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His arms immediately went around her, holding her close, anchoring her against his chest. Tears trickled down her cheeks and sobs tore out of her lungs as she clung to him, curling her fingers into his cloak.

“Shh…” he soothed her. “I am here. You’re fine now.”

She cried her heart out into his coat, her body shaking, holding on to him as if he was the only thing keeping her upright. And he probably was.

He was running his hands up and down her body, whispering soothing nonsense in her ears.

They stood like that for what seemed like a lifetime.

And then he kissed her on her hair, and that was what snapped her out of the moment.

She eased away from him and wiped at her tears.

Richard handed her a handkerchief, and she gratefully accepted it, wiping away the moisture from her face.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the handkerchief, unable to face him just yet.

“I came to take you away from all this.”

Jo’s head shot up. Her mouth was opened in shock, and she nervously licked her lips. They were salty with her tears.

Richard’s throat worked on a swallow, his scowling face grim. “You didn’t answer any of my missives… I understood it to mean that either you didn’t get any of them or you didn’t forgive me. So I came to… I came to personally apologize for being a hard-headed fool. I can’t marry anyone else, Jo. It’s… it’s only you. It’s always been you.”

Jo had to pinch herself to make certain she wasn’t dreaming because it looked and felt very much like one of her dreams. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” He took her hands in his and peered into her eyes. “I’m saying that there is only one woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. And it’s you.”

Jo stared at him in sheer disbelief, not certain what to say.

“Say something,” he said on a chuckle. “Say that you feel the same and… we can elope.”

“Elope?” Her brows furrowed. “And what about the lady you’re betrothed to?”

He grimaced.

A laugh escaped her lips. She snatched her hands away from his and walked back to her vanity. She placed a hand against her head so it wouldn’t crack from the headache that threatened to spill.

Today was a day full of emotional revelations, and she didn’t know how to react to any of it.

He wanted to elope. With her. He came here to ask her forgiveness and take her as his wife. Except that he was going about it all wrong. Again. “You didn’t even speak to your fiancée?”

Richard cleared his throat. “I haven’t thought this through, I admit. But I had to know if you felt the same—”

“And if I don’t? Then you’ll go back to the woman you’re actually betrothed to? You have to know how wrong this is, how… how insulting that is!”

“I didn’t mean to insult. Not you, and not her. I’m just…” He scrubbed his face. ”What do you want me to do? To break off my betrothal first? You know that I can’t do that! The only way I can stop the engagement is by not appearing at the wedding or marrying someone else. Both prospects are callous and awful, I agree. But since the betrothal has been announced and the papers have been drawn, she is the only one who can break our engagement.”

Jo shook her head. “How—Why have you suddenly decided that you want me instead?”

“Not instead.” He swallowed. “Jo, I was an arrogant fool… perhaps I still am. But I didn’t realize it when it stared me right in the face. I didn’t realize that I was happy. With you. That I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

He loved her.

Was this true? Or was this one of her dreams?

Her mind was still foggy, but her soul was tugging her toward him.