The Sinister Spinster (28 page)

"Elizabeth, my darling." Adam breathed the words in a ragged sigh as he lifted his mouth from hers. "I adore you. Don't go away from me. Please. I could bear anything but to lose you."

His plea brought a sheen of tears to Elizabeth's eyes, and she tightened her arms about his neck. "I won't," she promised softly, clinging to him as tightly as she could. "I'll never leave you. I love you, Adam. I love you."

"And I love you." The admission was made on a groan of need. "Marry me, Elizabeth. Be my wife."

Her legs collapsed as if she had been poleaxed.
"Marry you?"
she repeated, staring up at him in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Of course marry me," he replied, frowning down at her in disapproval. "Didn't I offer to make you my marchioness?"

Elizabeth thought about that for a moment. "Actually," she said, her lips curving in an amused smile, "I believe you commanded it."

He shrugged and kissed her again. "Command, offer, call it what you will, so long as the end result is the same, I don't care. But if it will make you any happier"—and he dropped to one knee, her hand held tightly in his hand.

"Elizabeth," his eyes were eloquent with love as he gazed up at her, "will you be my wife? I love and adore you, and I give you my most solemn word that I will cherish you all the days of my life. Will you marry me?"

The tears Elizabeth had held at bay filled her eyes, and she was unable to blink them all back. "Are you certain?" she asked, knowing it would kill her to marry Adam and then to disappoint him in some way. "Knowing what my father is—"

He rose to his feet to take her in his arms once more. "I don't care what your father is!" he told her fiercely. "I care only what his daughter is! You are a brave, wonderful woman with more honor than any lady I have ever
known. I'd never thought to find anyone like you, and I won't give you up now. I won't! You will marry me, by heaven, if I must cause the greatest scandal to rock this kingdom since Prinny married his second wife!"

His angry words reassured her in a way nothing else could have done, and she pressed another kiss to his lips.

"A scandal isn't necessary, my lord," she said, her heart overflowing as she smiled up at him. "Especially one of such monumental proportions. I'll marry you.

"But," she added, stepping back when he would have swept her into another kiss, "I want it plain that I still mean to be of assistance to Elinore. You are not the only one who can serve his king, you know."

Adam looked far from pleased at her demand. "I don't like it," he declared, every inch the haughty lord.

"I am sure you do not," she returned, accepting his disapproval. "But I promise to take no more chances than you do. Agreed?"

He was quiet a long moment, long enough to make Elizabeth wonder if she had pushed him beyond what he could accept. Yet as much as she loved Adam, she loved her country, and Alexi, if it came to that. She could not sacrifice one for the other. Biting her lip, she held her breath and waited for his reply.

"Agreed," he said at last, his lips curving in a smile so complacent, Elizabeth was instantly suspicious. "And since usually the most dangerous thing I undertake is a speech in front of Parliament, I think I can guarantee we shall both look forward to a long and happy life. Agreed?"

Elizabeth smiled again. "Agreed," she said softly, surrendering to the kiss that was but the first in a lifetime yet to come.

About the Author

A winner of The Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award for Best Regency for her very first novel, Joan Overfield has written 23 Regency Historical Romances. In addition, she has also written two time travel romances: the ground-breaking THE DOOR AJAR and its sequel, TIME'S TAPESTRY. In 2000 Romantic Times Magazine voted THE DOOR AJAR one of the top 100 Romances of all time. Joan has made several bestsellers lists and won numerous awards for her work, including A Career Achievement Award in Regency Romance from Romantic Times magazine.

A life-long Anglophile, Joan uses her degrees in History and English to conduct research in the fascinating and colorful Regency period and has compiled an impressive library. She has also taught numerous workshops on the period and the craft of writing, is a member of the Beau Monde writers group, and is currently working on her newest novel.

Ms. Overfield's sense of romance is deliciously unerring. "-- -- Romantic Times"