He hadn’t, however, expected to have to make his proposal in the old lady’s presence.
He glanced over at her.
“What is it?” she barked.
He should ask her to leave. He really should, although…
Oh, hell. She wouldn’t quit the room if he got down on his knees and begged her. Not to mention that Hyacinth would have an extremely difficult time refusing him with Lady Danbury in attendance.
Not that he thought she’d say no, but it really did make sense to stack the deck in his favor.
“Gareth?” Hyacinth said softly.
He turned to her, wondering how long he’d been standing there, pondering his options. “Hyacinth,” he said.
She looked at him expectantly.
“Hyacinth,” he said again, this time with a bit more certitude. He smiled, letting his eyes melt into hers. “Hyacinth.”
“We know her name,” came his grandmother’s voice.
Gareth ignored her and pushed a table aside so that he could drop to one knee. “Hyacinth,” he said, relishing her gasp as he took her hand in his, “would you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?”
Her eyes widened, then misted, and her lips, which he’d been kissing so deliciously mere hours earlier, began to quiver. “I…I…”
It was unlike her to be so without words, and he was enjoying it, especially the show of emotion on her face.
“I…I…”
“Yes!” his grandmother finally yelled. “Yes! She’ll marry you!”
“She can speak for herself,” he said.
“No,” Lady D said, “she can’t. Quite obviously.”
“Yes,” Hyacinth said, nodding through her sniffles. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He lifted her hand to his lips. “Good.”
“Well,” his grandmother declared. “Well.” Then she muttered, “I need my cane.”
“It’s behind the clock,” Hyacinth said, never taking her eyes off Gareth’s.
Lady Danbury blinked with surprise, then actually got up and retrieved it.
“Why?” Hyacinth asked.
Gareth smiled. “Why what?”
“Why did you ask me to marry you?”
“I should think that was clear.”
“Tell her!” Lady D bellowed, thumping her cane against the carpet. She gazed down at the stick with obvious affection. “That’s much better,” she murmured.
Gareth and Hyacinth both turned to her, Hyacinth somewhat impatiently and Gareth with that blank stare of his that hinted of condescension without actually rubbing the recipient’s face in it.
“Oh very well,” Lady Danbury grumbled. “I suppose you’d like a bit of privacy.”