Page 76 of The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth
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Charlotte considered Elliot’s words.In truth, she was not very tired, but she did want some time alone with him. Would he repeat his proposal?
“Yes, I am feeling a bit weary. Perhaps we should take our leave.”
Elliot stood and pulled out Charlotte’s chair. “If you will excuse us, my lord, my lady, Mrs. Pennyworth and I are making an early night of it.”
“Yes, of course. You do look a bit peaked, my dear.” Lady Monroe smiled fondly at Charlotte. “I will see you both Thursday next for our jaunt to the art museum. I will send around a note with the time we can meet up.”
Once in the carriage, Elliot began, “I would like a few words with you once we arrive at your home, or are you truly feeling fatigued?”
“A bit, but certainly not enough to retire just yet. I could use a sherry to finish out the night.”
Elliot nodded, and Charlotte gazed out at the passing streetlights that appeared in the mist. Elliot seemed so grim. Had he changed his mind about them, and was not looking forward to telling her good-bye?
Once they arrived at her home, they gave their coats to Thomas and made their way to the library. Elliot poured a glass of brandy for himself, and a sherry for Charlotte. He walked toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. He handed her the glass and sat alongside her. After they both took a sip, he removed the glass from her hand, and placed both glasses on the small table in front of the settee.
Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles, then cleared his throat. By the time he began to speak, Charlotte’s heart pounded so hard that she thought, surely, he must hear it.
“Charlotte, I asked you this once before, and I’ve yet to receive an answer. I understand other matters have gotten in the way, and then I was busy catching up on work that I’d been neglecting. But the time has come to be straightforward.”
He went down on one knee and took both of her hands. “I would like to offer you a life as your husband that I promise will not be perfect, but if you agree to become my wife, I will make sure you never want for anything. I am reasonably young, healthy, and earn a good living. I want you more than any woman I’ve ever met, and I intend to be a good, faithful husband. And, I love you.” He tilted his head to one side and smiled a crooked smile. “Will you marry me?”
Tears filled her eyes, and she was finding it hard to breathe. This was what she had hoped he would say, and she was very sure of her answer. “Yes, Elliot. I will marry you. And, I love you, too.”
His crooked smile turned into a grin, giving him a boyish look. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. He slipped it onto her finger and amazingly enough, it fit perfectly. “Can I get up now?”
Charlotte burst out laughing. “Yes, you may rise.”
Elliot stood and pulled her up off the settee and into his arms. His mouth covered hers with a tenderness that soon turned to a burning possession that completely consumed him.
“I want to scoop you up and take you upstairs and make love to you until neither of us can walk, but I do not want my future wife’s reputation sullied. I will have the banns called starting this Sunday, so we can plan on a wedding in three weeks.”
Charlotte laughed at his worry about her reputation. On the other hand, she found it endearing, and knew he was correct. With him no longer needing to recover from his injury, staying at her house all night would be improper. She walked with him to the door and accepted a chaste kiss after Thomas helped Elliot into his coat.
Once he was gone and on his way, Charlotte drifted upstairs, thinking about weddings, flowers, churches, marriage, and a life she never thought to have again once Gabriel had died.
After a good night’s sleep,Charlotte stayed in bed for a while admiring her ring. She finally rose, washed, and dressed for the day. The sun shone brightly, mimicking her mood. Truth be known, she was still concerned about Elliot’s work as an investigator, but hopefully, his law practice, which he admitted was growing, might keep him too busy to take on dangerous assignments.
She broke her fast with a boiled egg, toast, and an orange, then settled behind her desk in the drawing room to take care of correspondence that had piled up. Once that had been completed, she stood and stretched. A walk in the park would be a good idea. It wasn’t often that London had such a bright sunshine day, and she did not want to waste it.
She hurried upstairs and fetched her bonnet and pelisse. She drew on her gloves, tied her bonnet, and descended the stairs.
“Going for a walk, ma’am?” Thomas greeted her as she approached the door.
“Yes, indeed. The weather today is much too fine to stay indoors. Winter is coming, and once it is upon us, we will be stuck indoors more often than not.”
He smiled and bowed slightly as he opened the door. Charlotte stepped out, and something at her feet caught her eye. She glanced down at one of her gloves. How odd, it was indeed her white satin glove, and strangely enough, it was one of the ones that had gone missing a few weeks ago.
She bent to retrieve it, noticing that it felt heavy and stiff. Frowning, she turned it over and examined the open end of it. She dropped it like a hot coal and screamed. Over and over she screamed, and backed up.
“Mrs. Pennyworth, whatever is the matter?” Thomas’s voice cut through her screams. She turned to him and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She felt Thomas grab her around the waist as darkness surrounded her and she slipped to the ground.
