Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
33
Tricia said nothing for what seemed like the longest time.
Was she thinking of denying him?
Had he been right in the first place? That her feelings for him were simply a childhood fantasy?
“Sweetheart?”
She smiled, and it was the sweetest, most dazzling smile he’d ever seen. “Thomas, do you mean it?”
“My lovely, I never say anything I don’t mean. I love you, Tricia. I want to marry you. I want you to be my countess.”
“Oh, my darling Thomas, I’ve loved you for so long. But my depth of love has increased a hundredfold since we’ve been here at this party. Just being with you. Getting to know you better. And then… You rescued me… I’d have died last night, Thomas, if—”
He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Let’s not talk of that, sweetheart. I can’t bear the thought of it. But Tricia, my angel…”
“Yes, my darling?”
“You haven’t answered my question. Will you marry me, Tricia?”
She clutched at her chest. “Of course I will, Thomas. I shall marry you. I shall marry you today if you’d like.”
He smiled at her. She was so beautiful, so full of life. And oh, how he loved her.
In his right hand, which had somehow been spared from the fire, he held his mother’s betrothal ring. The seven-carat diamond had been in the Ashford family for several centuries and had been worn by every Countess of Ashford since then.
He held it out to her. “Then wear this ring, Tricia. The ring that was worn by my mother before you, and by my grandmother before her. And you shall be the mother of the next earl.”
Tricia held out her left hand, shaking as Thomas placed the ring on her finger. It was slightly loose.
“It’s a good thing my sister and brother-in-law brought Mr. Lawson with them,” Thomas said. “He will be able to fit the ring, and then I don’t ever want you to take it off.”
Tricia clamped the ring between her middle and small fingers, admiring the sparkling diamond. “I shall never take it off, Thomas. That I can promise you.” Tricia leaned down and then brushed her lips softly over his.
Even in his current state, his cock grew hard. If her mother weren’t right outside the door, he’d—
Well, no chance for that. Probably not until their wedding night.
But he could wait.
Tricia was fine, and he was fine, and they had all the time in the world.
Lady Clementine peeked through the door. “Tricia, I’m sure the earl needs his rest now.”
Tricia jumped off the bed, showing her mother her left hand. “Look, Mummy. Thomas and I are going to be married! I have my heart’s desire.”
Lady Clementine smiled. “Congratulations to both of you. I hope you’re as happy as Colton and I were.”
“We shall be, Mummy. I just know it. Did you know about this?”
She nodded. “Thomas spoke to Cam earlier this morning.”
Tricia turned back to Thomas. “You said you needed to see me before you saw anyone else.”
“A little white lie, my love.” He winked at her. “I needed your brother’s blessing. But you were the one I wanted most in the world to see.”
“We should take our leave now,” Lady Clementine said again. “The earl really must rest.”
Tricia went back to his bedside once more, kissed his cheek. “I love you so very much, my Thomas.”
“And I love you too, sweetheart. I shall see you later.”
“You absolutely shall.”
Once Lady Clementine and Tricia left his chamber, Thomas rang for Longbottom.
“Yes, my Lord,” the valet said.
“Summon my cousin, Jonathan Jameson,” Thomas said. “Along with Viscount Polk and Lord Victor.”
“Of course, at once, my Lord.”
The Polks and Jonathan had started the fire in Thomas’s study to destroy his father’s journal.
They were going to pay.
34
Tricia wanted desperately to see Cameron and show off her betrothal ring, but Lady Clementine insisted she head back to bed as well.
“You’ve been through a lot, my dear,” her mother said. “The earl needs his rest, but you do as well. I shall have Trudy bring you your breakfast in bed.”
“Mummy, I feel absolutely fine.” Indeed, her words were not a lie. Tricia was walking on air. She would marry the man of her dreams—the man she’d worshiped from afar for the last four years.
And indeed, her feelings had grown only deeper.
Getting to know Thomas, seeing his strength, his passion…
She would be his perfect wife.
Trudy helped her out of her garments and back into her chemise and bloomers, and she got into bed.
As a yawn split her face and she recovered from yet another coughing fit, she realized her mother was right. Exhaustion still weighed upon her, and sleeping away the morning sounded like a fine idea.
Besides, she was wearing Thomas’s betrothal ring. A few hours of sleep would not change any of that.
A few moments later, Trudy returned with a light breakfast. A pot of morning tea, a scone and clotted cream, and two poached eggs with a slice of ham. Tricia inhaled it and realized she had been quite famished. She hadn’t eaten anything at the ball last night, and she’d eaten lightly at dinner.