“I was thinking about you the whole time,” James told her. “My mother can be very difficult when she puts her mind on it.”
“That sounds right,” Jane answered him. “You should tell me if I can help in some way.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise for you, but if you really want to help…” his voice trailed off, and Jane turned towards him to see his expression, only to tangle her foot into a fallen branch and fall on the ground. “Jane what are you doing?” James asked, surprised and confused.
“The branch… I didn’t see it,” Jane explained and raised her hand for him to help her to get up. As if waking from a dream, James quickly helped her stand up and clean the snow and leaves from her dress.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, trembling at the soft brush of his fingers against hers. “I was a little clumsy.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” James asked, looking worried.
“No, I am fine.”
James watched her for a while in silence and then said, “I am glad, but it is also nice to return home to someone that loves you,” the gentleman argued, looking up at the newly clothed in green trees. “Nature here is magnificent.”
“Yes, I like walking to the lake, but during the winter, it is difficult because the road gets flooded and slippery,” she explained, pointing at the numerous small springs that ran towards the lake. “My father made me promise never to walk here alone unless it is summer and the ground is dry.”
“Your parents care very much about you, Miss Jane,” once again, his words were a statement and not a question, confusing her and making it difficult to find an answer.
“They do,” she nodded. “My parents love all three of their children.”
“My mother loves me too, and what she did, she did it because of that love. I am sorry if she hurt you in the process.” James continued. “But she has changed her mind now.”
“I am glad that we were given some time alone,” he spoke again when they arrived at a particularly beautiful spot. “I need to ask for your permission to speak openly to you.”
Jane looked up at him and noticed how unsettled he looked right then. His eyes didn’t dare to look into hers, and there was some kind of twitch on his lips. Marquess James Bunting had lost a lot of his determination and decisiveness and right then seemed a lot like an insecure boy.
“Yes,” Jane said softly. “You can speak…”
“Miss Jane,” the gentleman hurried to say, his eyes looking at the lake and his hands folded behind his back. “In the short time I have known you, I have come to admire and love you as I have never before respected and loved anyone else. I will understand if there is someone else you love, but I had to tell you about my feelings, because if there is the minimal chance for you to feel the same, I have to take it.”
His words were an answer to all her prayers, and he was offering her what she had always wanted, and yet, she wasn’t prepared.
“Thank you for your regard, my Lord,” she said so softly that the Marquess had to lean down to hear her. “But I cannot talk about feelings before I have made you aware of my family precarious financial situation. My father, the Baron, has little money, and I have little to no dowry to offer to a suitor.”
“Thank you, madam, for being so honest with me, but, although there was a time when that would have mattered to me, right now, I don’t care about dowry,” the Marquis admitted. “Will you let me explain?” he asked when Jane was ready to disagree with him. “When I joined the Army, I had only the proud name of my father with me. I worked a lot and fought against the world’s injustices for many years in order to return home able to help my parents and to provide for myself and my future family.”
The gentleman turned towards her and for the first time took her hand in his to hold it up. “Miss Roberts, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I have come to love you because you are so different from all the other women I know. You have courage and determination in you. I have seen you act and talk to other people, and I liked what I saw. In you, I can see a lot of myself, Miss Jane.”
“I want nothing more than to say yes, my Lord,” Jane admitted, her eyes fixed on the way he was holding her hand. “But I need to discuss the matter with my family. Do not mistake my words for hesitation, because I can honestly say that I have admired you since the moment we first met. And that is why I want us to be sure that we both want this.” She wanted to add that she also loved him and that there was nothing in the world she wanted more than to marry him, but her old fears of abandonment stopped her. Jane still felt as if she was walking in a dream, a dream that could end in disaster.
“Promise me only that whatever you decide, you will say it to me,” the Marquess asked, his eyes pleading with her. “I cannot imagine losing you because of something as trivial as money. Believe me, I have looked long and hard for someone like you. And to prove to you how serious I am, please, my Lady, accept this ring as a proof of my dedication to you.”
Jane smiled shyly at his compliment, her eyes looking down and then right away darting back up. The Marquis returned her smile and offered his hand so that they could climb the steep shore and return to the woods. Jane leaned against him, accepting his help and making him smile again. She had already decided not to mention anything about the proposal to her parents, needing some time to think about it by herself first.
On the way back to the house, they were joined by Emma, and the Marquess told them stories about his travels, and Jane visibly relaxed in his presence, to the point of asking questions about the continent, the maps they were using, and the indigenous people they met. Too soon, however, he was saying goodbye and hurried down the road towards his home, leaving Jane and her sister at the house door.
Moreland House
After a difficult dinner and a sleepless night, Jane came down for breakfast only to find her father and mother standing by the window and reading a letter.
“Good morning,” she called from the door. “Did something happened?”
“Nothing bad, dear,” the Baroness hurried to explain. “Just something strange. Your father just received a letter that informs him that all his debts have been paid and that he doesn’t own anything to anyone anymore.” Her voice was full of excitement and Jane noticed that the Baroness barely managed to stay in her seat.
“I don’t know how to explain this, as I haven’t been able to pay the creditors in a long time.” The Baron shook his head before sitting on the table, the letter still in his hand. Her mother couldn’t stay still anymore and jumped up from the table, rambling about mysterious benefactors, wealthy suitors for Jane, and proper dowry. Jane smiled at her reaction and noticed that even her father looked happy and content.
“But this is a good thing, isn’t it?” Jane asked, already having an idea who the benefactor could be. “I mean that you were afraid that they might take from us even the cottage, and now we have at least our home.”
“You are right, Jane, but I would like to know who I should be thanking for this gesture,” her father said. “Whoever bought my debts is not asking for me to repay them, and I want to know why.”
The rest of their breakfast went on the same way, and Jane had the time to reconsider what had actually happened. Only twenty-four hours ago she had told the Marquess about her family’s financial problems, and now everything had been fixed, and her father could finally relax. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the one saving her family.
Jane considered telling her parents about him, but then decided against it, as she still needed time to think about his proposition. She spent the rest of the day writing a letter to Charlotte and talking to Emma, asking them for advice on what to do next. Her description of the proposal was more detailed than emotional, but both Charlotte and Emma, understood the hidden meaning behind the words and encouraged her to think about her happiness.
Charlotte’s words had been vigorous and full of meaning, and Jane continued to replay them in her mind, “Dear Jane,” she
wrote, “I love you and I want to see you happy. So, please, fight for your happiness.”
It was almost a week since the Marquess proposed to her and finally, Jane decided that it was time to talk to her parents. Over dinner that night, she asked if they could talk about something important and prepared for one of the most difficult conversations in her life. Jane wasn’t afraid that her parents were going to be disappointed in her. On the contrary, she was sure that they would be happy for her, but she was going to go against everything she had told them in the past.
“What is it, dear?” the Baroness asked, her voice full of concern, although, she was still so happy with the news of the paid up debts.
“Last week Marquess James Bunting asked for my hand in marriage,” Jane said the words quickly, wanting to get it over with. Her parents, however, were so surprised by her news that neither of them said anything for a long time.
“I didn’t say yes, not without your blessing, but now, after I have had time to think about it, I believe that he is the right person for me.”
“Oh, Jane, I am so happy for you,” the Baroness stood up and went to give her a hug, her eyes filled with tears. “Why didn’t you tell us? How did he propose? Why did you keep it a secret for so long? Do you have any idea what this means for you? Now you will be accepted by society. Why did you need to think about it?”
“His proposition was such a surprise, Mother,” Jane admitted, “But after thinking about it, I decided that what I want is to marry him.”
“Is he the one who paid my debts?” The Baron asked before her mother could start again with the questions.
“I believe that he did, Father,” Jane admitted. “I told him about our financial troubles.”
“But he didn’t pay them so that I would agree to your marriage, did he?” the Baron asked again, his face stern, but his lips turned up in a soft smile.
“No, Father, the Marquess told me that money is not a problem to him and that his only reason for asking for my hand in marriage is the fact that he loves me.” Jane stood up from the table and went to kneel beside her father. “Please, I love him too.”
“I don’t know how I am feeling right now, or if I should be grateful or feel offended by his actions, but if he truly loves you, I am not going to stand in the way of your happiness,” her father caressed her head. “You know that I want what is best for you, Jane.”
That evening the three of them discussed her future and the Baroness couldn’t help pointing out that Jane was never going to be short of money or in need of protection again, although, even according to her the important thing was that he loved her. Both her parents were happy to see her married so well and to a man they both respected.
Jane used the night to write a short letter to the Marquess, inviting him to come to their house the next day and barely concealing how happy she was. Early the next morning, the Marquess came as expected and spent almost an hour with her father in the library, leaving her worried and anxious to know what was going on behind the closed door.
But then the door of the library opened, and the Marquis came out smiling and happy, followed by her father, who also looked content.
“My dear Jane, your father just gave us his blessing to marry, and I cannot tell you how happy that makes me feel,” the gentleman took her hand and kissed it gently, his eyes sparkling with joy.
Jane smiled at him, but before she could say anything her mother suggested that they take a walk in the garden. “That is a great idea. Thank you, Baroness,” James said, and Jane put her hand in his, letting him escort her out.
“You did so much for my family even before I said yes,” she spoke when they were alone.
“I didn’t do it for your family,” the man disagreed. “I did it all for you.”
“You make it so easy for me to love you,” she said, looking at him.
“I love you too…”
And the day came, sunny and filled with joy for everyone around them. The ceremony was performed in the little town’s church by the local pastor, and everyone Jane knew and loved was present to witness their love.
It was a beautiful ceremony, as her mother kept saying, but what mattered to Jane was the fact that the man holding her hand and putting a ring on her finger was the man she loved. Marquess James Bunting had proven to be an even better man than she had expected. His love for her was pure and full of promise for even bigger happiness, something that Jane had only dreamed of before meeting him.
And that was it; the dark Marquess had given her everything – love, future, happiness, family…
He had taught her that sometimes the hardest choices in life are the ones worth making and that marriage could be more than just a contract of mutual convenience. Jane remembered her dreams of finding love and her thoughts that it could never happen, not when she had nothing to offer to a man. And yet, she had been given the perfect gentleman, who saw beyond her old gowns and poor family, and learned to love her free spirit and good heart.
James had arranged for them to visit France for their honeymoon, fulfilling another one of her dreams and making her the happiest woman on earth…
28
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“Miss Emma Roberts, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THE MOST HONOURABLE MAN
“But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way.”
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
Moreland House
A few days later, after an entire day of thinking about it, and a sleepless night, Francis saddled his horse, Dusty, and headed towards Emma’s house. It had been a difficult decision to make, but in the end, he had decided – Francis Turner was going to ask Emma Roberts to become his wife.
His father had already given Francis his blessing, and now the most difficult task was to be accomplished. Although he was sure of his own feelings, Francis still doubted Emma’s emotional state and feared what her reaction might be.
To him, everything had become clear the moment his lips had touched Emma’s. He was in love with her, or better, he had always been in love with her. That was the reason why it was so easy for him to make the decision to ask Emma to become his wife.
And yet, he was nervous because of the mere fact that he had nothing to offer her apart from his love. To some extent, Francis felt like he was using her just like Jonathan Green had done before. Both of them were poor and in desperate need of money to settle their debts. The difference was that the Captain had lied to her, while Francis had been honest from the start. Emma was well aware of his financial problems, and if the fact that he was poor was an obstacle for her, he preferred to learn it right away.
Because of all that insecurity, Francis took the long way to the Moreland House, using the extra time and the cold air to clear his mind. When he arrived at the house, Francis asked for the Baron, deciding to do everything according to tradition.
The butler brought him to the Baron’s study, and Francis felt speechless for a few minutes. The older gentleman let him take his time and after inviting him to sit down, let him relax. Francis was grateful for the understanding and accepted the cup of tea with a thankful smile.
“My Lord,” Francis started, probably the most awkward conversation in his life. “I have known your family and your daughters since I was a child. My relationship with your youngest daughter, Emma, has always been a special one and after the events of the last few days, I realized that she means the world to me.”
Francis paused at that, giving Lord Roberts the opportunity to stop him if what he was saying was not welcomed. The Baron, however, only smiled encouragingly at him and waited for him to continue.
“Because of that unique feeling, I came here to ask for the hand of your daughter in marriage. But before you
give me any answer, I have to remind you that at this moment, I don’t have a lot to offer to Emma. You already know about my financial difficulties, but my feelings for Miss Emma are real, and I promise to make her the happiest woman in the world.”
“Viscount Francis Turner,” Emma’s father said solemnly. “You are right, I have known you since you were a young boy, and I have always seen you as a part of our family. I do not care about your financial difficulties, and if my daughter feels the same, then I will be proud to have you as my son-in-law.”
That was more than he had expected and Francis felt a lot better when he headed towards the sitting room, where Emma Roberts was waiting for him. The Baron and the Baroness had given him their blessing and now the only thing between him and his happiness was Emma’s answer to his offer.
The lady who held his heart in her hands was waiting for him in the small sitting room. She was waiting patiently for him, and Francis wondered if she already knew what this all was about. However, when he looked at her, all worries disappeared, and all he could think about was that he was in the same room Emma was in and that she was smiling at him.
Emma could not help smile at Francis’ apparent tension. To her, he looked perfect in his riding clothes and she loved the way his hair was still messed up by the wind. Emma could imagine what had been happening in her home for the last few hours. Actually, she was in the garden when Francis arrived and had expected him to come and look for her. When that did not happen, Emma asked the butler what was going on, and he told her that the Viscount was talking to her father.
Now, Francis was standing in front of her, seeming all worried and Emma wanted so much to help him. Her mother had already mentioned the reason for the Viscount’s visit, but Emma wanted to hear it from him.
“Emma,” the young gentleman greeted her with a bow.
Regency Romance: To Love A Viscount (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 16
