Page 42
Story: An Improbable Scheme (Courting the Unconventional #1)
Niles, sensing the gravity of the moment, reached for Elsbeth’s hand, offering silent support. Whatever Alfred was about to reveal, Niles knew it would change everything.
Alfred straightened his shoulders and looked Elsbeth directly in the eyes. “There is no easy way to say this.” He paused. “I am your father.”
Elsbeth reared back. “That is impossible!”
Lady Isabella stepped forward. “It’s true. I was pregnant with you before I married Stephen. He knew, but he was far more interested in my dowry than anything else.”
“I wanted to marry your mother, Elsbeth, but her father forbade it. I was just a merchant, not someone he deemed worthy of his daughter,” Alfred said.
“When she married Stephen, it broke my heart. But you must understand, I devoted myself to building my business to prove that I was worthy of her. Of you.”
Elsbeth slipped her hand out of Niles’s grasp and pressed it against her forehead. “Did you ever stop loving each other?”
“No,” Alfred replied without hesitation. “Not for a single moment.”
Lady Isabella turned to her husband. “I tried to be a good wife to Stephen. I wanted to make it work, and a part of me did love him. But he was distant. Cold. He cared little for me.”
Elsbeth’s voice wavered as she asked the question, “So... I am not a lady?”
Lady Isabella reached for her daughter’s hand. “You were born when I was married to Stephen,” she explained. “As far as Society is concerned, you are the daughter of an earl.”
“But I’m not,” Elsbeth said, her tone sharpening. “I’m the daughter of a merchant. ”
Alfred’s face fell. “I know this is a lot to take in?—”
Elsbeth held up her hand, cutting him off.
“No, you misunderstood me. You were there when it mattered, Alfred. That’s more than my father…
er, Stephen… ever managed to do. I’ve spent my entire life thinking there was something wrong with me.
That I was somehow unworthy of my father’s love. But now it makes sense.”
Bedford, who had been quietly absorbing the exchange, stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. “So what do we do now?”
Elsbeth took a deep breath. “We move forward,” she said. “As a family. But no more secrets.”
Alfred nodded, his eyes moist. “No more secrets,” he agreed.
Lady Isabella reached out, pulling Elsbeth into a warm embrace. “We’ll figure it out,” she whispered. “Together.”
When her mother released her, Elsbeth turned to Niles as she bit her lower lip. “I know this changes everything,” she began, “and I will not hold you to your offer?—”
Niles cut her off before she could finish. “You’re right,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “This changes everything and, yet, nothing at all. I still want to marry you.”
Her gaze searched his face for any trace of uncertainty. “Are you sure?” she asked. “If the truth ever came out, just think of the scandal that could unfold. Think of Eugenie…”
He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips. “You stole my heart, and I don’t want it back. Ever.”
She knitted her brows together. “I need you to be sure, Niles.”
“If I had to go through all of this, everything, just to arrive here with you—I can say with certainty, it was worth it.”
“But—”
He didn’t let her finish, leaning in to kiss her with a tenderness that spoke of all the words he couldn’t find. She melted into him, the world around them fading away .
When he finally pulled back, a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I think I’ve found my new favorite way to silence you.”
Her laugh was soft, but it resonated deeply within him, filling a space he hadn’t realized had been empty. Her smile, meant just for him, was more precious than any treasure. “I love you, Niles,” she said.
No words had ever been more beautiful, and he couldn’t help but grin. “And I love you, too, Elsbeth,” he replied. “Although, I daresay that your voice is my favorite sound. I do not think I could ever tire of it.”
Bedford leaned forward and joked, “Trust me, you will, especially when Elsbeth is arguing a point to death.”
Elsbeth playfully narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “Was that truly necessary?”
“I just want Westcott to know what he is getting himself into,” Bedford said, his lips twitching.
Niles slipped his arm around Elsbeth’s waist. “I do believe I have finally met my match. The one who was brave enough to love me back. All of me.” He smiled down at Elsbeth. “And I will love every part of her because of that.”
Tears formed in Elsbeth’s eyes. “I promise that I will love you, always and forever.”
Lady Isabella clasped her hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. “We will make the announcement of your engagement tonight at the soiree.”
Bedford groaned. “Does this mean I have to attend the soiree?”
“Yes,” Lady Isabella responded quickly.
“I don’t mind,” Niles admitted. “I do hope there will be dancing. I find that I very much want to dance with my betrothed.”
“As do I,” Elsbeth said.
Niles met Elsbeth’s gaze. She smiled up at him, and in her gaze, he saw not just a future—but their future. And he knew, with unwavering certainty, that this was only the beginning of their story.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42 (Reading here)
- Page 43