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“I apologize. I have promised away all my dances,” Abigail repeated to another gentleman who was requesting her hand for a dance.
When, in fact, she had promised away none of them. She held them all for one gentleman who had yet to appear. She hadn’t seen Lucas since he stole her away for an evening of passion. Nor had he sent his excuses or any more flowers. If Abigail didn’t hold faith in their love, she would believe he had only meant to share a tryst with her. However, she refused to acknowledge Lucas as a scoundrel who meant to keep their relationship private. There had to be a perfect explanation for what kept him away. Only, she held no clue what it might be.
However, it might also explain how everyone had treated her of late. When she came down to breakfast the morning after she spent with Lucas, Aunt Susanna had fussed over her and Selina had acted like she held another secret she couldn’t reveal. Then, throughout the day, all her friends had arrived and regarded her with secret smiles and stars in their eyes. The same behavior had repeated itself each day since then. One of them always wanted to whisk her away from the Forresters’ townhome.
Just the evening before, Colebourne had arrived for dinner and appeared quite pleased with himself. When Abigail questioned him about his behavior, he had changed the subject, suggesting a game of chess after dinner. Abigail had agreed and spent the game asking about Lucas, without drawing too much interest in his whereabouts. But the duke had only mumbled about how Lucas prepared for a trip he would embark on soon. Which only confused Abigail because Lucas had never mentioned leaving London.
Still, she kept a firm hold on her belief in Lucas.
“Who have you promised them to?” Evelyn asked.
Charlie watched the new set begin and there wasn’t any gentleman walking toward them to escort Abigail onto the ballroom floor. “Which gentleman is not claiming your hand? I will set Sinclair on him.”
Abigail rolled her eyes. “I do not need Sinclair to defend my honor.”
“Why ever not? A gentleman has wronged you. Sinclair will make it right,” Charlie explained.
“There is no need,” Abigail insisted.
Charlie narrowed her gaze when Abigail turned her head to the side, refusing to meet Charlie’s eyes. “Because you lied. Abigail Cason, Miss Honesty, has told fibs all evening. Perhaps even longer than we may think.”
“Hush,” Abigail hissed.
“She is holding out for Lucas,” Gemma interrupted.
“Gemma,” Abigail warned.
“I think it is sweet. She has promised all her dances to Lucas, and he is clueless,” Gemma continued.
“Ahh.” Jacqueline sighed.
“Oh. It is so romantic,” Selina gushed.
Abigail looked around the ballroom, standing on her tiptoes to look over the dancers. “Or foolish. He has not even shown, nor do I expect he will.”
Abigail turned back to her friends. They were glancing at each other with sappy expressions. When they noticed her attention on them, they looked away, taking an interest in the other dancers.
“What are you not sharing with me?” Abigail asked.
Her friends’ expressions swiftly changed to panic. Abigail glanced around, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Each of her friends’ husbands shared a drink in the corner. They surrounded someone, but Abigail didn’t care who had snared their attention. She found the Forresters standing next to Colebourne and another gentleman Abigail had never met. Everything seemed normal. However, it didn’t explain her friends’ strange behavior.
“Well?” Abigail asked again, focusing her attention on Gemma.
Gemma was a sentimental mess with her pregnancy. Her behavior constantly changed between being sappy and weepy. She knew her friend couldn’t resist sharing the secret they all held.
Gemma’s eyes widened, darting back and forth between Charlie and Selina. A confession slipped forth. “Selina is expecting.”
Abigail hugged Selina. “You are? How far along are you? I bet Susanna and Ramsay can hardly contain their excitement.”
“Ahh . . . That is . . . I . . .” Selina stuttered out an explanation.
“I never even thought to ask about Duncan’s reaction. He must be over the moon,” Abigail added.
Before Selina responded to Abigail’s questions, the dance set ended, and the servants carried in chairs and set them in rows. Once they filled the entire dance floor except for a small area near the front, the musicians started playing a waltz.
Abigail looked at Selina for an explanation, but Selina mouthed, “I am expecting?” to Gemma. Gemma winced and shrugged.
Abigail frowned. “You are not with child?”
“Ahh . . .”
A finger tapped on Abigail’s shoulder, drawing her attention away from Selina’s explanation. She turned to find Lucas holding out a rose to her.
“I would like to request your hand for the waltz playing. Although, there are rumors floating around how you have promised all your dances for this evening.”
She took the rose and held it to her face to hide her smile of satisfaction at his arrival. “Only for you.”
Abigail lowered the rose, and Lucas breathed a sigh of relief at her enchanting smile. He held out his hand. “Shall we?”
Abigail nodded, handing the rose to Selina. Lucas escorted them to the small area and swept her into his arms. They glided around smoothly, and Abigail relied on Lucas to guide them. She couldn’t remember the steps because he wrapped her up in his spell. While in his arms, she floated in happiness. With each dip and turn, she clung to Lucas, and her eyes locked with his. She forgot the other guests as the melody bonded them together into one.
Abigail had never shared a dance with Lucas in a crowded ballroom for his peers to watch. His act declared his intentions toward her, causing Abigail to fall in love with him all over again. When the dance ended, he bowed to her and Abigail dipped into a curtsy. Then, to her surprise, he dropped to one knee. A hush fell over the ballroom floor at his display.
“Lucas?”
“Abigail, I love you with all my heart and I wish to express my love for you to the world. Not so long ago, I was a fool who refused to appreciate the rare gem you are. After a few harsh words from those I love and many miserable days, I saw how my life was without you. A dull existence of loneliness. You alone are what brightens my days. We have already spoken of your forgiveness and now I am asking you to make each of my days full of your sunshine. Abigail, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears streamed down Abigail’s cheeks at Lucas’s bold statement. His declaration spoke more than only asking her to become his wife. His proposal spoke of his decision to disregard the structures of society and spend a lifetime with her at his side. Abigail raised her gaze when each member of his family formed a line behind him, declaring their support.
She covered her mouth with a sob. Their act left her speechless. While they always offered words of encouragement and support, this act alone showed everyone what she meant to them. It showed Abigail their love.
Abigail started nodding.
“Yes?” Lucas asked, unsure of her reaction.
Lucas avoided Abigail for the past week, because he didn’t want to ruin his surprise. If he even spent one moment in her company, he would have whisked her away to Scotland. However, he resisted because she deserved to understand how much she meant to him. He anxiously waited for her answer. Once her tears fell, he feared she would refuse him. But she put his fears to rest with the simple answer of yes.
“Yes! Yes!” Abigail sobbed, dropping to her knees next to Lucas.
“Yes!” Lucas shouted. He drew Abigail in his arms and gave her a kiss no one would ever forget.
He deepened the kiss, savoring her answer a while longer. Abigail clung to him and returned his kiss with a passion that would cause many of the ladies present to blush.
A hand slapped him on the back. “As much as it warms my heart, Abigail has answered yes. Perhaps you should wed before you cause much more of a scandal,” Colebourne suggested.
Lucas reluctantly pulled away. His father was correct. He helped Abigail to her feet and enjoyed the blush highlighting her features. A becoming color he would find pleasure gazing upon in the years to come.
“Shall we?” Lucas pointed to the altar now in front of the rows of chairs.
“Now?” Abigail squeaked.
“I do not know of any better time. Do you?” Lucas squeezed her hands.
Abigail shook her head, her smile widening. She glanced around and noticed the guests filling into the chairs, with their family in the first two rows. Her tears started again when she noticed the two rows behind them were the servants from town and Colebourne Manor.
“May I have the honor of escorting you down the aisle?” Colebourne held out his arm.
“It would be my honor,” Abigail whispered.
Lucas took his place at the front. Her friends enclosed her in hugs, and Selina pressed the rose back into her hand. Aunt Susanna wiped away her tears before Ramsay escorted her to their chairs. Once everyone took their seats, the musicians started a lifting melody as Colebourne walked her toward Lucas.
Before handing her off, he pressed his hands around hers. “You have made me a very happy old man this evening.”
Abigail pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for your love, Poppa.”
Colebourne beamed at her affectionate name and handed her to Lucas.
Lucas clutched her hands. “I love you, Abigail Cason.”
“I love you, Lucas Gray,” Abigail whispered.
There wasn’t a dry eye amongst the ladies during the ceremony. Lucas’s romantic gesture sent a buzz through the ton. Each mama professed they would expect nothing less for their daughters. Each unmarried lady made a wish for a Lucas Gray of their own. Each married lady hoped their husbands took note. And each gentleman cursed Lucas Gray for making their efforts inadequate compared to his. Now, they must step up their attempts to keep the ladies in their lives happy.
Once the ceremony ended, Colebourne made a toast, and the guests danced to a few more waltzes. Many hours later, the bride and groom were nowhere to be seen. However, the celebration continued into the early morning hours with tales of how the couple fell in love, each one different and more elaborate than the last.
But then, only a few knew the true story of Lucas and Abigail’s love. It involved a matchmaking father, an aunt and uncle who acted as co-conspirators, and interfering cousins and their spouses.
And each one of them used a bit of madness to make the match complete.