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It wouldn’t be morally right for Lord Fairfax to tell anyone what he had almost encountered, but he wouldn’t be wrong for him to say what he suspected. It was obvious he had been pursuing her, and perhaps he would have asked for her hand; likely, she would have eventually accepted. Would he be magnanimous and step aside?

Eleanor felt a pull at her arm, and when she turned to see Gabriel, she gasped, then weakened at the knees.

Eleanor almost reached out and grabbed him, but her last instinct stopped her from placing her hands on his body in public. She quickly closed her mouth when it hung open again at the sight of him.

There was the same stirring in the pit of her stomach, and she hoped he had come to take her away again to finish what they had started.

“I must speak with you,” Gabriel told her.

Eleanor could only nod.

“And your mother,” Gabriel added, turning to Margaret. “Lady Ashworth, I must have a word with you and your daughter.”

“Yes, of course,” Margaret said, as if she had been expecting it.

Gabriel led them, his hand on Eleanor’s wrist the entire time, through the ballroom and out into the same hallway where Eleanor had escaped previously. As they passed the small study lit by a single candle, Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat.

She was glad that Gabriel didn’t lead them into that room. Instead, he took them to the library.

Eleanor hadn’t seen Lord Fairfax since he had almost caught them, and she expected him to be there, but the room was empty.

“Lady Eleanor,” Gabriel said, gesturing to an empty chair. He gestured toward a second. “Lady Ashworth.”

Eleanor cautiously sat down. Gabriel had told her he would take care of the situation, and she trusted him, but he had squirreled them away to talk in private, and Eleanor worried he hadn’t been able to keep Lord Fairfax in check. It wouldn’t only be her Season that was over, but her life.

“My first instinct was to talk with Nathaniel, but I shan’t be able to contact him soon enough if at all. His diplomatic mission is taking him all over the continent, and it will be difficult to get any letter to him.”

When Gabriel spoke, he addressed Margaret directly.

“Eleanor’s father has passed away, so the right thing to do is to talk directly with you, Lady Ashworth.”

Eleanor clasped her hands on her lap as she imagined the scenarios. Whatever had happened, it was far more serious than she had expected.

“You can talk to me about anything you wish,” Margaret said, unconcerned.

“Nathaniel entrusted me with the care of your daughter, Lady Ashworth. He is a good friend of mine, and I have often considered him a brother, and I know he feels the same. I trust that my opinion on this matter is aligned with his.”

“Nathaniel spoke to me before he left and told me that you knew best when it came to Eleanor this Season,” Margaret said. “Please, Your Grace, I can tell that you have something to say to us both. You can speak freely in our company.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said. “Then I will state it plainly. I have brought you here to ask for your hand in marriage, Lady Eleanor. I only hope that you will accept my proposal.”

Eleanor’s mouth dropped open.

Of all the things she expected him to say, that hadn’t been one of them.

And her mother was completely lost for words, too. Margaret, however, was the first to recover.

“What an idea!” Margaret gasped. “I can’t speak for Eleanor, but the proposal is a generous one, of course, Your Grace. You are a good man and a fine one, too. I shall say no more on the matter until my daughter has had a chance to respond.”

Eleanor’s ears rang slightly as she considered what she had just been told. As soon as she heard it, she understood why he had suggested it. She knew it was the right course of action, as unbelievable as it was.

And unnerving.

It was her goal for the Season, but not with…

And yet, her body had ached for his touch over the past thirty minutes since he had touched her so firmly. When they were wed, they would get to enjoy that; she would enjoy it.

The thoughts swirled through her mind. The duke stared at her intently, waiting for an answer; she was expected to give one promptly. How could she do so when there was so much to think about?