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“W hat is it you want forgiveness for?” she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

He gave a dry laugh. “It is true, there are quite a few things for which I need to ask for your forgiveness.” He took a deep breath. “Please forgive me for leaving you at the panorama to deal with those horrid people. Then to make your own way home—”

“Your coachman was there and kindly saw me home,” she interrupted.

Christopher nodded. “But it should have been me.”

She didn’t disagree.

“Forgive me for not seeing that you’d gotten home safely. For not coming to see that you were all right when I knew you’d been nearly as affected by the paintings in the panorama as I. Forgive me for not answering my door when you did the bravest thing and came to see me to ensure I was all right. Forgive me for not recognizing that I am the luckiest man in the world to have a woman as wonderful as you be so kind and generous toward me. Forgive me for not being there for you when I know you are going through your own incredibly difficult time.” He sighed again and looked up into the night sky. How could he ever expect this woman to forgive all of his many sins? He shook his head, his heart tight in his chest, barely daring to beat. “I know I am not worthy…”

“Stop! You are. You are strong and brave and have had to deal with so much. I admire you, Lord Pennyston, and of course, I forgive you for everything.”

He felt a slight easing. “What happened to you calling me Christopher?”

She gave a little chuckle. “So, you were listening.”

“Of course I was listening. I had my head pressed against the door, I just… I couldn’t open it. I was too ashamed.”

“You should not have been. I understand. That painting… those horrid people screaming at you. It would have taken someone without a heart not to react to that.”

He could only shake his head. “You are too good…”

“I love you,” she whispered.

His heart truly did stop then, but he couldn’t stop what he did next—it would have taken self-control far beyond what he was capable of. He put his hands on either side of her beautiful face and pulled her to him, his lips crashing down upon hers. He kissed her gently. He kissed her hard. He tasted her and ran his tongue across the seam of her delicate lips until they parted for him and then he plunged into her heat. He tasted the sweetness of Ellen and thought he would never find anything as delicious.

Her hands reaching around his back, sliding under and inside his coat, felt so good. Pressing himself against her gentle curves, he wanted more—so much more. But reality slowly trickled into his brain. They were in public, and he had yet to answer her most wonderful declaration.

He took in a deep breath as he reluctantly pulled away. “I love you, Ellen, more than anything. Say you’ll marry me. Say… no, wait.” He needed to order his scattered thought.

He took a step back.

She looked so thoroughly gorgeous standing there, her cheeks flushed and lips red with his assault. He wanted nothing more than to do it again, but he couldn’t. He needed to get his mind working again and not allow his lust to hold sway.

He cleared his throat and wanted to shake his head to get the blood back where he needed it. “I spoke with Mr. Sherman,” he began.

“Mr. Sherman?” She sounded confused as she should be.

“Yes. Do you know he’s proposed to Mrs. Rutledge?”

“Yes, of course. Aunt Amelia and I stay in the same house,” she said with a little laugh.

He nodded. “Then you know that they are going to be moving to America?”

She nodded.

“And are you aware that he’s going to be starting a new business there? Building a factory to manufacture cotton cloth?”

She frowned. “I’d heard the suggestion was made to him to do so, but I didn’t know he’d actually decided to go through with it.”

Christopher nodded. “He is.” He swallowed. “And he’s asked me to come and help him with it, to get the business started, perhaps oversee the manufacturing operation.”

“Really? Do you know about—”

“Not a thing.” He gave a little laugh. “But I’m going to learn. It’s a new start. A new opportunity.”

“But what about your title? You are your father’s heir. Someday you’ll be a marquess.”

He honestly cared little for his father’s title and estates and cared for her so very much more. “I would rather embark on an adventure with you and leave the earldom in the care of my younger brother who is actually interested in politics and agriculture. That is, honestly, what would make all of us happiest—my father and my brother get along very well, and I have little feeling for the title and estate.”

He paused and took her hands in his. “Ellen, come away with me. Move to America and join me on this grand adventure. I don’t think I can guarantee you soaring walls, forts, and a beautiful Mediterranean-like ocean as there is in Malta, but it would most definitely be completely different from anything you might find here in England. And we would learn and experience it all together. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

Her eyes searched his face, flitting back and forth. “You know I’ve always seen both sides of your face at once. I can see your scar and your beauty, but right now what I see is a man who is both strong and caring. One who will take me on a grand adventure into the unknown and keep me safe at the same time. You know I was terrified when we went to the panorama, but on your arm…” She tilted her head as she looked up at him. “When you’re with me, I feel as if I could conquer the world.” She smiled up at him, and he felt as if he were luckiest man in the world. “Yes, Christopher, I will marry you and move to America.” She laughed as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world, and maybe it was, but it was also the best, most clever thing. It was the right thing.

Christopher pulled her into his arms, wanting nothing more than to kiss her soundly but well aware they were in public. He glanced behind him to where the light from the ballroom didn’t quite reach the end of the balcony.

“Why are you looking into the dark?” she asked with a little laugh.

He stepped backward until they were both enveloped by the night. “Because you are my light. I don’t need any other.”

She gave a little huff of disbelief.

“Truly, Ellen, I don’t know what I would do if you were not here to brighten my life,” he said, caressing her soft cheek.

She giggled and stepped back a touch. It wasn’t far, but any distance between them was too far for Christopher. He reached forward for her again, but instead of meeting with a soft, warm woman, something cold and hard was placed into his hand. “What’s this?”

“It’s my tinderbox.”

“The one you said you carried with you everywhere?”

She nodded.

He tilted the small silver box so that it could catch the light to get a better look at it. There was a family crest he didn’t recognize engraved on the lid along with the initials E and C. His heart stuttered for a moment. Had she… had she actually had this engraved for him? For them? He looked back at her in curiosity.

“It’s my father’s family crest,” she explained.

“And the E and C?” he asked.

“My parents’ initials—Edward and Charlotte.”

He let out a little laugh. “Ah. I thought you’d somehow known that I was going to propose and had our initials engraved on it, but how you could have…”

“Oh!” She truly began to laugh. “No, no. Indeed, how could I? No, my mother gave this to my father on their tenth wedding anniversary.”

“This is beautiful, Ellen, but I couldn’t accept such a precious gift.”

“Of course you can, as a token of my love. Now, should I ever be away from you, use this, and you will have light as if I were there with you.”

“I never want you to be away from me,” he said, pulling her toward him once again. “I want us to be together always.”

“Always. My light will be with you always,” she agreed.

They stood in the dark of the night, together, seeing each other in the pale light of the moon and knew that it was right. They would face whatever darkness life would bring them, but always find their way into the light or make it themselves from the spark of their love.