’ve met, and you want to court me now? What are people going to think when they hear that?”
“Who said we needed to explain it all the time? The engagement wasn’t made public, that much I do know. We can start afresh.”
“That’s if I agree,” Dorothy pointed out. “And at the moment, I’m not too sure if I should.”
Lucas put his hands behind his back and crossed his fingers. Hopefully, she would be agreeing to this; otherwise, Lucas would have to figure out another way to get her to agree.
He wasn’t going anywhere until she said yes. Dorothy had to realise that. Lucas might have said he would leave her alone if she said no, but now he was planning on going back on his promise.
It was a bad idea, maybe, and it could drive her away properly, but Lucas was willing to risk it. He had never done that with another woman before.
“Please, Dorothy, just think about it,” he insisted gently. “I assure you that I will make it right this time around. Just give me a chance.”
She looked really conflicted. Lucas wanted to pull her into his arms, but he stopped himself. He wanted Dorothy to want him with a clear head, not with him kissing her senseless. And with Pierce and Frederica close by, not within earshot but in sight, it was enough to stop him from doing what he really wanted to do with Dorothy.
Dorothy licked her lips, and Lucas tried hard not to stare at her mouth. She took a deep breath.
“Can you let me think about it? I’m far too tired to give you an answer, and I don’t like being dragged into a secluded part of the estate to do it, either. I need to have some time.”
“Of course.” Although Lucas wanted the answer now. Sighing, he stepped back. “I’ll await your answer, Dorothy.”