Chapter Twelve

L yric smiled indulgently at Lord Tillings. He was a fine-looking gentleman, but more than a bit socially awkward. She had watched him come into his own, however, this week in the company of good men and was thrilled that the blossoming relationship the viscount had formed with Miss Bancroft would now come to fruition in marriage.

She glanced to the young woman, one who had been overlooked by so many in the ton . Yet now, Miss Bancroft grew quite pretty as she smiled radiantly at her intended.

Lord Tillings moved to stand before her, saying, "I should have offered for you privately, Miss Bancroft, but I got carried away. You are all that I can think about, and I am already richer for having known you. Might I accompany you to Somerset at the conclusion of this house party so that I may speak with your father and ask for your hand in marriage?"

"That will not be necessary," declared the elder Miss Bancroft. "She is of age. Her father and I hoped something would come of this house party. Go ahead, girl. Speak up. Let Lord Tillings know where you stand."

Miss Bancroft looked up adoringly at the viscount. "I would be honored to become your wife, my lord."

He took her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing her fingers fervently. "You have made me the happiest of men, Miss Bancroft. I do wish to travel with you and your aunt home, however. I need to meet your father, and I assume you would like to be wed in your home parish."

Lord Tillings looked out at the room, zeroing in on his host. "Forgive me, Your Grace, for interrupting your announcement. I was caught up in the moment and my feelings for Miss Bancroft."

James smiled broadly at the viscount. "No apology is necessary, my lord. My duchess and I wish you the very best in your marriage to Miss Bancroft." He paused. "Back to my original announcement."

Laughter filled the room, and Lyric braced herself for the two betrothal announcements to come.

"First, I would like to share the good news that Lord Motley has asked Lady Lida to be his wife. Lord and Lady Crowell have given their full blessing to the match."

"Congratulations!" several people said enthusiastically, and Lord Motley took Lady Lida's hand, saying, "I have known the high of highs and the low of lows in my life. It is no secret about the tragedy I suffered in losing my wife all too soon. I have found someone special, though, in Lady Lida. She has accepted not only me—but Viola. Already, my daughter loves Lady Lida. I look forward to the life we will share together."

"Do you have a wedding date in mind?" Aunt Dinah asked the pair.

"We are eager to start our lives together," Lady Lida replied. "We have decided to wed in town with the use of a special license once the house party comes to its conclusion."

Lord Lamkin cleared his throat, and Lyric knew what was coming.

"I did not know I would be doing so this evening, but Lord Tillings' sudden proposal to Miss Bancroft has inspired me," the earl began. "Especially with Lord and Lady Crowell being present and having acted as Miss Markle's guardians all these years, I would like to ask their permission to wed their niece."

The earl and countess looked mightily pleased, and Lord Crowell said, "It would be wonderful to welcome you into our family, Lord Lamkin, along with Lord Motley and Lady Viola."

All eyes turned to Miss Markle, who beamed at the earl. "I would be delighted to become your wife, my lord."

"My mother will be pleased that I am finally settling down," Lord Lamkin said. "I cannot wait for Mama to meet you, Miss Markle. She will know with one look at my face how happy you have made me."

She swallowed painfully, all the betrothal announcements happy and yet distressing to her. Steeling herself for the final one of the evening, she concentrated on being excited for her twin after the rocky road Allegra and Sterling had traveled.

"This evening is full of surprises," James said. "We do, however, have one last bit of good news to share with everyone. Lord Carroll has proposed to my cousin Allegra, and we could not be happier to welcome him into our family."

Several gasps echoed throughout the room, and Lyric knew it was a surprise to many that such a known rogue was finally entering into marriage.

"I came to this house party a cynical rake," Sterling began. "In fact, I even questioned Mrs. Andrews here as to why she had invited me to Shadowcrest. My blackened reputation did not make me the ideal house party guest."

Sterling turned to Allegra and captured her hands in his, raising them slowly to his lips and brushing them across his fingers.

"I had yet to know what would hit me. A force of nature so great that she shook my world. Changed it permanently, in fact. There is no one I would rather wish to wed and spend a lifetime together than my feisty, beautiful Allegra. She has redeemed me in ways unimaginable. I suddenly find myself marrying into a loving family, looking forward to the many children we will add to the nursery at Carrollwood."

Several of the women sighed at the earl's words, Lyric among them. She had never seen her sister happier than in this moment, and she looked forward to being a doting aunt to the children the pair would produce.

"Shall we celebrate with champagne?" called James.

Immediately, the footmen distributed flutes about the room to each guest. Lyric accepted one, gripping the stem, her throat so tight she worried she would not be able to get the liquid down.

Her gaze met Allegra's, and she saw tears of joy in her twin's eyes. Despite the emotional upheaval Allegra had endured, Lyric was certain everything had been worth it to arrive at this moment. Her sister loved—and was loved, in return.

James raised his glass high. "We toast these four couples who have made the decision to go on life's most incredible journey together. May they find love and lasting joy throughout the years. To the happy couples!"

"To the happy couples!" the room echoed, the guests' glasses held high.

Lyric brought the flute to her lips, wetting them. Swallowing proved to be impossible because her throat was now almost swollen shut with unshed tears. Still, she must put on a brave front for the sake of Allegra and the other three brides-to-be.

She knew a heart could not literally break, but hers lay heavy within her chest. She had thought she would be one of the women being toasted by the end of this house party, which still had days to go. Now, all she wished was for the guests to depart and allow her to escape into sleep.

*

Silas turned his gaze to Lyric, standing there so stoically, when he knew her heart was breaking.

And he had been the one to shatter it.

All these happy couples had come out of the house party held in the sisters' honor. Lyric was the only woman who had not received an offer of marriage.

Their gazes met, and he saw the tears swimming in her eyes, tears he had put there due to his selfishness.

Why couldn't he say the words? Why couldn't he express to her how he felt?

If he didn't now, he would lose her forever. Somewhere down the line, a gentleman would see the jewel she was. That man would sweep Lyric off her feet and love her completely.

While Silas rotted at Chase Oaks, swimming in regret.

He wondered what Uncle Oscar would think of him now. Silas was behaving badly, ruining his own life and making Lyric miserable.

Could he summon the courage to voice his true feelings?

He stood on a precipice. He might fail utterly if he spoke now, Lyric rejecting him for good. Yet if he didn't, he would live the rest of his life in regret. Silas might not believe he was good enough for Lyric at this moment, but if she gave him the chance, he knew he could grow to become the man she needed.

The man he wanted to be. For himself.

For her . . .

Clearing his throat, he loudly said, "Excuse me."

That got the attention of everyone in the drawing room. So many pairs of eyes upon him. Sweat beaded along his hairline, but he plunged ahead. Because he did love Lyric more than he'd ever thought possible.

And he had to tell her—before he lost her.

"Many of you in this room know my reputation, that of a rogue," he began, gazing out across those gathered in the drawing room. "I will openly admit that I have sown more wild oats than any man present. Except for Lord Carroll, of course."

Nervous laughter sounded. Silas couldn't yet meet Lyric's eyes, though he knew she bore a hole through him now.

"My parents had the typical ton marriage, arranged by their parents, with no say in the matter. They did their duty. My father sired his heir. He and my mother led their own separate lives, promptly forgetting about me. I was the son who was supposed to bring the family together."

Silas swallowed painfully. "Instead, I was ignored my entire life. I never knew the love of a parent. I sought attention from others. Craved it, in fact, when what I was seeking all along was love. I never recognized it, though. I truly did not believe in its existence."

He looked directly at Lyric now. "And when it happened finally, I was too blind to see it for what it was. Even when I realized what had struck me, I couldn't make the final commitment to the woman I loved."

Audible gasps sounded as he walked toward Lyric. She had gone white and visibly trembled.

Taking her hands, he said to her, "My parents, the people who should have loved me the most, never did. I thought if they couldn't, how could anyone else? I never felt worthy of anyone, Lyric. Least of all you."

His fingers squeezed hers. "Yet you loved me. Openly and unconditionally. Because you have known love with these Strongs surrounding you. Your family has been a guiding light and shining example to you of what the power of love can do. You have seen your cousins—even your aunt—wed for love. You wanted a love match for yourself, but I was too stubborn to recognize or even admit that I loved you, Lyric."

Silas dropped to his knees before her, still holding her hands.

"When my uncle died, I promised myself I would be a better man, the one he always thought I could be. Uncle Oscar wanted me to find a wife. To find love. He longed for me to have children of my own and hold them dearly. From the moment I arrived at Shadowcrest and stepped from the carriage and caught sight of you, I loved you, Lyric. I truly did."

He paused, pressing a solemn kiss to each palm.

"At first, it was a physical attraction, but soon I was attracted to you emotionally. I told you that I cared for you. That I would be faithful to you. But you needed words I had never said. Words I was too bloody frightened to utter."

He smiled at her, tears misting his own eyes now. "I have been a fool, my darling. I do love you. I love you so much it hurts. I think that is what caused me to be so afraid. I also understood you would settle for nothing except a love match, as those in your family have made. I did not believe I was a good enough man to be your husband, and perhaps that is why I could not speak those powerful three words."

Swallowing the emotion building in his throat, he told her "I understand now that a life without you would be no life at all. But it is not for me to judge if I am the right man for you. You are the only one who can determine that. If we are to have a future, you must be the one who speaks now."

Silas took in the face of the woman he would forever love. "My heart has spoken, and I have voiced what is in it. I want you as my wife, Lyric, and I will tell—show you—each and every day how much I do love you if you will give me the chance. I will cherish you. I want to build a life with you. I want us to have children and spend so much time in the nursery that the nursery governess will chase us from it. I want to hold you in my arms when we go to sleep at night and still be holding you when we awake each morning."

Pausing, he saw tears cascading down her cheeks and felt her trembling.

"I am sorry for the hurt I have caused you—but do not say no to me, Lyric. I simply cannot accept walking out that door without you. My life would be so empty, I do not know if I could go on. And I certainly couldn't stand to see you wed to another man when my heart cries out that we belong together. So, will you take a leap of faith with me? Will you believe that I love you and only you? Will you be my wife?"

She tugged on his hands, causing him to rise. "You know I love you, Silas. I will always love you. Even when we are at the end of our lives, our faces lined with wrinkles and our hair threaded with gray, our love will be strong. If I do not wed you, Silas Chase, then I will be relegated to being an old maid, because the thought of being another man's wife is simply preposterous. Yes, my love. I will marry you and treasure you all the days of our lives."

His mouth seized hers in a kiss that spoke of his passion and the promises between them.

Breaking it, he said, "I love you, Lyric Strong. I love you." Then shouting with glee, he echoed, "I love you!"

Those gathered in the drawing room applauded as Silas took his betrothed in his arms again, kissing her once more, not caring that they were in front of an entire roomful of people. This kiss was not a light, polite kiss, which would put the seal of approval upon their betrothal. No, it was a kiss of fire and the pent-up passion which had lain unanswered.

Relief swept through him as Lyric answered his kiss with enthusiasm. They had been without one another for far too long, and need poured through them both.

When he broke the kiss, Silas gazed deeply into her eyes. "Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for a second chance. Thank you—in advance—for all the happy years I know which lay ahead for us."

"Thank you for opening yourself up to me," she told him, blinking as tears filled her eyes. I know the words did not come easily to you, Silas."

"My feelings for you were always there, Lyric," he said. "The love, too, was present. I simply had to find the courage to give voice to those feelings. I have loved you for so long, and I feel liberated being able to say the words aloud. I love you, Lyric Strong. I love you now and forever. I want to marry you as soon as possible."

She stroked his cheek. "I want that, too, but I would like as many of my family present at our wedding as possible."

Allegra and Sterling joined them, Allegra wrapping her twin in a tight embrace.

"I knew you were meant to be together," Allegra told Lyric. "I am delighted Lord Blankenship finally came to his senses."

Sterling also embraced Lyric and added, "I knew how much the fool loved you, Lyric. I would have blocked him from leaving Shadowcrest if he tried to do so before telling you of his great love for you."

"So, we are to be related by marriage," Silas said to his friend, slapping Sterling on the back. "Lyric tells me she wishes to wait for her missing family to return to Kent before we can wed."

"Allegra has told me the same," shared Sterling.

Silas looked to his newly-betrothed. "You shared the womb together and every day since then. Would you consider sharing your wedding day?"

Lyric smiled at him through tears of happiness. "It would mean the world to Allegra and me if we were married at the same time and place."

"Yes!" Allegra echoed enthusiastically. "Strongs always wed at the Shadowcrest chapel."

"I was going to leave for town tomorrow in order to purchase a special license," Sterling said. "I would like nothing better than to have your company in doing so."

He laughed merrily, joy filling every limb. "I would be happy to journey to town with you and for each of us make this purchase at Doctors' Commons."

"You can keep each other in line," Allegra said, laughing.

Sterling cradled Allegra's cheeks and kissed her.

For his part, Silas told Lyric, "You have nothing to worry about, my darling. We two rogues have met our matches—and this viscount's heart is spoken for until the end of time."

He took her in his arms again, heedless of those around them, and kissed the woman he loved.