‘The thing is... Well, you see... You can’t go back to London. Or anywhere. Despite your bravery and your clever wielding of a needle, you have been compromised... And now I am making a total hash of my proposal...’
‘Your what?’
Wick decided that he should kneel. Dropping to one knee, he said, ‘Louisa, will you do me the honour of accepting my hand in marriage?’
Chapter Thirty-Three
Louisa’s heart soared at his words. This was the happy ending that she had dared not even hope for. Wick was asking her to marry him! This handsome man whom she loved with all her heart. She would be a true member of the crazy and entirely loveable Stringham family. She and Mantheria would be real sisters. Her trustees would release her inheritance upon her marriage and she would pay back her dear friend, whose loveless marriage was ending.
Except...
Wick hadn’t mentioned love.
He’d praised her bravery and her cleverness, but that wasn’t enough. She had seen with her own two eyes the misery of being married to a person who didn’t love you. She would rather live with the Rockinghams again than marry Wick without love.
‘Dear friend, please stand up,’ she whispered, not trusting her voice to be steady at a normal tone.
She watched him slowly get to his feet. His eyes were no longer meeting her own. He didn’t wish to marry her. She was just another responsibility that he didn’t want. He was only proposing out of duty, because her reputation had been compromised.
‘Did Mantheria tell you that she is separating from Lord Glastonbury?’
Wick shook his head.
‘She will no longer stay in a loveless marriage,’ Louisa said. ‘And I will not settle for such a match either. I will wait as long as it takes, until I find a sensible, good man who can love me and I can love in return.’
‘But your reputation has been ruined!’
‘My reputation is not as important as my happiness.’ Although speaking the words made Louisa feel as if her heart was breaking into little pieces too small to sew back together.
He finally lifted his eyes to meet hers. ‘I’ve always wanted your happiness.’
Louisa nodded her head, knowing that if she tried to speak she would sob.
She turned and left the room. Like Mantheria, she was learning that independence came at a steep price.
Despite the excellent company of Mantheria and Mary on the way back to London, Louisa couldn’t help but feel solemn. Wick rode beside them on a horse he’d hired from the innkeeper, claiming that the carriage was too full. But Louisa knew the real reason. He was avoiding her.
The carriage stopped first at Lady Glastonbury’s house. Frederica ran out through the front door to meet them. ‘Did you find Louisa?’
She was followed by Helen, Becca, Andrew and Mrs May.
‘I am here,’ Louisa said, leaning her head out of the carriage window.
The Stringham girls pulled her out of the carriage and surrounded her in a hug.
‘I am so glad! I didn’t sleep a wink. I have been worried sick,’ Helen said.
‘Me too,’ Becca echoed.
Louisa felt another pang of regret that they would not be her sisters. Her new family.
Mantheria stepped out of the carriage and picked up her son. Andrew scrunched up his little nose and pointed a chubby finger at his uncle on the horse. ‘You no get ices, Uncle Wick.’
He laughed.
Oh, how she loved that sound.
‘I shall take you tomorrow, Andy. I promise,’ Wick said. ‘But today I need to go to my rooms and freshen up. I smell of horse.’