Chapter Thirty-Six
David was sitting on a long leather sofa in Worthington’s library. He’d come into the room to look for a copy of Debrett’s again. He needed to do better, to be better at all the things pertaining to Society. If he were going to be married to Annabelle, he would die before embarrassing her and her family any more than he already had.
The door to the grand room opened and David glanced up to see Annabelle step inside, a tentative smile on her face. Had she spoken to Bell? How had that gone?
“What are you doing?” she asked, coming to stand next to him.
“Reading Debrett’s,” he offered, watching her carefully. Was she still angry? She didn’t look angry. She didn’t sound angry. But he couldn’t be certain.
“Are you serious?” she asked, a smile on her face.
All right. He was fairly certain she wasn’t angry. But why? What had Bell said to change her mood? “Yes, I’m serious,” he replied. “I need to learn everyone’s titles and family histories.”
“No, you don’t.” She laughed.
He narrowed his eyes on her. “Why not?”
She lowered herself to the sofa beside him. “May I tell you a secret?”
“Please do.”
“I don’t know everyone’s titles and family histories.”
David gave her a skeptical glance. “I don’t believe you.”
She laughed again. “It’s true. I paid some attention in finishing school, but I don’t have it all memorized.”
He lifted both brows. “You don’t?”
“No. In fact, I’ve learned you can usually tell a person’s title based on how the person closest to them is behaving. And if that doesn’t work, just smile and nod until someone mentions it.”
He blinked at her. “You must be jesting.”
“Not at all. It works. Try it.”
“So, there are people who meet me and have no idea I’m an earl?” he said with a laugh.
“Of course. Like when I met you.”
David nodded. “That’s true. I had nearly forgotten about that.”
She leaned over and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, “May I tell you something else?”
He leaned toward her too. Their lips were inches apart. “Of course.”
“I haven’t prayed since I was a little girl, but I came here directly from the conservatory and I prayed the entire way.”
He furrowed his brow. He had no idea how this conversation was about to unfold, but he was profoundly curious. She seemed almost playful, completely different from the last time he’d seen her only a few hours earlier. “Why were you praying?” he ventured.
“I was praying it wasn’t too late.” Tears sparkled in her eyes.
“Too late for what?”
“To apologize.”
He sucked in his breath.
“David, I’m sorry.” Her voice was low. Contrition was written across her features.
“Sorry? For what?” He searched her face.
“For taking this long to tell you that I do want to marry you. If you’ll still have me, of course.”
“Annabelle, are you certain? I don’t want to force you into it.”
“No. I’m here of my own free will, and I would have come to the realization that I love you much sooner if—”
“What was that?” He felt the blood drain from his face.
She bit her lip and peered at him. “I love you. There. I can say that now. I think I’ve loved you since the moment you were rude to me in the Harrisons’ gardens.”
He chuckled. “Why would you love me for that?”
She shrugged. “I’d never met anyone like you before. I was used to the gentlemen of the ton falling at my feet. I’d never met a man who didn’t give a fig who I was.”
“I didn’t know who you were.”
“Precisely. I suppose I found it irresistible when you told me I was the last lady in London you’d ever court.”
He laughed. “I forgot I said that. I was a fool.”
“No, you weren’t. It was no more than I deserved.” She cleared her throat. “Now, are you going to tell me you love me, too, or must I wait even longer?” Her face was so pretty, so pretty and so vulnerable.
David scrambled off the sofa so quickly he nearly fell off. He got down on one knee in front of her and grabbed both of her hands. “I love you, Annabelle. I didn’t want you to think I only thought I loved you because you were a prize to be won. That’s not it. I love it when your mouth quirks up in that adorable way of yours. I have a funny feeling in my middle whenever you’re here and I miss it when you’re gone.”
“What?” She furrowed her brows.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I do a proper job of asking you to marry me.” David took a deep breath and met her eyes. He squeezed her hands in his. “Annabelle Bellham, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
More tears pooled in her ice-blue eyes. “Yes, David Ellsworth. I will.”
He leaned up to kiss her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m going to learn how to be the best earl in the country. Believe me. I’ll make you proud.”
When they’d both settled back into their seats, still holding hands, Annabelle said to him, “Don’t you understand, David? You don’t need to be the best earl in the country. You’re already the best Earl of Elmwood and that’s all you need to be.”
“How am I the best Earl of Elmwood? I know nothing about the title.”
“You don’t have to know anything. That’s just it. It was clearly in the Elmwood bloodline for your father to abandon the title and it’s in you to take it back up. For all you know, our son will want to escape to Brighton and marry a commoner.”
David’s jaw dropped. “Our son? But I thought you said—?”
“I know what I said.” She shook her head. “And I was wrong. I’ve been afraid of the demons in my past for far too long. I know you’d never raise a hand to me, or our children, David.”
David met her gaze with a tentative stare. “Bell told me…”
“I know. He’s a good brother, Beau Bellham. I love him very much. It was shortsighted of me to think that you weren’t as good a man as Beau is. I know for certain Beau would never hurt me, or Marianne, or anyone, for that matter.”
“That’s true,” David said with a nod. “I promise I will never raise a hand to you, Annabelle. And if you’d like me to give up drinking, I will.”
Annabelle shook her head. “No. You don’t have to do that. Beau has made the choice to do that, but I don’t want to be a prisoner to my father’s poor decisions. I want to be free, David. Free from the monsters in my memory. I told you once that a great deal of the correct behavior in the ton involves pretending. The truth is, I’ve been pretending for years. Pretending I was aloof, instead of admitting I was frightened. Pretending I didn’t care, when I really just wanted someone to love me for myself. I didn’t think that was possible until I met you. I don’t want to pretend anymore, David.”