Chapter 27

CHAPTER27

Amy stared out of the window numbly. She did not even hear the servants bustling from behind her as they lugged her valises and trunks to the carriage waiting below.

That night, when she left Leonbridge Estate, she cried for the first time in years. She had thought that she would never be able to cry again but the pain had been too much to bear.

And now, five days later, all her tears had finally dried up, and she felt cold and dead inside.

Her father, seeing the complete and utter mess she had been reduced to, finally agreed to let her go and stay with her Aunt Dorothy in her estate in Scotland. That way, she would be far enough from the ton and all its bustle. She would never have to hear about the latest gossip or about the Duke of Leonbridge for as long as she wanted to.

I have already fulfilled my part of the challenge and look where I ended up, she sighed brokenly to herself. Now, all that is left is for me to depart from all this and leave everything behind.

She let out a long exhale. When she looked up, she saw her father’s reflection on the windowpane.

"Are you really going to leave, my darling?" he asked her softly, his eyes clouded with sadness.

Amy nodded with a bitter smile. "I was never quite suited for life in London. I think..." She took a deep breath and faced him. "I think that I shall find life with Aunt Dorothy more peaceful and suited to my taste."

The Marquess of Irington nodded bleakly. He reached out and gathered her into a fierce hug.

"I love you so much, and I only wanted the best for you," he whispered into her hair. "And if this is what makes you happy, then so be it, my darling. Live your life as you see fit. Your Papa will always be right here to support you."

She smiled at him through her tears. "I love you, too, Papa."

It had been so long since she had last called him that, back when she used to employ her girlish charms on him. Back then, everything had been so simple. Now, nothing made sense.

"I will write to you as often as I can," she promised him as they made their way down the grand staircase. "You must visit, too, should all conditions permit it."

He promised her all these things and helped her into the carriage with a sad smile. "Take care, darling girl."

"You, too, Papa."

As the carriage door closed, Amy closed her eyes. Tears streaked down her face as the death grip she held on to her handkerchief finally relaxed.

For a moment, she had hoped that Evan would come, that he would tell her that he loved her—with or without the challenge.

But as usual, that was merely her wishing for a different ending.

It was time for her to face reality—a world without Evan. She did not know how she was going to get through it, though.

After all, how does one truly get on with life with a broken heart?

* * *

Evan paced the length of his study, running his hands through his thick hair in frustration.

It had been five days—five whole days—since he let Amy slip through his grasp. In those five days, he had become the worst possible sort of company that even Benedict finally complained and told him to go see Amy.

"But she does not want to see me," Evan churlishly told him.

"And when has that ever stopped you?" his friend flung back at him. "It did not stop you when she was acting crazy. What is stopping you now?"

She is stopping me, he thought to himself miserably. She did not want to see me. She was hurting so badly the last time I saw her...when I promised her that she would only ever feel happiness with me.

But what if he did go after her? Would it change things? Would it undo the hurt they had caused each other? Evan was not so sure about that.

What he was certain about was that he wanted to see her again—even for just a moment.

With that thought in mind, he grabbed his jacket and yelled for Norton to prepare the carriage for him.

He was going to Irington Estate.

Whether Amy would be pleased to see him or not, he had to make things clear to her. He had to make her understand that he did love her, even when he was such a fool back then.

He was not going to give up on her.

On them.

And all their many children she had already named.

* * *

Evan arrived at the estate of the Marques of Irington without due notice. He knew that it was a horrendous breach of etiquette, but certainly, they could dispense of such frivolities when in a dire situation such as the one he was currently in.

Every moment he had spent vacillating was another moment that Amy spent in torment. How could he allow her to feel that way?

"What the hell do you think you are doing here, young man?" the Marquess of Irington demanded as Evan strode into the salon. "What makes you think that you can barge into my home as you please?"

Evan felt a thread of shame running through himself, but he straightened himself and inclined his head towards the father of the woman he loved. "I am here to see you, My Lord."

"Oh, really? And here I thought you were going to see my daughter."

"Her, too. But I intend to talk to you first."

The Marquess of Irington regarded him warily as he motioned for Evan to take his seat. "I do not see what we could possibly talk about. I am under the impression that my daughter has cut off your courtship and that she wishes to never see you again."

Evan winced at that. The old Marquess certainly did not mince his words and rightly so.

After all, he was the man who had broken his daughter’s heart. If Evan was in Lord Irington’s position, he might have even acted with less civility.

As it stood, he was rather fortunate that the Marquess did not just kick him out of Irington Estate the moment he saw him.

"I wish to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, Lord Irington," he told the man sincerely. "Even with our disagreements, I do love her sincerely, and I would like to spend the rest of my life with nobody else but her."

The Marquess of Irington choked on his tea. "And you have come to me without asking Lady Amy first?"

"I figured you would be much easier to persuade, My Lord."

Lord Irington bristled at the confidence in his words. He looked like he was about to verbally castigate Evan for even daring to imply such a thing, but then he sighed.

"You really do love my daughter, do you not?"

"More than anything."

The Marquess of Irington smiled at that. "But... I believe that you are also aware of the agreement I made with her, yes?"

Evan frowned. "Yes, I am aware of that."

"Very well," the Marquess sighed. "After Amy called off your courtship five days ago, I decided to finally grant her her wish of retiring to Scotland with her aunt. They left not too long ago."

Evan sprang up to his feet as his world spun crazily around him. "What!?"

"I could not bear seeing her so heartbroken, so I granted her her dearest wish." Lord Irington shook his head. "I thought that time away from London would do her a world of good... after everything that happened between the both of you."

I... I’m too late?

"But they could not have gotten very far yet," the Marques supplied. "You know how crowded the streets of London could get and—"

"My Lord," Evan interrupted him, "would you lend me the fastest horse that you have?"

Lord Irington looked surprised. "I could provide you with a carriage if you wish."

Evan shook his head. "No, a horse would be faster."

He was going to go after the love of his life and intercept that carriage before it ever left London. He had no time for carriages.

A horse would suit him just fine.

* * *

Amy leaned her head against the side of the carriage, staring mindlessly into the distance. The streets of London were just as busy as they usually were, but none of that seemed to penetrate through the thick fog clouding her head. Her heart had become a frigid landscape.

She saw her aunt shoot her a sympathetic look, but even Aunt Dorothy had given up trying to lift her spirits with cheerful tales of Scotland. Both of them knew that she was not heading off with her aunt to entertain herself—no, she was distancing herself from the source of her heartache.

She closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep when she was jolted by a commotion outside.

"What in the world?" Aunt Dorothy muttered indignantly. "Is there another criminal outside?"

It was not particularly surprising. In a bustling city like London, crime was naturally rampant as people desperately fought to survive.

She thought that when she headed off to Scotland, she would be glad to be rid of all this as well.

"AMY!" she heard someone bellowing from outside. "STOP THAT DAMN CARRIAGE!"

That voice... so strong and authoritative... so deep and masculine…

Her eyes flew open when she realized who was shouting after their carriage. What is he doing outside?

Moments later, she heard a sharp rapping by the window. Aunt Dorothy looked at her with wide eyes, and for a moment, Amy was tempted to ignore him.

Let him knock on the window for as long as he wants, she seethed. I will still not come out. Not even for all the crown jewels!

"Amy, please... I know you are in there," he pleaded with her.

Amy felt her cheeks warming up where they had been cold and icy before. How was it that he could easily evoke such strong emotions from her? Whether it was anger, love, or sorrow—all of her heart seemed to respond solely to His Grace, the Duke of Leonbridge.

She finally yanked the curtain open and glared at him. "Your Grace, you are making a scene," she snapped at him. "Please leave. I told you I never want to see you again, and I meant every word I said."

She watched as pain flashed across his handsome features, feeling it slashing her heart. How was it that hurting him only hurt her, too? Could she not even engage in petty revenge?

"My sweet, if I left and allowed you to slip through my fingers, I would never forgive myself," he told her somberly.

"Well, I am not about to forgive you either!"

"Then I am going to spend the rest of my life begging for it and earning it," he responded with a sad smile. "I know I hurt you terribly, but you have hurt me, too. Can we not try to heal together?"

She wanted to... Dear God, how she wanted to! But a heart could only take so much, and Amy truly was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to turn her back on everything that reminded her of him.

Why did he have to show up right outside her carriage, saying such sweet things to her?

"What Charles—the Marquess—told you was not the entire truth," he told her. "Yes, there was that stupid challenge, but he never told you that it was only ever supposed to be for two weeks." He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "He did not tell you that I fully intended to pursue our courtship even beyond that."

Amy closed her eyes as the pain of it speared through her heart once more. However, she could feel the stirrings of hope, too.

It was true that they started off wrong. If she could fall in love with him even with the agreement with her father hanging over her, who was to say that he could not have learned to love her over the course of that silly challenge?

"I already spoke to your father," he continued. He fished something out of his pocket and opened the velvet box before her. "I asked him for your hand in marriage, and he agreed on the one condition that you would agree."

Amy flinched when she saw the ring inside it. A brilliant emerald, surrounded by a row of tiny, perfect diamonds winked at her from a bed of midnight velvet. The emerald alone was large enough to sink her to the depths if she ever wore it swimming. However, despite its immense size, it did not look gaudy at all.

"So, Lady Amy Clarke," he smiled hesitantly at her, "will you marry me?"

A tense silence descended over the street. The pedestrians craned their necks to see the romantic proposal played out before their eyes.

"Are you mad?" she muttered. "What do you think you are doing flaunting that ring in the middle of the streets of London? You are asking to be robbed in broad daylight!"

"You can rob me anytime, my sweet," he responded smoothly. "When we get married, everything of mine will belong to you, too. Say yes, Amy, and I swear that I will spend every breath that I have making you happy."

She glared at him. "Well, you certainly are off to a bad start, Your Grace."

"Yes, but it is a start."

"Have you always been this annoying?" she asked him.

"Only with you, my sweet. Only with you."

Amy sighed and massaged her temples. She turned back to her aunt. "Aunt Dorothy, would you mind it terribly if you returned to Scotland on your own?"

Her aunt rolled her eyes and rapped her umbrella on the carriage floor. "Are you daft? Of course, I would not miss your wedding for the entire world. Turn the carriage back around!"

Amy burst out laughing and poked her head back out of the window. "I suppose that is a yes, Your Grace!"

As soon as the crowd heard her, they burst out into cheers and applause, but Amy could not hear them. All she knew was that Evan was cradling the back of her head and kissing her deeply as he slipped the ring through her finger.

I suppose happy endings do happen in real life, too...