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“When you spend enough time with children, you stop caring about such things,” Clara replied. “Did you come here to reminisce? I’m sure the children are happy that you stopped by. If you would like to play with them, there are some things to which I must attend in the house.”

Clara started to move away, not wanting to be with him again, not wanting to feel this horrible emotion that everything was slipping away. She knew she would recover in time, but only if there was distance between them. If he haunted her like this, then she would never be able to wrest the feelings away.

Gerald’s hand shot out as she tried to move past him. He held her arm, tightly enough to keep her close to him, but not enough to cause pain.

“I came to tell you something important,” he said in a low voice, the words intended for her and only her. “I came to save St. Margaret’s out of obligation, but I truly did not know how worth saving it was. The work you’ve done here is remarkable. The children are thriving because of you. No amount of money would be able to achieve that. Only you could.”

“If you’re here to praise me again, then you should have saved it for the benefit.”

“Please listen to me, Clara. I know I wounded you, but it was because I spoke improperly. I did not make myself plain, even though I believed my feelings were evident. Eleanor informs me that they were not. I thought my duty was to protect this home. Always I have been filled with a sense of duty, moving from purpose to purpose whether it’s business or the estate or Eleanor or St. Margaret’s… but it has become apparent to me that duty alone cannot make a man happy. It cannot fill a man’s life. He must choose something else eventually and in my case that something else is… you.”

He paused before uttering the final word. Clara felt the breath rush from her lungs. She stared at him, wondering if he truly meant this. She searched his eyes for deceit, but could find none.

“Gerald-”

“Please, Clara, allow me to finish. I was interrupted the last time I tried to say these things and it led to you walking away. I do not want the same thing to happen again.” As he spoke his hand moved down her arm, taking her hand. He squeezed tightly and it was as though lightning jolted through her.

“Renewing the lease was the right thing to do,” he continued, “and protecting Eleanor was my duty as a brother. Supporting Agatha and the children was an honor, but none of these filled my heart as much as spending time with you. I know I annoyed you at the beginning. What I demanded of you was beyond the pale, and my only excuse was that I thought I had no other choice. You have every right to hate my of course, even later, because I broke your most sacred rule. But I want to break it again and again, a thousand times over because I love you, Clara. I’m not sure when it happened exactly, but I love you”

Clara’s heart ached. His words were music to her ears and every part of her wanted to fling herself towards him and bow at the mercy of his impassioned words.

Almost every part.

There was still a shadow in her eyes.

“Why do you love me, Gerald?” she asked.

He adjusted his position to stand directly in front of her. Clara wondered what reason he would give.

Gerald reached up and stroked her cheek. He brushed dark strands of hair away from her face.

“Because I can do nothing else. Because you will not allow me to do anything else. I love you because of who you are, Clara. Because of your goodness, your kindness, your compassion, your wit, your intelligence, your beauty, and every other aspect, each one of which is like the stars in the sky, and they all come together to create the vast scene of God’s beauty. Every time I look at you, I fall in love a little bit more, and in truth? It frightens me because I have never known such a thing before.

“I know I have wronged you. I know I have insulted you. I know I have upset you. I forced you into an agreement in which you never wanted to take part, and I broke your rules. You have every right to turn me away, and if you do so, then I shall leave with my tail between my legs. However, if you do, then I hope it is because you understand the depths of my feelings and simply do not feel the same way. I don’t want there to be anything left unsaid, Clara.”

The words swept over her. Clara blinked slowly, trying to fend off the dizzy feeling.

“Everything you just said was perfect. Utterly, absolutely perfect,” she said. A smile played on her face. He raised her hand and kissed it as a grin spread across his face.

“Do you mean it?”

“I do. I’ve always felt as though people only love me for what I can do, not who I am. I didn’t think your feelings ran any deeper than that.”

“They do Clara, they do. I wish I had been able to make you see before.”

“I’m sorry for running away. I didn’t want to give myself to you when there was a chance of getting hurt. I was only trying to protect myself.”

“And you were right to do so. I never should have made you think otherwise. But I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you from now on,” as he said this, he got down on one knee. “If you would consent to be my wife.”

Clara’s heart fluttered.

Without thinking, only feeling, she leaned towards Gerald, and they shared a kiss that had been threatening to happen for a long time. This time there was no pulling away, no thoughts that they were doing anything wrong. There was only love.

The children came rushing around. They’d been peeking in on the conversation, and as soon as they saw Gerald getting down on one knee, they could not contain their excitement. Gerald and Clara broke off their kiss, a little self-conscious about being caught by the children. They hugged both Gerald and Clara, while Duke jumped up and licked Gerald’s face.

“Hold your excitement, children; Clara hasn’t given me an answer yet,” Gerald said, fending off Duke as best he could. He still had hold of Clara’s hand.

“Yes, I would love to marry you,” she said. The children cheered. Gerald rose and hugged her, and then proceeded to lift her off the ground and spin her in the air. She screamed in surprise and delight. The children thought this looked grand, and all of them, aside from Emily, wanted to be treated to the same thing. Gerald obliged them. Clara watched as he ran through the greenhouse, spinning them through the air.