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B y the time Titus’s mother had departed, and he’d readied for the evening, he was already late.

Starting to make an amends with the past took more time than he realized.

He was still hurt by his mother’s actions, but at the very least, they had an understanding.

They’d agreed to take their time rebuilding their relationship.

He suspected she wanted more, but that was all he could give at the moment.

For reasons Titus could not place, he was anxious to arrive at Aunt Adeline’s residence.

He’d forgone his costume, and instead, swiftly changed into evening attire.

Soon his carriage was clipping along at a decent pace.

He supposed that was one good thing about being late; everyone else had already arrived, and the crowds of arriving guests had already dissipated.

Once he arrived, he immediately searched out his aunt. He could not shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right this evening. He made his way to the grand ballroom, but no sooner had he entered than he was waylaid by Miss Oaks, Miss Baldwin, and their mothers.

“Oh, Lord Ravensworth, I thought you would never arrive,” Lady Baldwin dramatically exclaimed. “You simply must?—”

“I simply must find my aunt,” Titus interrupted in a firm tone, then stormed away from the undesirable group.

A few minutes later, Flora rushed to his side, panic filling her words. “Where have you been? Aunt Adeline must speak with you at once.” She took his hand and pulled him through the ballroom, down the hall, toward the servants’ stairs. “She’s below stairs.”

“Below stairs?”

What had happened?

Titus rushed down into the common area where his aunt was conversing with a young maid. “Aunt Adeline?”

“Oh, thank heavens you’ve arrived. Something dreadful has happened.” The panic in Aunt Adeline’s voice sent a ripple of fear down his spine. She was never one to be overcome with hysterics.

“Miss Lamont has been taken, my lord,” the young maid standing beside his aunt said.

Taken?

Certainly, Titus was misunderstanding the situation. “What do you mean?”

The young woman took in a deep breath, then told her story at a rapid pace.

“Lady Oaks arranged for Miss Lamont to marry Lord Webber. He took her away earlier this evening. I didn’t know what to do.

As soon as Lady Oaks and her horrible daughter left, I came here.

Miss Lamont told me Lady Whitby was extremely kind to her, and since I accompanied her here when she came to tea, I thought—” She closed her lips, then a moment later, spoke again. “Please say you’ll find her.”

“Tell me everything you know.”

B y the time Titus departed Aunt Adeline’s residence, he had a firm plan in place.

Aunt Adeline had enlisted Lord Swan’s assistance to see if Lord Webber and Portia were still in London, and Jagger was to head to the lord’s estate to the south, while Titus would head north to Gretna Green.

He suspected the elderly noble was anxious to claim his husbandly rights.

He had decided to go on horseback, and instructed his driver to follow and wait at The Bull and Last coaching inn for further instruction. He could think of nothing else but reaching Portia, and sending Lord Webber on his merry way alone.

Once clear of the city, he urged his horse into a full gallop. Although there was a full moon, the roads were not congested, and within a short time, he had covered a good distance. From what the young maid, Katie, had revealed, he supposed he should catch up to them soon.

Thirty agonizing minutes passed before he spotted Lord Webber’s carriage lumbering along. It was clear that the conveyance was having problems with a wheel as it rocked from side to side. Now all he had to do was stop the carriage and rescue Portia.

T his was, without a doubt, one of the worst nights of Portia’s life.

There had been no opportunity to escape, although she had thought about jumping from the moving carriage when Lord Webber fell asleep, but then had thought better of it.

She didn’t fancy breaking her neck. She’d hoped they’d stop for a break and she could make her escape, but that had yet to happen, and they were getting farther and farther from London.

She was contemplating another plan when, all of a sudden, the carriage came to an abrupt halt, waking the snoring lord.

“What… what happened? Are we there?—”

The door to the carriage flung open wide. Her heart quickened with the sight of Titus filling the doorway, looking more like a well-dressed highwayman than a lord of the realm. He was the last person she’d expected to rescue her.

“Titus?”

Everything happened so quickly that Portia had no time to think.

Words were exchanged. One moment she was in the carriage, the next, Titus was hying her away on horseback.

Before too long, they’d stopped at The Bull and Last, where they were escorted to a quiet, well-appointed room on the second floor.

Portia did not even have a moment to sort through her thoughts about what was happening when Titus reached into his coat and pulled out a folded sheaf of paper, although he didn’t say a word.

“What’s this?” she asked as she took the folded paper.

“I promised to help you find a suitable gentleman this season. This is the list.” His face gave nothing away of his emotions.

Portia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She’d been held prisoner in Judith’s home for two days, informed she was to marry, forced into a carriage, then rescued, only to be pushed off to some name on a list.

“Are you mad? You come all this way?—”

“Aren’t you going to look at it?” he interrupted with annoyance. But she should be the one annoyed, not him!

Anger rose up from within. “You rescued me from Lord Webber only to tell me you found?—”

“Just look at the paper,” he said as he ran a hand through his already tousled hair.

She didn’t care for the tone in his voice. She would look at the names he provided, then tell him to go to hell. Unfolding the paper, she looked down at the single name.

Titus .

Disbelief and shock, and an array of other emotions, surged through her body as she looked into his green eyes. “This… this is you?”

He stepped closer and took her hands within his. “I once suffered a broken heart. I am not willing to take that risk again.”

Portia wanted to know—although at the same time part of her didn’t—if he still had feelings for that woman. But she had to be clear. She would not play second fiddle to his memories. “Do… do you still love her?” She closed her eyes, bracing herself for his answer.

“I have loved her all my life, even when I thought she didn’t want to see me.”

Pain like she’d never felt pierced through her heart. Feeling dejected, she opened her eyes, pulled her hands from his, then started to step away.

Titus caught her hand. “It is you, Portia, always was you.”

“Me?” she cried the single word with all the hope she felt in her heart.

Titus pulled her back and brought her within the folds of his embrace as he lowered his head, his lips brushing across hers before he took her mouth in a sensual kiss.

Her hand went to the back of his neck, caressing his soft skin in gentle circles.

A moment later, he pulled back and stared at her with realization.

“It was you I kissed at the masquerade.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, firm and clear.

She didn’t know what to say, so she simply nodded.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

The tender look in his eyes told her she could tell him what she was feeling. “I was too hurt and upset when you didn’t recognize me and—” Suddenly she realized what he’d revealed. “When did I break your heart?”

A long sigh escaped his lips. “The day my father and I went to visit you at Judith’s home.”

“But I had no control over that. I didn’t even know you’d come. How was that my fault?” she started to argue. How could she be held responsible for Judith’s actions?

He silenced her tirade with his mouth, but then it wandered from hers, tracing the contour of her throat. Oh dear , but his lips did amazing things to her insides.

She felt more than heard the words. “Do you want to argue or move on to a more pleasurable diversion?” He did not give her the opportunity to respond, but took her mouth in another searing kiss that made her go weak at the knees.

He guided her through a seductive waltz, their bodies moving in perfect harmony as their clothes gracefully flitted to the floor with each swirl they took about the room. Soon, they were standing before each other, completely naked and out of breath.

“You are my siren, my angel, the temptress of my soul. But most importantly, you are my love, my life. It has always been you. Marry me, my Portia.”

She saw the heartrending tenderness of his gaze, and there was no other place in the world she’d rather be than in his arms, loving and being loved by him. “Yes.” She said the single word with all the love and joy she felt in her heart.

He took her into his arms and carried her to the bed, lying her down with a gentleness that took her breath away. He stretched out beside her, touching every inch of her body with firm, yet delicate fingers.

They took their time exploring and loving each other, their bodies fusing into one on a shared wave of ecstasy. Although there had been times when she’d allowed her imagination to dream of Titus in this way, she’d never believed it would ever happen, or be like this.

Sated and content, Titus rolled onto his back, bringing her to rest alongside him. She roamed her hand up his firm, muscular chest, relishing in the feel of his strength. This is where she was always meant to be, loving and being loved by her heart’s desire.

“What are you thinking?” the words whispered from his mouth.

She raised up and looked into his lovely green eyes. Ever since she was a child, they’d reminded her of the leaves unfurling in early spring after a long cold winter.

She brushed a kiss across his lips as she whispered, “You are my spring after the wintry cold, and the love of my life.”

He cupped her cheek in such a loving way that it made her heart thump, and then he spoke, and she could not contain the tears. “I have only ever loved you, only ever wanted to love you.” He reclaimed her lips in a slow, thorough kiss, showing her just what she meant to him.

This is where she wanted to spend the rest of her life: loved and safe in Titus’s arms.