It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers, #2)

by Lisa Kleypas

“What was the wish?” Lillian demanded. “You never told me.” Daisy regarded her with a quizzical smile. “Isn’t it obvious, dear? I wished that Annabelle would marry someone who truly loved her.”

Marcus shook his head helplessly. “I’m sorry,” he rasped, even as he knew what he was about to do. “My God. Sorry—” His mouth clamped over hers, and he began to kiss her as if his life depended on it.

“the next time you face a room full of strangers . . . you might tell yourself that some of them are just friends waiting to be found.”

“I was right, wasn’t I?” she asked huskily, unable to look at him. “It was a mistake for us to dance.” Westcliff waited so long to reply that she thought he might not. “Yes,” he finally said, the single syllable roughened with some unidentifiable emotion.

“I don’t want to see you hurt.” “Has it ever occurred to you, you arrogant idiot, that the person most likely to hurt me might be you?”

He could no longer deny that for the rest of his life, he would measure every other woman against her, and find them all lacking.

“Every friendship has its scars. And I believe if St. Vincent had understood the strength of my feelings for the woman, he wouldn’t have pursued her. In this case, however, I couldn’t allow the past to repeat itself. You’re too . . . important . . . to me.”

After a lengthy pause, the countess was heard to mutter, “It matters not what becomes of me. I am content in the knowledge that I have prevented him from befouling the family lineage.” Livia turned to give her mother a half-pitying, half-contemptuous glance. “Marcus never fails,” she said softly. “Most of his childhood was spent learning to overcome impossible odds. And now that Marcus has finally found someone worth fighting for . . . do you really think he would let anything stop him?”

“I love you, Marcus.” Taking the napkin from him, Lillian blew her nose noisily and continued to weep as she spoke. “I love you. I don’t mind if I’m the first one to say it, nor even if I’m the only one. I just want you to know how very much—” “I love you too,” he said huskily. “I love you too. Lillian . . . Please don’t cry. It’s killing me. Don’t.”

“There is nothing on earth more beautiful to me than your smile . . . no sound sweeter than your laughter . . . no pleasure greater than holding you in my arms. I realized today that I could never live without you, stubborn little hellion that you are. In this life and the next, you’re my only hope of happiness. Tell me, Lillian, dearest love . . . how can you have reached so far inside my heart?” He paused to kiss her damp silken skin . . . and smiled as the wisp of a feminine snore broke the peaceful silence.