Page 33 of Not His Usual Style (Diamonds of London #10)

“No. I can’t, not until I’m done.” She clasped her gloved hands together.

“I’ve never put much stock in gossip; those women clearly having nothing of value in their lives if they wish to talk about each other, but I’ll gladly go through the fork-tongued vipers for you.

” The emotions in her eyes and reflected in her expression nearly became the depth of him, and he watched with a pounding pulse.

“Yes, I’m a nobody in the ton, my father is a skilled jeweler, but his pockets are almost to let, and I have nothing to offer you except my heart. Please say that’s enough.”

“Um, that is a lovely sentiment, of course, but I…”

“Oh, Grey, surely you aren’t going to remain stubborn until the last,” Sarah whispered as she poked at his arm. “This is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever witnessed.”

Victoria wiped at a tear on her cheek. “Truly, Montague, there is nothing else to say. Choose me. I love you, and isn’t that more valuable than property, funds, tradition, or position within the beau monde ?”

The marquess once more sprang to his feet. “This is outside of enough! He has an obligation and a responsibility to my daughter!”

“Oh, Papa, do hush,” Sarah chided. “This is exactly how life should be played out, in all its messy, sweet, honest glory.” She glanced at Phillip and offered him a smile. “Love is something we should chase with everything we are.”

Victoria, it seemed, ignored them all. “I want nothing from you except your love, Montague. Just you and a life with you, because I can’t bear to think of an existence without you in it.”

He gasped and gawked at her with a tight chest. Knowing he needed to respond, he cast frantically about his mind for the right words.

The marchioness employed her fan to move air across her face. “For shame, Sarah. Demand better of Greystone. Is this how your union will start? With one of his doxies begging for his attention?”

Dapper let out a loud honk, clearly a protest of his own.

But he couldn’t allow such a slur on Victoria.

“Enough, Lady Markham. Victoria is not a doxy. In fact, she is everything wonderful in this world. A delightful mix of maddening adventure, unwavering morals, and adorable sweetness.” Nothing like that had ever happened to him.

Someone wanted him for… him. It was all he’d ever dreamed of having.

“Oh, Grey.” Sarah nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

Tears made tracks on her cheeks. “Good heavens, say something to her. She has made a grand, romantic entreaty.” When her father blustered again, she huffed.

“Do hush, Papa. This is a pinnacle moment for us all.” Then she once more glanced at Phillip.

“When you find love, why would you want to ignore it, turn it away for tradition or position?” She looked again at him.

“Lean into the scandal and finally embrace your life, live for the freedoms you fought for in the war. This is your time, and it’s quite all right to change course. ”

“I…” When he peered at the guests in attendance, saw the shock and curiosity in their expressions, looked deeply in Sarah’s eyes and caught the hope dancing there, glanced at the inspector who watched the proceedings with an odd, eagerness in his expression completely shoved him over the wall of his reserve and broke through the chains he’d bound himself in due to that old promise.

Finally, his heart shivered and soared. Gone was the constant ache and agony. Bit by bit, the earnestness of Victoria’s entreaty stitched that organ back together, and it squeezed with pure happiness, all the emotions he hadn’t allowed himself to feel since he’d met her.

His vision seemed to narrow. Nothing else mattered except love. Victoria—as well as Sarah—had been right all along. “I’ve been a fool.” He stared down at the woman who held his heart. Taking one of her hands, he held her gaze. “God, such a fool, and much of that has to do with you, sweeting.”

Confusion went through her expression. “What?”

“It’s true.” He nodded, and hoped he didn’t resemble an inmate who escaped Bedlam.

“From the moment I met you, my world has gone tip over tail for you. When you embroiled me in that bit of intrigue that night, I had reservations, but when I kissed you in that garden? I knew you would turn my world inside out.”

“You did?” The hope in her eyes almost sent him to his knees with her.

“I did.” After he tugged Victoria to her feet, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back. “Then, with each meeting between us, I fell deeper in love with you for no other reason than you are a wonderful person and I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next, merely for the surprise of it.”

When gasps went through the room, he ignored them.

“I thought that keeping a promise to my father, even though he has been gone for years now, made me a better person, a more honorable man, but the closer this nuptial ceremony grew, along with the advent of you, made me look at things differently.” He renewed his grip on Victoria’s hand.

“Sarah is my best friend; she will always be that to me because we have a history together, but she doesn’t hold my heart, doesn’t inspire me to the grand passion that you do.

The thought of never seeing you again, the knowledge that I would marry a woman I didn’t love, the horror that I would never hold you, kiss you, cherish you, love you again?

It sent me to the depths of despair, and quite frankly, I have been lost since the ball last night. ”

“You have?” Her lips parted, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless.

“I have.” Grey nodded. “It’s been much like madness, and I’ve tried to ignore it, attempted to shove it to the side because I knew I had obligations and responsibilities to Sarah.”

“But I’ve told you time and time again, a union won’t work if there is no love,” she inserted with a hand on his arm.

“Yes, I know, and now I’m finally doing something about it.

” Grey flashed a grin at Sarah then returned his focus on Victoria.

“The truth of the matter is I love you. Completely, totally, soulfully, eternally, I love you.” He shook his head as awe reflected in her eyes.

“All I have ever wanted was to have someone want me for me alone. And here you are.” It was amazing in its simplicity.

“Is it fast? Perhaps. Is it indefinable? Absolutely. Am I terrified about that? Somehow, but I know, somehow, deep in my heart that all will be well.”

“And?” Both Victoria and Sarah said it at the same time.

Suddenly, his heart was light enough to laugh.

Damn, how long had it been since he’d done that?

“And now, I realize I owe my father nothing. I am free to make my own decisions despite the consequences.” He took both Victoria’s hands in his.

“This is quite awkward given the circumstances of why we’re all gathered here, but marry me, Victoria. Make me the happiest of men.”

Her lips formed an “o” of shock. “What of Lady Sarah?”

“Oh, I’ll wager she’ll come out right as rain, for I suspect Viscount Lorrington has something he eagerly wants to ask of her once the fallout from today settles.

” Then he winked. “Marry me because I love you quite desperately and my life, my heart, will be so very empty if you don’t become my wife.

I care not about dowry or position within the ton . I have only ever wanted love.”

The shift of emotions on her face—shock, surprise, realization, and then joy—once more had his world tilting to the side, and then Victoria nodded. “Yes. Yes! I’ll marry you and be quite happy to do so.”

Oh, dear God.

The last of the restraints around his heart fell away.

With a soft cry of victory—and relief—Grey framed her head with his hands, and then brought his lips crashing down on hers.

When she sighed, he took her more comfortably into his arms and then proceeded to kiss the hell out of her, just like he’d wanted to do since the moment he’d met her.

Chaos once more broke out in the room, for there were cheers, clapping, loud protests from Sarah’s parents, as well as the excited honking from the swan.

And he adored every second of it. Even when Dapper, apparently annoyed he was left out of the celebrations, wiggled his backside and then defecated on the marquess’ shoe.

After sharing another kiss with Victoria, he held her and rested his chin on the top of her head while mouthing “thank you” to Sarah, who wore a grin as large and as cheeky as his.

God, nothing would ever be the same in his life, and he looked forward to every bit of it, no matter if the marquess attempted to destroy his name or his coffers.

None of it mattered. He’d won the most valuable treasure a man could have.