Page 30 of The Blind Lyon (The Lyon’s Den Connected World)
Peregrine’s chin trembled, but he didn’t release her hand.
“When I left the mews, the skies opened and dumped down rain, but there was nothing for it. I knew you would worry over my absence, so I set out for Blackthorne’s home.
” He shook his head. “That was when a damned carriage came clattering up behind me, taking the corner at far too fast a pace. I barely had time to throw myself into some shrubberies at the side of the pavement before the carriage whooshed past, half on the street and half off. Speed and rain make for deadly partners, and seconds later I heard the sound of the accident… and the screaming.”
“I am so thankful you are alive and unharmed.” Needing more reassurance than that, Annette crawled into his lap, despite the potential scandal.
“I realized something when I was waiting in that ballroom for you.” Perhaps this wasn’t the time, but she didn’t care.
She had to say these words to him because one never knew what would happen with fate holding the strings.
“Oh?” The duke didn’t seem to mind how scandalous they’d become, for he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest.
“Yes.” She nodded and layered herself to his body.
They were both wet and probably looked like a dog’s breakfast, but there was nothing for it.
She feared if she didn’t voice her thoughts now, events of tonight might send her running back behind closed doors, and she refused to miss her chance.
“I love you, Peregrine.” No sense in hedging about the subject.
“No, we haven’t known each other for long, but all the time we have spent together, I feel, equates to essentially months.
After everything you’ve done for me and because of me…
” She shook her head as the tears continued to fall.
“You have shown me more exclusively what love looks like, and one doesn’t need sight to see that. ”
For long moments, the duke remained silent. Shouts from men working to extricate bodies from the accident filled the air. Finally, he nodded and urged her back a bit so he could rest a palm against the side of her face.
“I admire your bravery to say those words tonight when I know it couldn’t have been easy. None of it after how you lost your last husband.”
She nodded, and the coolness of the evening caused her to shiver. “When I thought you might be gone from me, I was terrified and frightened. I couldn’t lose you, not after I just discovered how much you mean to me, yet…”
“I know.” Peregrine dipped his head and brushed his lips lightly over hers.
“I’m frightened to, for much the same reason.
After that carriage nearly ran me over, I knew in that moment that there is still much life to live for both of us.
I couldn’t imagine what you would feel like if I had met my demise tonight and I hadn’t spoken what’s on my heart; I couldn’t leave you with nothing, for that would be selfish of me. ”
“Oh, Peregrine, you owe me nothing.”
“Shh, but I do, sweeting.” He traced his gloved fingertips along her eyebrow, her temple, her cheekbone, her chin.
“When I won your hand in a gamble at the Lyon’s Den, I didn’t know what to think.
At the time, I wanted marriage because of my responsibilities to the title, because I wanted a companion. But now?”
“Yes?”
“I want marriage because that means having you, in every way that matters.” Though he couldn’t see her, his gaze burrowed into her soul.
“Is the prospect of marriage to a stranger frightening? Yes, of course, but so are many things. There is no other way to say that because it’s true, but it doesn’t make me not want to continue on. ”
“It doesn’t?” She could scarcely breathe for the anticipation twisting down her spine. It made her forget about the rain and mud and chill.
“No, and it doesn’t make me want to hide behind being blind or keeping myself from society.”
“No?” Why couldn’t she think of more than one-word responses?
He nodded. “In fact, it inspires me to want to embrace everything because of you. It makes me want to keep going with you at my side, because together we can conquer any challenge fate wishes to throw at us.” When he drew the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, he went on.
“And I didn’t want to potentially die without telling you that I’m in love with you, Annette.
Wholly, deeply, unashamedly in love with you.
Like you said, I feel as if I’ve known you for a lifetime, and that can’t be discounted. ”
“How romantic.” She sniffled and wiped at her tears.
“It’s true. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Annette, and I hope you can accept me—all of me—regardless of the fact that some in society think I’m broken due to my blindness.”
“You are not broken, Peregrine.” She framed his head between her hands.
“In fact, you are perfect for me, to me, and I won’t hear another word of you talking badly of yourself like that.
” Daring much, she pressed her lips to his.
“I love you. Nothing will change that, and what’s more, this feels much more intense than what I had with Timothy.
Perhaps it’s due to experience or the knowledge that life is short, but we both need to stop hiding, stop letting fear take command, and start living.
Together, to find the joy again, because we both deserve it. ”
“Agreed.” He again brushed his lips over hers. “Do you promise not to lock yourself in your rooms and keep me out?”
That in itself sent another shiver of fear down her spine, but she nodded. “I will try my best. Life is still quite frightening but… I can navigate it more easily if you’ll do it with me.”
“There is no place I would rather be.” He pushed the wet hair from around her face, went so far as to pluck the pins from her hair.
As it fell in wet locks about her shoulders and back, he buried his fingers in the tresses.
“I promise to always protect you, and I promise to always love you, no matter what we are handed. Now more than ever, the vows I spoke to you less than two weeks ago are rife with meaning. Because I love you. Now and always.”
She nodded, and the tears mingling with the rain were of the happy variety. “I love you too, and we need to make full use of every day we’re given.”
Instead of answering her with words, Peregrine claimed her mouth with his.
Over and over, he kissed her, quite possibly to fuse them together.
The warmth of his tongue as it tangled with hers was heavenly, and it wasn’t enough.
She tugged at his wet cravat, uttering a sound of annoyance when the fabric wouldn’t cooperate, and she continued to kiss him as if her very existence depended on it.
This man is mine. He’s my husband. And we should make up for lost time.
Eventually, and when they were both breathless and quite bothered, the duke pulled away. “Let’s go home, sweeting. There is much I still wish to say to you as well as show you the depths of my regard.”
As she shifted in an effort to leave his lap, the evidence of that regard made itself known against her hand as she brushed against the front of his breeches.
Unable to help it, she giggled, and suddenly her world went tip over tail into something that wasn’t nearly as frightening as she’d first thought it might be.
“In that, I am in full agreement with you.” As soon as she gained her footing, Annette took his hands and helped him into a standing position. “But first, we should probably find out if anyone in the wreckage needs our help.”
Bedding him could wait, for love was nothing but patient. Hadn’t he already shown her that?