“Lady Matterson, I mean. This is her influence, isn’t it? She made you think you had compromised me.”
“Devil a bit. Nothing of the kind.”
“She did, Giff!” Delia thrust away from him, dismay increasing. “I’d almost forgotten it. That night when she summoned us both because the rector told her the truth. And you made some kind of pledge.”
“Delia —”
“No, let me say it, Giff! I’ve tried several times, but somehow never managed to get it out. I can’t bear it if you are forced to this by — by convention and what people may say.”
“You know me better than that, Delia. When have I ever done anything for the sake of convention?”
Her perturbation did not abate. “Don’t pretend, Giff, please! You made Aunt Gertrude believe you would make all right once you had achieved your aim, and now you have, or nearly so, and here you are asking me … asking me…” Her voice failed and she stared at him, aghast. His words replayed in her head and she found no mention of any offer. It burst out of her. “But you haven’t!”
Giff’s brows flew up. “Haven’t what?”
“Asked me!”
“Delia, are you trying to drive me out of my mind? What the deuce are you talking about?”
She drew a shuddering breath. “You’ve not said it, Giff. Are you — are you asking me to marry you?”
He cast up his eyes. “No, I’m asking you to run off with me like my mother ran off with Matt. Idiotic wench! Of course I’m asking you to marry me.”
“Well, you never said so.”
“I should have thought you had sense enough to realise it.”
Delia’s throat tightened and her eyes pricked. Her voice came out a croak. “I haven’t. I’ve no sense at all where you’re concerned. Oh, Giff!”
Consternation warred with amusement in his face and he attempted to gather her into his arms.
Delia held him off, her hands at his chest. “And it’s not because of Lady Matterson?”
“Why? Won’t you marry me if it is?”
“No! Well, yes, I suppose.”
“You suppose?”
“You need not bite my nose off!”
“Then stop being ridiculous!”
“It’s not ridiculous, Giff.” Of a sudden, her eyes filled and her voice turned husky. “I didn’t do what I did to entrap you or be rewarded or force you into being obliged to offer for me.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” His tone had gentled and he captured her hands in his. “You can’t think I’d have said as much to your aunt if I hadn’t made up my mind to have my flower girl at any price days before.”
“Had you? Truly?”
“I can’t imagine how you don’t know it, my darling girl, when you took me to task for telling you not to flirt with Rhoades almost at the outset.”
Her heart squeezed in her chest. “You were jealous?”
“Furiously so.”
She drew a shaky breath and sighed it out. “Yes, you were perfectly idiotic about it.”
“Well, take heed, wench of mine, because I’ll be even more idiotic if I catch you so much as looking at another man!”