“But how far gone are you? Do you fancy yourself in love with her?” Quinn asked when Jack remained silent.
That was the crucial question. There was no doubt his hatred for his father was diminishing. And for Sophie’s sake, he could endeavor to let go of the past, possibly enough to acknowledge his royal heritage. But was he willing to surrender his heart for the first time?
He was a Wilde after all, and the Wildes were blessed—or cursed, depending on one’s point of view—with the primal desire to find a mate. Except for Quinn, their family generally believed that true love was life’s greatest prize.
Until this year when Ash had found Maura, love had proved elusive for their generation. But the thought that he could be the next to fall no longer disturbed Jack as it once had.
In truth, he’d made a vast transformation these past few weeks, in large part because of Sophie’s healing presence. Her allure stemmed not merely from her beauty but from that special, nurturing quality she had in abundance. She warmed him from the inside out. His heart felt lighter when he was with her. He felt as if he could conquer the world when she smiled at him.
And the simple truth was, he never felt alone when he was with Sophie.
If that was not love, then what was it?
Love or not, the choice was clear for Jack: If Sophie agreed to wed him, he would become heir to the Navartanian throne. But they had to decide soon. Consequently, he invited her on a ride the following afternoon to press the issue.
“My family’s company may be delightful, but we need a respite from their charms,” he told her in vague explanation.
Sophie apparently agreed, judging by her willingness to escape the palace with him, although she waited to question him until they had guided their saddle horses through the rear gates and turned onto a wide riding path in the forest. “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
The weather had cooperated with a perfect summer day—gentle sunshine, brilliant blue sky, and a smattering of fleecy white clouds floating overhead. As their mounts negotiated the gentle descent through the forest, Jack initiated his discussion by voluntarily introducing the subject of his father.
“You were wise to encourage me to talk to Prince Raoul. After hearing his side of the story, the worst of my bitterness is gone,” Jack acknowledged. “And perhaps I don’t hate him quite as much as before.”
“Oh?” Sophie looked surprised by his confession. Doubtless she hadn’t expected that he would purposely share his feelings with her. But if he’d learned anything about Sophie over the past fortnight, it was that emotional honesty was the only policy that worked with her.
“I am glad, Jack,” she said softly. “I didn’t want to cause you more pain, but I hoped you could reconcile with your father, regardless of whether you claim your royal birthright. Have you decided yet what course you will take?”
Jack took a slow breath, bracing himself. He was finally prep
ared to do the one thing he’d spurned his entire life. “Yes. I’m willing to accept his offer if you will be my princess.”
Sophie gave him a long, searching look, then fell into a troubled silence. Likely she also knew that time was growing short for a decision. Jack could only trust that the preparations he’d taken great care in making would influence her answer positively. Belatedly, he’d realized that his courtship had not held any real romance thus far, nor had he made her a proper proposal of marriage. This afternoon he intended to rectify both lapses.
After another quarter hour of riding, they reached the secluded site that was his destination. The forest was more sparse here and gave way to a sun-drenched mountain meadow, which nestled against the side of a ravine. On the rocky face above their heads, a lively stream tumbled over a wall of boulders before spilling into a crystal clear pool below. The sparkling mist surrounding the waterfall generated a treasure of rainbows.
“How beautiful,” Sophie murmured over the rush of water. “How did you find this place?”
“I asked the palace servants about the most picturesque sites.”
She caught her breath when she spied the quilt spread on the grass, where the servants had laid out a feast for their private enjoyment. “You clearly went to a great deal of trouble to plan this outing.”
“You are worth it.”
Jack slid down from his saddle and helped Sophie to dismount. Tethering the horses to a nearby tree, he led her to the quilt and settled her there, then sat beside her and presented her with a simple gift from his knapsack.
“A crown of flowers for your hair, my lady.”
Sophie accepted the wreath of daisies and larkspur with a wary smile while questioning his motives. “What are you about, Jack?”
“I wanted to set the scene for a romantic proposal.”
“This is indeed romantic,” she conceded as he poured wine into two goblets and handed her one. “Did your female relatives put you up to this?”
“No, this was my own idea—although Skye took me to task yesterday for failing to woo you properly. Hounded me is more accurate.”
That drew another faint smile from Sophie. “I can just imagine.”