Forced Offer (19 page)
Authors: Gloria Gay
Tags: #Regency, #General, #Romance, #Historical, #Fiction: Romance, #Fiction
"Dr. Casper said the weight gain was because my metabolism had undergone a change with the illness."
"Too clinical an explanation for the delicate and alluring contour of your cheeks and neck, my darling," said Berrington.
At the word 'darling' Belinda almost gasped, for it triggered in her mind another time, and she suddenly knew that what she had imagined was his voice had in fact been his voice. He had called her darling—again and again.
"Dr. Casper told me about the night I almost died," she said tentatively, for she must know for certain.
"He said he couldn't take credit for bringing me back to life, that the credit went to you. He recounted how you told him I was not going to die when he told you to call the vicar."
"Ah—" said Berrington with a wide smile. "Even Dr. Casper cannot be counted on to keep anything secret."
"Did you? Did you tell him I was not going to die?"
"Yes, I did. Do you think for a moment I would have let you die?"
"Richard," said Belinda leaning toward him, her voice altered, "I must know—does that mean you have a small regard for me, at least?"
"Belinda, my dear, I am afraid it's much more serious than that, else I wouldn't have been in such a misery these past few months."
He leaned over and with little effort slid her along the sofa and clasped her tightly in his arms. His lips came down hard on hers and she gasped as her whole being rushed to him. She had suppressed her love far to long and it now came bounding in a flood of feeling.
"I love you," he said.
Belinda stared at him as he said this and gasped,
"Richard, my love. I have loved you since—"
"Since you were thirteen," said Richard with a wide smile.
"Oh—that Willie!"
"Don't blame him, my dear. He had to tell me, else, stubborn fool that I was, I would have gone on ruining our lives in the mistaken belief that it was Wilbur you loved."
"But I am curious," he added as she nestled in his arms once more with a deep sigh of contentment.
"Where was it that you saw me for the first time—when you were thirteen?"
"It was in the Winterhill woods," said Belinda looking up into his eyes. You had just come back from the war and were out riding your horse. You stopped close to where I was, hidden by some bushes, and took a dip in the stream."
"Oh, I remember that day. And I also remember I didn't go into the water with my clothes on," said Berrington turning to look down into Belinda's eyes with a wicked grin.
"No…"
"So that first night on the road—there was nothing of me you hadn't seen before, eh?" he asked with a laugh.
"No."
"No wonder I thought then you were such a sphinx," he said.
"A sphinx?"
"Yes, unreadable. I went to your bedroom the night I left, you know. I was having second thoughts about leaving. I had an intense longing to have you in my arms again. I was already in love with you, you see, but too much of a fool to realize it.
"You were asleep, and I saw you by the light of the candle on your bedside table. Then I saw a notebook with writing and poems and leafed through them.
"I became enraged when I saw pages and pages of your name written in a perfect imitation of my handwriting, near the end of the notebook.
"I was leaving in the morning, but decided to leave that night. How sorry I am now that I jumped to conclusions."
"My mother borrowed my notebook, I guess," said Belinda, sadness seeping into her voice. "But she is greatly changed, Richard, since my father’s illness. She realizes her behavior was abominable. She has asked me repeatedly if you will allow her to apologize to you. She has already asked for my forgiveness. She told me God took Roselle from her as punishment for her behavior toward me. She is not the same person as before."
"I am glad of that, my love. But don't think I bear a grudge.
"How can I bear a grudge on your mother when, by however means it was brought about, I now have
you
?"
"You came back from London when I was sick."
"Yes. Lady Lawrence wrote me a scandalous letter, distorting your innocent outings with Willie and Penny and advising me to 'put a stop to something the whole countryside is talking about.'
"The surge of jealously I felt made me realize for the first time how much I cared for you."
"Then I don't suppose
I
should bear a grudge on Lady Lawrence, either," said Belinda grinning happily, "if she was the means to bring you back."
"Well,
that
meddler is not getting an invitation to Winterhill anytime soon, I am well aware of how she treated you while I was away," exclaimed Lord Berrington.
He got up, took Belinda easily in his arms and opening the door with her in his arms went up the stairs toward the bedroom.
As they entered he placed her on the elegant bed in the large, luxuriously appointed bedroom and looked deeply into her eyes.
"It's not as wonderful as The Blue Teal Inn, is it?" he asked.
"Nor The Black Horse," Belinda provided.
"And not even close to The King's Sword," said Berrington.
They laughed as they reached hungrily for each other.
The End