“Cause a scandal? Yes.” He knew his grin was triumphant, and he did not care. He’d never in his life felt more certain of himself, of his future, of his heart.
Her grip on his hand tightened and her eyes lit with alarm. “Merrick, you do not have to do this.”
“Perhaps not,” he said with a little shrug. “But I want to.” He moved in closer as the people around them began to stop talking and stare at them. He had a suspicion the hostess was staring at him, too, waiting for him to take over as he’d requested.
“You see, my darling Lily…” He tugged her close, far closer than what was proper. “You are not the only one who has learned a thing or two about compromise this week.” His smile grew at her look of confusion. “You were right about me. I changed too much. I was trying so hard to become the kind of person my family wanted me to be, I lost sight of who I am. Who I want to be.” He leaned down closer. “But being with you, I am reminded. I feel like myself with you. I want to be as brave and fearless as I once was. There is a time for propriety and decorum, but there is also a place for independence and strength. There’s a time to conform to society and then…” He glanced toward the ballroom with a grin. “There’s a time to give them the shock of their lives.”
Lily opened her mouth to respond but her mother’s voice beat her to it. “What on earth is going on over here?”
Her voice was hushed but her glare was fierce as she took in how close they were standing and the way he was holding her daughter’s hands.
“Good evening, Mrs. Upton,” he said mildly.
He watched Lily’s lips clamp together to stifle a laugh.
“You and my daughter are causing a scene.”
“We are not,” he said mildly.
“I beg your pardon—”
“Not yet, at least,” he continued.
Mrs. Upton’s brows arched. “What does that mean?”
He glazed at Lily who looked like she might burst out in inappropriately loud laughter at any moment. “It means that I fully intend to stand before you, Lily, God, and this entire room full of party guests and declare my love for your daughter.”
Mrs. Upton’s mouth opened but no sound came out.
“I, of course, will ask her to marry me…” He cast Lily a sidelong glance. “Again. And this time I suspect I will receive a more satisfying answer.”
Lily nodded quickly. “Yes. Oh yes.”
He laughed. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I have not asked you yet.” He tipped his head toward the space in the center of the dance floor that was clearing for him and his announcement. “When I do, it will be in front of everyone, and every last person here will know that the reason I am proposing to Miss Laura Upton is because she stole my heart.”
Lily’s eyes welled with tears and her smile grew wobbly.
He glanced back at a still-shocked Mrs. Upton. “That is, if I still have the approval of Lily’s mother and father.”
Mrs. Upton blinked and then cleared her throat. “Yes. Yes, of course.” She waved a hand toward the dance floor with impatience. “Carry on.”
He winked at Lily and went to leave.
Lily grasped his arm one last time. “You don’t have to do this, not for me. I know the kind of man you are and you are perfect just as you are. You do not have to prove anything.”
“I appreciate you saying that Lily, but this…” He gestured toward the crowd that had turned to watch them. “This is happening.”
He strode toward the center of the room, but not before hearing Lily’s parting shot. “And he calls me stubborn.”
He laughed. Perhaps they were both stubborn. Yet they were both also learning how to compromise. How to meet one another halfway.
But for now, for this one night...he could not wait to cause a stir. Thoughts of his family and their wishes barely entered his consciousness. He would do right by his family to the extent that was possible, but his first concern was for the woman he loved. He wanted nothing more than to keep her happy and safe and make sure she knew how loved she was every second of every day.
His second concern was to find happiness of his own. And having Lily in his life was that happiness.
For the first time in a long time, his priorities were straight…and it was all thanks to one woman.
“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for giving me your time and attention.”
His grin never faltered in the face of the stares and the whispers.
“You may be aware of some rumors that have been swirling about Miss Upton and myself.” He met Lily’s gaze and winked. “They are true. Each and every one of them. I’m sure you heard how she caught my fancy years ago and how I fell out of her good graces. I know my friends have noticed that from the moment I arrived at this party, I could not take my eyes off the bewitchingly lovely young lady with the heart of gold and temper as fiery as her hair.”
Some giggles and chuckles filtered through the crowd as couples exchanged glances and friends whispered in one another’s ears.
“What you may not know is that I asked her to marry me once and she declined.” He took a deep breath and saw Lily bite her lip, her cheeks a pretty pink as every eye in this room flickered between him and her. “She declined because she was not certain my feelings were true, but I am here to tell her...and to tell all of you...just how certain I am that Miss Laura Upton is the woman who ought to be at my side. Always.”
He caught sight of Abigail scowling, of Griff and Daisy watching with hopeful smiles, of Marigold peeking out from behind a fern of her own with a wistful smile.
“There is no one who knows me as well as she, no one who challenges me, or makes me laugh as much as she. There is no one who ever has or ever will rule my heart like she does.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd and more than one young lady sighed.
“So I ask you all to say a prayer for me as I lay my future in her hands once more.” He dropped down to one knee. “Miss Laura Upton—Lily—will you marry me?”
The short silence that followed was heavy with tension before Lily burst into a run to cross to him.
He rose just in time to catch her up into his arms.
“Yes,” she said through her tears. “Yes, yes, of course, yes.”
The crowd cheered as he kissed her, swinging her up into his arms where she belonged.
“I cannot believe you did that,” she whispered when she pulled back for air.
“Believe it,” he said with a laugh. “I will make a fool of myself a million times over if it means making you smile.”
“There’s no need for that.” She laughed softly. “You make me happy just by being you.”
His arms wrapped around her tighter. “So it is official then,” he marveled. “You will be my wife. We will be a family.”
She grinned up at him, a familiar glint of mischief in her eyes. “Let’s do this.”
Epilogue
Three months later...
Lily stood next to the carriage, the closed doors of the church making her shift impatiently. What was taking so long?
A veil covered her face and she clutched a bouquet of flowers in her hand.