Page 16

Five

T he storm had begun to abate, the ferocious winds subsiding as the last of the rain began to taper off. The air was still thick with the remnants of the storm, the sky dark and brooding, but in the quiet warmth of the hunting lodge, a profound tension hung in the air. The crackling fire was the only sound that filled the space, its warmth a stark contrast to the chill that had taken over Christopher’s chest.

He sat on the edge of the hearth, his gaze fixed on Pippa as she stood near the window, her silhouette framed by the waning light of the storm. She seemed lost in thought, her golden hair a halo in the firelight, her back to him as she stared out at the darkened landscape. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, heavy with the realization of just how much had changed in the span of a few short hours. And that was before he even allowed himself to consider the implications of what had transpired between them. The storm had ended, but the tempest inside him remained. The storm had not only changed the weather—it had changed everything between him and Pippa.

This situation would leave her with a tattered reputation. It did not matter that he had not taken her fully. Neither of them had intended to be trapped together, but it had happened, nonetheless. Even if they had not crossed that line and nothing more had occurred beyond their proximity, the world would see their interlude as the worst sort of transgression. Pippa’s reputation would be in tatters, and for what? For a night spent with him in a place where no one would ever understand the truth, the circumstances, or the urgency of their situation. It had not been completely innocent. He had kissed her, and and given her pleasure. Damned if he hadn’t wanted to do much more than he had. No one needed to know how far it had gone, or that he had not completely ruined her. Because the truth was that Pippa would be ruined regardless.

His thoughts swirled as he stood, moving closer to her, the ache in his chest growing with each step. It wasn’t just guilt that gnawed at him—it was something else entirely. Something deeper, more persistent. The truth came crashing over him, sudden and undeniable. He loved her. He had always loved her, even when she was the unruly child, the bratty little girl who had gotten under his skin. He had never recognized it for what it was, too proud, too focused on his own position to understand the subtle stirrings of affection that had grown into something far more powerful.

It had never been just irritation. It had always been more. And now, in the aftermath of it all, he saw it with perfect clarity. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the words he was about to say. There was no turning back. He was already too far gone, and there was only one thing left to do.

“Pippa,” he began, his voice low, carrying the weight of all the unspoken things he had never said to her before. She turned slowly, her expression a mixture of weariness and confusion as her blue eyes met his. “We need to talk,” he continued, stepping closer, his heart pounding in his chest. “What happened between us...”

Her brow furrowed as if she were not quite following him, but she said nothing, waiting for him to continue. “What of it?” She frowned. “We kissed.” Her lips twitched. “And you kissed me in places no proper lady should know about. It isn’t the end of the world, Haverleigh.”

He sighed. “Considering that we did kiss,” he began, purposely not mentioning the places he had kissed her… “Don’t you think you should call me by my given name?”

“You have one of those?” she replied cheekily, then sighed. “I suppose you may be correct there. Your Grace.”

“And none of that either,” he chastised. “Call me Christopher, I beg you.”

Pippa giggled. “Now I have reduced you to begging.” She was utterly adorable, and he wanted to pull her back into his arms and kiss her senseless. If he did that though he might not stop at just a kiss, so he held himself back. “If that is your wish, then of course I shall call you Christopher. But I cannot do it out in society. It would not be proper.”

It would if she were his wife… That thought came almost out of nowhere, but that wasn’t entirely true. It had been in the forefront of his mind since well before his lips touched hers. “I hope that considering the passion between us you would consider something,” he said, his voice growing more intense, “I understand that you are in mourning. It is the reason I came to Whitmore, but I want the chance to court you properly.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, there was a silence between them, broken only by the crackling of the fire. Her gaze softened, uncertainty flickering across her face before she spoke. “You cannot be serious,” she whispered, but the disbelief in her voice was tinged with something else. Hope? Fear? He could not tell. “Is this because of what transpired between us? Because I do not expect…”

“I am more serious than I have ever been in my life,” he said, stepping closer still, his heart beating faster. “I love you, Pippa. I have loved you for longer than I care to admit. I cannot imagine my life without you.” He cupped her cheek in her hand. “I am not asking out of any sense of obligation. This is entirely because of what I feel for you. What has always been there. Give me the time to prove it to you.”

Her expression faltered as his admission sank in. He could see the battle in her eyes—her emotions warring with her reason. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she took a step forward, her hand reaching out tentatively to touch his arm. “I… I don’t know what to say,” she murmured, her voice trembling slightly.

“Say yes,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Say yes, and we’ll face whatever comes together. The past is behind us, Pippa. We can create something new. Something real. Something that no storm can break.” He fought the need to pull her close. “And if after your mourning period is up, if I am granted permission, I would like to marry you. But only if this is what you want to. I will not force anything on you.”

For a moment, she looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, really seeing him, the weight of her thoughts shifting. And then, slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Yes. I would like for you to court me, and I think I might even wish to marry you.” Pippa’s lips twitched. “But you should know, Christopher, darling, you will have to prove to me you are worth the effort. Because you can be quite difficult…”

Relief flooded him, and without another word, he closed the distance between them, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. He pulled her gently into his arms, feeling the weight of everything that had transpired between them settle into a quiet sense of completeness. The world outside may still be in turmoil, but here, in this moment, they were together. And that was all that mattered.

As he kissed her, he knew there would be challenges ahead—society’s judgments, the whispers that would follow them. But in this moment, nothing else existed. They would face it all, side by side, because he had finally realized what he had always wanted. Pippa was his future.

The crackling fire illuminated their faces as the storm outside began to fade into the background. The warmth of the hearth seemed to thrum into Christopher’s chest, but it did nothing to soothe the swirling emotions he felt. The quiet intensity of the moment filled him with both trepidation and hope as he gazed at Pippa, her face softened by the light, her features more stunning than ever before.

She had been a child when he had first met her, a fiery, stubborn little thing who had gotten under his skin. She had challenged him, frustrated him, and made him question everything he thought he knew about himself. And yet now, standing in front of him, she was all woman. A woman whose mere presence made his heart race, whose kiss had ignited something deep within him, something he couldn’t push away, even if he tried.

And God, how he had tried. The last few years had been an exercise in avoidance, both of her and of the undeniable attraction that had always simmered beneath the surface. It was one of the reasons he had not visited Whitmore of late, but he could not completely avoid her when his friend was in London. She was always there, just out of reach. So he had kept his distance and told himself that it was only because of her youth, her inexperience, and the difference in their stations, that they did not suit. But none of that mattered now. He had kissed her, held her in his arms, and in that moment, the world had shifted. Nothing would ever be the same.

He stepped closer, taking a steadying breath, trying to keep the rawness of his feelings in check. “You must know, Pippa,” he said, his voice a little unsteady but steadying with each word, “I would never have asked if I didn’t mean it. I’m not one for games or empty promises. I’ve wanted you for so long, but I was too blind to see it.”

Her eyes, still wide with disbelief, softened as she reached for his hand. “Christopher…” Her voice was a whisper, but the warmth in it made him want to pull her closer. Her fingers trembled against his skin, and he couldn’t remember a time when he had felt more vulnerable than in this moment.

“I know,” he said, his thumb grazing over the back of her hand. “It’s madness, isn’t it? That we should find each other in this way, but I can’t help it. I cannot imagine my life without you, Pippa.”

Her eyes glistened with something deeper than mere emotion, something far more profound, but still uncertain. “I... I never thought I could feel this way,” she said softly, her voice catching as though the weight of her own words was almost too much to bear. “You’ve always been...there, but I must be honest. I never understood what I felt for you. Not until this time in the cabin and when I kissed you… It all seemed to fall in place and my heart leapt with joy.”

He smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his heart pounding. “You were always here.” He tapped his chest. “Just beneath the surface, and I was too stubborn to see it. I adore you. Even when you are making me crazy.” His lips twitched. “I think in some perverse way I love you even more when you are making me insane.”

Pippa’s breath caught, and her lips parted slightly as if she was searching for the right words yet finding none. Her fingers tightened around his. “But we’ve spent so many years at odds, Christopher. Our differences…” She trailed off, the uncertainty in her voice unmistakable.

“Those differences do not matter,” he said firmly, stepping even closer, until there was no space left between them. “Not when we’ve found something worth fighting for. Pippa, you will not regret this time you’ve agreed to allow me to court you. I will prove to you that we can have it all—together.”

Pippa swallowed hard, and for a moment, her face tightened with conflicting emotions. She hesitated, and then, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper, “I do not believe I will regret this decision. My heart—it is already yours.”

Christopher leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. As he kissed her, he could feel the weight of their past dissolving, the future slowly unfurling in front of them. They would face the world together. To think it took a raging storm for them to realize they belonged together, and it that tempest they had finally become tangled together. As they should have always been…