Page 25 of Sophia’s Letter (Ladies of Munro #1)

T obias waited outside the study of Mr. Grant like a schoolboy waiting to see the headmaster. His neckcloth felt too tight. His collar itched. His heart beat a mile a minute.

He had expected the man to keep him waiting—a power play of sorts. But he stood uncomfortably for less than a minute before the door swung open and Mr. Conrad Grant appeared.

“Do come in, Mr. Mannerly,” he said, walking ahead to his desk and seating himself behind it. He indicated with an open palm, and Tobias strode forward to accept the chair facing his host and the sunny window.

“Thank you for receiving me, sir. I know it is a rare privilege.”

Mr. Grant merely nodded. “Your uncle is well, I presume?”

“Yes, and he sends his best wishes,” Tobias answered, suppressing the nerves that were starting to get the better of him.

“Well, here we are, then. How can I help you? I got the impression this was not to be purely a social call. That is partly why I entertained the idea of your visit. I am not a very sociable man, as I am sure you’ve heard.”

Apprehension flooded Tobias’s body, and his leg began to bounce in agitation. He pressed his hand firmly to his knee to stop it. “I appreciate your willingness to accommodate me,” he replied, resisting the urge to squirm in his chair.

“Are you here on behalf of yourself or Lord Carthige? I am always willing to help a neighbor, whether they have been my frequent guests or not.”

Tobias felt oddly tongue-tied. There was so much at stake. One wrong word and this chance would be lost. Best just to speak plainly, then. The truth was a straight path with fewer obstacles to trip over.

“I am here on behalf of myself…and Miss Grant.”

“Oh?” Mr. Grant leaned back and cocked his head to the side. “That is a rather odd notion from a virtual stranger.”

Heat crept up Tobias’s neck and he imagined his flushed cheeks betrayed him.

“You should know, sir, that Miss Grant and I have been corresponding.”

“I see. No doubt you discuss literature, as she does with several other gentlemen.”

Tobias was taken aback by his host’s calm response. “Er…yes, I am a great admirer of her poetry.”

“As you should be. She is very talented.”

“But…er…I am also an admirer of Miss Grant.”

Mr. Grant’s chin lifted. His eyes grew hooded. “What do you mean by that, sir?”

“You see, um…the more we wrote each other, the more I came to know the…er…woman…” Tobias swallowed hard. “The…er…woman behind the words, so to speak.”

“You have feelings for my daughter?”

“Yes.” Tobias breathed out his relief. There. It was finally out in the open. And the man had not yet thrown him out on his ear.

“And does she reciprocate these feelings?”

“That is my understanding, yes, sir.”

“What do you plan to do about it?”

“Well, you see, I would like your permission to formally court your daughter, sir. To give you the opportunity to see I am an honorable man. And to reassure you that I do not intend to steal your daughter from you.”

“Hmm. I assume you are referring to what happened with her sister.”

“I cannot speak for another. I only know that I love Sophia. And she loves her family. I would never separate the two.”

“Ah.” Mr. Grant leaned back in his chair. “Then you do not wish to marry her.”

“No! I mean, yes! I mean… I want very much to marry her. But I have no desire to injure her family in the process.”

“So, in fact, you have not come to ask permission to woo her, but to request her hand in marriage.”

“I suppose that is ultimately what I ask.”

“Then you are asking the wrong person.”

“Please, sir! Do not reject me out of hand. I only ask for a chance to prove myself. Sophia deserves as much. I know you have suffered great loss. I do not wish to add to your sorrow. Quite the opposite. I…”

“Have you quite finished?”

“No, sir! You must hear me on this. You misunderstand my intentions.”

“I do not. I merely said you are asking the wrong person.” Mr. Grant’s face lit up with a broad smile.

But the smile was not for Tobias. It was focused on something behind him.

Tobias whipped round.

Sophia sat, beaming, in a chair against the back wall.

“Well?” said Mr. Grant. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

Tobias was absolutely speechless.

“It seems, my dear,” Sophia’s father said, with what could only be described as mischief in his eyes, “your beau is quite mute on the subject. Perhaps we misunderstood his keenness to ask for your hand.”

“You are a terrible tease, Papa,” Sophia scolded. “Take pity on him.”

“Do you see how she chastises me for your sake, Mr. Mannerly? I would say you are a very lucky man, indeed.”

Tobias managed to summon a stunned, “Yes, sir” before staring in tongue-tied fascination at them both.

“Papa and I have spoken at great length, Tobias, but he would not allow me to forewarn you. He wanted to see what you were made of. I could not deny him that. We have kept so many secrets from him. He was entitled to one of his own.”

Relief poured off Tobias in waves. Sophia and her father had spoken about his marriage proposal, and they were both smiling. How grateful he was to her father! And how proud he was of Sophia!

The next moment, he was across the room and kneeling before her. “You brilliant, beautiful creature!” he cried. “You have mended three hearts at once!”

Sophia cupped his face in her hands. “No, Tobias. It was you who made this possible. You, with your irrepressible spirit and constant devotion.”

“Are the two of you going to argue about this all day?” Mr. Grant called across to them. “We’ve got a wedding to plan, you know. And I’m not getting any younger.”

Sophia giggled, then cast her dark, sensuous eyes upon Tobias. “I’m ready,” she breathed. “Ask me.”

His heartbeat began to pound in his ears. He could scarcely hear himself when he uttered the words he had waited months to say.

“Sophia, may I have your hand in marriage?”

Sophia opened her mouth to answer, but Tobias was in a delirium of ecstasy. His feelings poured forth like a tide. “I want not only your hand, my love. Also your wit and beauty. Your body that struggles and your mind that does not. Your heart that is warm and kind and…”

“Good grief,” muttered Mr. Grant under his breath.

“Yes,” said Sophia before Tobias could list her qualities further. “I am all yours. For better or worse. Yes, Tobias.” She flung her arms around his shoulders.

“Well, that’s settled, then,” declared Mr. Grant. But he was roundly ignored. Tobias stood, drawing Sophia up with him. He swung her in his arms, dancing in a circle, until she laughed and told him to put her down.

Mr. Grant cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I think I shall fetch your siblings to hear the news from your own lips. I shan’t be long.”

The moment Mr. Conrad had stepped outside his study, Tobias reached his hand beneath his beloved’s shapely chin and lifted it gently. “Oh, how I love you…” he murmured.

“How do you love me?” Sophia whispered back.

“Shall I count the ways?” he teased.

“Just show me.”

His warm breath met hers. Their lips parted and received the yearning of the other. Pleasure washed over them.

A soft giggle jerked them apart.

Bess stood in the doorway, hand over mouth, her eyes twinkling with amusement. George came up behind her.

“They were kissing,” Bess announced unabashedly.

“Were they, indeed?” George replied. “And high time too, I say.” He stepped forward and shook Tobias’s hand. “You are a brave man to take on a force like Sophia. Just the sort of brother we need in the family.”

“Oh, pooh!” cried Bess. “You men already outnumber us. We need more women in our ranks.”

“Perhaps you will have your wish, Bess, now that Sophia has cleared the way for us all.”

At last, the Grant family had a wedding to celebrate. They were as planets, circling the orbit of the radiant couple. For Tobias, his world was now complete. He sighed contentedly, his eyes never swerving from his precious love. And when Sophia returned his gaze, without fear or hesitation, he knew all would be well.