Under the Mistletoe with the Viscount (Unlikely Lords #6)

Chapter 22

C arlton opened the door for Miles before he had a chance to knock. “Welcome back, Mr. Walker.”

“Thank you, Carlton,” Miles said, handing over his valise and hat. “I’d like to see Lord Fleming, if he’s available.”

“He’s in his study. Shall I announce you?”

Miles shook his head. “There’s no need. I’ll head down there now.” Butterflies roiled around his gut as he walked down the hallway to the study. This would be the most important conversation of his life, and he didn’t want to make any mistakes.

He knocked on the door and waited.

“Come.”

Miles opened the door and strode in. “Fleming, it’s good to see you again.”

Lord Fleming stood and came around his desk, his hand extended. “Miles, welcome back.”

Miles took his hand in a firm handshake.

“How is Lord Harrison doing these days?” Fleming asked.

“Grieving the loss of his family, of course. He’s settling in though, learning about estate management.”

“I cannot even image such a tragedy,” Fleming said. “It was good that you were there to help him.”

“As he’s never had any experience with estate management, it took longer than I expected to teach him the basics. I think he’ll do very well once he gains some experience. Robertson is with him now,” Miles explained.

“That’s good. The earl can offer him some sound advice on his responsibilities as a member of the aristocracy. You must be tired from your journey. Would you care for a tea tray?”

“I would indeed, but first, I’d like to talk to you about a very important matter.”

Fleming pointed to the chairs by the fireplace. “Have a seat. No need to stand on ceremony. Would you care for a brandy?”

“Yes, thank you,” Miles said and sat down.

Fleming went to the sideboard and poured two drinks, handing one to Miles.

“Is there a new investment opportunity you’d like to discuss?” Fleming asked, sitting across from him.

Miles shook his head. “No, this is a matter of a personal nature.”

“Oh? Is something amiss?”

“Not at all. As a matter of fact, I hope everything will soon be perfect.”

Fleming sat forward. “Now I’m intrigued. Please do tell.”

“Before I left for Oxfordshire, your daughter and I spent many pleasant hours together. She’s an amazing young woman.”

“Indeed she is.”

“While I was gone, I realized that I wanted that amazing young woman in my life. The ache I felt being away from her became unbearable as the days and weeks flew by.”

“I see. Do you love my daughter?”

“With all my heart and soul. She completes me, and I never want to be parted from her again. Will you grant me permission to ask her to marry me?”

Fleming showed no emotion, and Miles was afraid he would deny him his request. He didn’t have a title, but he was a wealthy country gentleman who would have no trouble supporting a wife. “Of course,” he rushed to add, “she will be well taken care of. My estate is quite profitable, and she will not want for anything.”

“I see.”

“Is there anything I can add to make you understand the depth of my feelings for her?”

Fleming stood, chuckling, and held out his hand once again. “Miles, my dear boy, I had a feeling you and my Emma were developing a tendre for each other. I may be old, but I’m not blind. You have my blessing, of course, but the final decision must be Emma’s. ”

Miles shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you, Fleming. I agree that whatever Emma decides, I will abide by her decision.”

“Excellent. You might want to take a stroll in the garden. I believe you’ll find a certain someone by the rose bushes.”

“Thank you, Fleming,” Miles said before he headed out to the garden. Now that he had her father’s blessing, would Emma be receptive to his proposal, especially since he’d been gone for so many weeks? Had her heart changed toward him? All these thoughts rolled around his mind as he spotted a lone figure in the garden. He hurried his steps.

Emma stood in the garden, tracing a finger along one of the last velvety rose petals still clinging to a stalk. Soon, everything would be bare and stark as the autumn days rolled into winter. She’d always loved the changing of the seasons, but this year, it merely reminded her that time was marching on without Miles by her side.

She wondered how much longer he’d be gone. She knew he went to help his friend deal with his grief, and she applauded his sense of commitment and loyalty, but she’d realized once he had gone how much she missed him.

He was the first man who’d ever piqued her interest. Someone who listened to her, who talked with her about any number of things without a trace of condescension; someone who made her body burn hot whenever he was around. He had such expressive brown eyes, and she would never tire of looking at them. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline. In her eyes, he was perfect.

When he’d lifted her on and off her mare during their last morning ride, she could feel the heat through her clothes, and she wanted nothing more than to be closer to him. What would it be like to lie with a man? She knew a little of what happened between a man and a woman. There was livestock on the estate, of course, so she wasn’t completely in the dark about such things, and her mother had told her to trust her future husband to show her the joys of the marriage bed. Her parents were still deeply in love after all these years, and she yearned for a happy marriage that mirrored theirs.

When she first met Miles, she had no idea if he was one of those bachelors who wasted their lives with too much drink, too many women, and too much gambling. She’d known men like that, and she never wanted to become involved with someone whose only purpose in life was pursuing his own pleasure.

Much to her surprise and delight, Miles wasn’t at all like that. He was a country gentleman who owned and managed a profitable estate. He was likely kind to his staff if the way he talked with the servants at Fleming Manor was any indication; he took care of his tenants and was evidently excellent at sniffing out good investments. The fact that her father had invited Miles back to Fleming Manor to talk about those investments told Emma quite a bit about the quality of the man.

She’d never been the type of young woman who trifled with gentlemen. She was honest in her opinions, maybe a bit outspoken for some, but she felt it was better to either encourage or discourage a gentleman early in their acquaintance. As she’d spent more time with Miles, she’d hoped that she was encouraging him enough because she was falling hard for him.

“Oh, Miles, I miss you, my darling. When are you coming back to me?” she said with a sigh.

“How about now?” came a voice from behind her.

Emma whipped around so quickly that she nearly lost her balance and tumbled into the rose bush. “Miles, you’re back.”

“I am indeed, and my dear, I must say you are a sight for sore eyes.”

Emma wouldn’t stand on ceremony and rushed into his arms. “Oh, how I’ve longed for your company.”

Miles took her lips in a scorching kiss that sent shivers coursing through her body. She moaned with pleasure, and her lips parted, giving him access to taste her completely. Their kiss went on and on, until finally, Miles stepped back, still holding her in his embrace.

“My darling Emma, I’ve missed you terribly as well. Every day without you seemed an eternity,” he said, gently stroking her cheek.

“I felt the same way, but Lord Harrison needed you. I’m so proud of how caring you are with your friends. How is he doing?”

“He’s coping. There’s much he needs to learn about estate management, while also dealing with his grief. Robertson is with him now.”

“That’s good.”

“But I don’t wish to talk about my friend at the moment.”

“You don’t?”

Miles shook his head. “No. There’s something much more important to talk about.”

Butterflies roiled around Emma’s insides. Would her heart’s desire propose to her? It was her most fervent wish. She dared not say another word for fear of distracting him.

“While I was away, I did a lot of thinking about my life and how I wanted to live it.”

“You did? And what did you decide?” She almost regretted asking, because what if he was saying goodbye to her? She didn’t know what she’d do if he walked away from her.

Miles gave her a brilliant smile. “Can you not guess, my darling?”

Emma shook her head.

“Come now, my dear, I know how clever you are. Surely you know what I’m about to say.”

“Miles, your decision, please.”

He chuckled. “Always so impatient. Very well. I decided that I didn’t want to spend another moment apart from you ever again. I love you with all my heart. You’re the perfect woman for me, and I crave your presence every minute of every day.”

It was Emma’s turn to smile. “You love me?”

“Oh yes, and I told your father that.”

“You spoke to my father?”

“My dear, sweet Emma, are you going to answer everything I say with a question? Very well. Let me get to the most important part. Will you make me the happiest of men and consent to become my wife?”

Tears flowed freely down Emma’s cheeks.

“Emma, whatever’s the matter? Is that not what you wanted to hear? Please don’t cry,” Miles said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“My darling Miles, these are happy tears. I yearned for you to say those very words to me because I’ve fallen in love with you as well. I think I fell in love with you during our first walk to the village. You were so attentive and actually listened to what I had to say. I knew then that you were the kind of man I wanted for my husband.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“Oh indeed. Yes. Yes. Yes. Shall I shout it from the rooftop?”

Miles picked her up and swung her around. “You’re amazing. I do hope you don’t wish for a long engagement.”

When he put her feet on the ground once again, she said, “Absolutely not. I wish we could marry tomorrow.”

“My darling Emma, as much as I’d love that as well, there are protocols we must follow. The banns will need to be read, and in three weeks’ time, you’ll be mine.”

“You’re right, of course. I wouldn’t want to deprive my mother of the opportunity to plan a wedding breakfast.”

“Shall we go tell your parents our happy news?”

“Yes. I’m sure they’ll be delighted,” Emma said before they walked back to the manor.

They found her parents in the parlor, and the moment they entered, Emma couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

“Ahhh, I see Miles has made you a very happy young woman, my dear,” Fleming said.

Emma rushed to her father and kissed his cheek. “Papa, we’re engaged!”

Lady Fleming clapped. “How wonderful. I’m so very pleased for the both of you.”

“Papa, we want to have the banns read as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Fleming said. “I’ll send a note to the vicar.”

Emma and Miles took a seat on the sofa and chatted with her parents about the arrangements for the wedding and the celebration after the church ceremony.

Miles squeezed her hand. “Are you happy, my sweet?”

“Deliriously so,” Emma said, staring into his beautiful brown eyes that she loved so dearly.