Page 110 of A Misguided Devotion

He loved her. Just for a moment, nothing else mattered. The time for cowardice was over. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

William had not seen that coming. The kiss was light and sweet and far too brief, but it fired his desire for a life with Kitty. Please, God. Save us.

She raised a hand to stroke his cheek and brushed away strands of wet hair from his face, gazing up at him in wonder.

“Could we…do that again?” she asked, a blush so deep colouring her cheeks that it was visible even in the gloom.

William needed no further invitation. Drawing her closer to his chest, he lowered his mouth to hers and claimed her lips with his own before she could say another word. This time the kiss was slower, deeper, touching every part of him that had been chilled by the water.

He pulled away, somewhat breathless, and rubbed noses with her. “I love you, Kitty.”

“I love you too.”

How he had waited to hear those words. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

A giggle escaped Kitty’s lips. What in heaven’s name did she find so amusing about his proposal?

“We are facing the prospect of a watery grave, and you wish to talk about marriage?”

“Why not? We might not get another opportunity. We cannot choose how long or short a time we have on this earth, only how we spend it. I don’t want to waste any of the precious moments that remain. I’ve wasted too many already. When I drove away from Rufus House and saw Mr Barrington standing next to you, with his hand on your arm, it hurt. Especially after you had refused my help. You seemed so convinced I would change my mind that I feared you would marry him instead.”

Kitty gave an unladylike snort. “No chance of that. Why do you think I’m here? Because I rejected his offer of marriage. As my husband, Hugh planned to extort money from the Duke to keep the scandal of my father’s birth quiet. As if I would ever be party to such a thing! But despite that, you should be grateful to him.”

“Grateful? To that traitor who stranded us here?”

“I would be dead already if he hadn’t stepped in.”

William’s heart squeezed so tight he thought he would suffocate. “What happened?”

“The French officer Hugh was sheltering in the butler’s pantry held a pistol to my head.”

He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. “My poor darling.”

“Blake bundled me on board the boat carrying the Frenchman to freedom and then left me here on Hugh’s orders, presumably to frighten me into submission.”

“I don’t suppose he reckoned on having me in the equation. But the woman I love was in danger. I couldn’t stay away.”

“Do you think we’re going to drown?” She had spoken of having a gun pointed at her without a tremor, but now her voice wobbled with fear.

“Only God knows if this day will be our last. I’m afraid I’ve done a poor job of rescuing you. Anthony rode to Portland with me and will go for help when I don’t return, but he won’t know we’ve been marooned in Cave Hole.”

“Is that where we are?”

He nodded. “There are some higher rocks around the edges of the cavern that we could clamber up, but you saw how the water spurts out of the hole in the ground above us. This chamber must flood for the sea to whoosh through these caves and create that spectacle. If the tide is as high as that, then yes, it is likely we’ll drown unless someone comes to our rescue. We could try to swim for it—”

“Maybe you could, but I’m afraid I can’t swim.”

“Then we’ll stay here. Together. I’m not leaving without you.”

She grasped his hand. “Talk to me. Take my mind off the waves coming in.”

“You still haven’t given me your answer. Will you marry me, Kitty Lacey or Bruce, or whatever name you fancy? Personally, I’d like it to be Merry because you were my wife.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Not this again. Yes, I’m sure.”

“Even though I’m not of your world?”