She angled her chin proudly. “Very well. If you insist.
I’ve come to invite you to my wedding.”
He shook his head sadly. “That I cannot do, my
love.”
“But it shall be the talk of London. I want you there.
Desperately.”
He gazed out to the sea. “I never thought you to be
cruel, Tess. I can deny you nothing. But please don’t
ask this of me.”
“But if you’re not there, my dear, dear Leo, then
however shall I marry you?
She watched as the shock of her words rippled
over his beloved features.
“Me? But you always said no when I asked for your
hand.”
“I was a foolish woman. Lynnford was the love of my
youth. And as we have talked these many weeks as
we’ve not been able to talk in years, so we
discovered that neither of us is the person that each
of us fell in love with. We were holding onto someone
who no longer exists.” She took a tentative step
toward him. “You love me as I am now. And I shall love
you always. Marry me, Leo. For God’s sake, marry
me.

Autor: Lorraine Heath