C*cky Marquess by Annabelle Anders

Chapter 27

“Rehearsal just ended,” she said.

Hearing her voice sounding so matter of fact, Greys could finally breathe normally again. For hours now, he’d been searching all of Mayfair and even beyond. Only after he’d scoured the park, checked nearly every shop on Bond Street, and returned to find she still hadn’t returned to Byrd House, did he learn where Diana had gone.

The elder Miss Jones had decided his abysmal proposal the night before not only warranted him spending much of the day in a panic, but also rushing about London frantically.

She was nearly as troublesome as her younger sister.

Diana.

And now there she was. Standing in the center of a stage, looking every inch the spectacular woman that he loved.

Yes, loved.

“Will you come down from there and talk with me?” Greys stepped forward slowly, one hand half raised toward her, almost afraid she would turn and run.

He would deserve it if she did, after the stupid things he’d said to her—after accusing her father of being heartless when the man was not alive to defend himself.

Greys had spent all night sitting in his observatory, replaying his proposal over in his mind. And each time, the reality of his words grew uglier and uglier.

If he hadn’t had the box of paperwork Chaswick brought over, he no doubt would have gone mad.

But it had given him purpose—a means, he hoped—to begin to set things right.

Once the sun came up, he’d wasted no time before going straight to Byrd House. He’d intended to not only apologize but beg her forgiveness. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to win his way back into her graces.

Anything.

She had been lost to him all day, but she wasn’t lost now. Finally, she wasn’t running away from him.

Although, she wasn’t running toward him either.

“Wait,” he reached out his hand. “I’ll come to you.” He rushed down the aisle until he stood at the foot of the stage, just below her.

“You’re here,” she said.

Zeke considered it a good sign that she wasn’t telling him to go to hell.

Yet.

“I’m here.” He exhaled, drinking her in, so God-damned relieved to have finally found her. He couldn’t lose her again.

“You look tired,” she said.

“I’m so sorry, Diana. I can never say it enough. I’m an idiot to have said those things to you. My only excuse is that in my need to convince you to marry me, I lost sight of… the person I wanted to marry. I lost sight of why I want to marry you—only you.”

She blinked slowly and nodded. Was he overly optimistic to have imagined that the corners of her lips tilted up just a little?

“What you said was true.” Her voice. He loved the sound of her voice.

“No. It wasn’t. I was wrong. You have been right all along in believing your father loved you, your sisters, and your mother. I spent all night going through the paperwork left behind from your father’s solicitor’s predecessors. The man had become somewhat senile, and whether the amended will was lost intentionally, or by accident…” Greys reached into his pocket and withdrew the paper that would matter most to her. “I have proof that your father provided for you.”

She blinked and tilted her head.

“He left the deed to the house on Farm Street to your mother. Your father never forgot you.” Greys held her gaze meaningfully. “You were loved all along.”

She lifted one hand to cover her mouth, and her pale blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

She nodded. “I knew that. And it shouldn’t matter, but it does,” she said. “I—”

“And so do you,” Greys interrupted. “Matter—greatly—to me, that is.” Greys couldn’t stand it if she kept on believing she couldn’t hold her own as his wife. It was important that she believe the two of them were not so different that they couldn’t find a way to be happy together.

“Do you know why you never feel as though you quite belong? It’s because you don’t fit in just anywhere. You, my love, fit in everywhere. You are not like so many people who only exist in one world, who are like planets rotating around the only sun they’ve ever known. You are your own sun who brings light with you. You, little one, have a unique ability to fit in wherever and with whoever you want.

One of those tears lost its hold on her lashes and rolled down the gentle curve of her cheek.

“But that’s only one of the reasons I fell in love with you. It doesn’t matter where you come from, where you live, or who your family is… because you, Diana, you are more than all those things. You are… Diana.” Greys held his breath, aching for her to understand.

Aching for her to forgive him and to…

By God, she had to love him back!

His knees nearly gave out beneath him when he watched as that luscious mouth of hers stretched into a wickedly teasing smile.

“You think I would make a good marchioness?” Greys could have burst into tears. It was ridiculous. But he was not afraid to admit that he was utterly, thoroughly besotted.

He leaped onto the stage and lifted both of her hands to his mouth. “An excellent marchioness.”

She blinked slowly and then drew their clasped hands from his lips to hers. “I’m sorry, Zeke, I’m so very sorry.”

He shook his head. “You have nothing to be—”

“But I do. It wasn’t fair of me to assume the worst about everyone—about you. You told me once that you thought I was brave, but I haven’t been brave at all. Instead, I think I’ve been shallow and cowardly and—”

“Hush.” He couldn’t listen to her berate herself for a second longer. He took her into his arms. “I love you.” He held his breath, waiting to hear her say it back, but didn’t have to wait for long.

“I love you, Zeke. And I’m so sorry I pushed you away.” She frowned. “I suppose I had to learn for myself, though, that belonging isn’t about what I am doing, or where I live, or even who my parents are. It’s about us, isn’t it? About you and me, and what you and I are willing to do to make each other happy.”

She tilted her mouth up to his invitingly. “My kiss belongs to you.”

It was the invitation he’d been waiting for all his life.

She loved him. The thought ought to be terrifying. It ought to invoke nightmarish memories of his parents and the chaotic nature of their life together.

But knowing she felt the same, none of those things mattered. As he explored her familiar taste, his heart soared. He wound his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. She was right. What they shared wasn’t about either of their pasts. It was about their futures.

Their future—together.

He broke the kiss and drew back. “So, this means you’ve changed your mind about marrying me?” He went to drop to his knee again, but she tugged on his hands.

“You don’t need to do that.” She was laughing.

“But I do. I want to make this right.”

She shook her head. “It already is.”

What mattered most in his life had finally become crystal clear. The stars didn’t need to line up perfectly, he didn’t need always to be impeccably proper, and he certainly didn’t require anyone’s approval of this woman but his own.

Because she, quite simply, brought him joy.

“I love you, Diana. Will you marry me?” He dipped down to peer into her eyes.