Two hours later, Sophie was washed, dried, and dressed in a night rail and wrapper. She had chosen to sit by the fire with a tea tray in front of her. Mrs. Martins had examined the cut to her neck and had determined it not in need of stitching, although she had given Sophie a medicinal salve with which to place on it to aid its healing. Sophie had done as instructed, wrinkling her nose at the smell, but had to admit that, already, the ache was lessening.

“Thank you, Mrs. Martins,” she murmured, as the woman made her way to the bedroom door. “You have been very good to me.”

“It is no more than you deserve,” the housekeeper replied, smiling. “Now, I am quite sure the master will wish to see you.” Her eyes flickered over Sophie. “Are you ready to see him?”

Pulling her wrapper a little tighter, Sophie nodded, aware that it was quite untoward to let a gentleman into her room when she was in such a state of dress, but found that she did not care in the least. Her reputation was rather ruined as it was, and she would prefer to take a few moments alone with him than be concerned of what people may think. After what they had been through together, she wished for nothing more than his company.

“Let me go in search of him,” Mrs. Martins replied with a smile, before closing the door.

Sophie let out a breath, her stomach rolling with unexpected butterflies as Mrs. Martins left the room. Now that the shock of what had happened had begun to wear off, she was scared of the strength of her attachment to Benjamin. Her desire for him, for his company and for his love, had grown to such depths that she was afraid to give in entirely to what she felt, not quite certain where it would lead.

* * *

“Sophie?”

Benjamin took a step into the doorway, before hurrying towards her and dropping to his knees in front of where she sat in the corner chair, so that he might look up into her face.

“I am quite well, I assure you,” Sophie whispered, her hand tracing his features gently. “Thank you, Benjamin, for all that you have done. I’m sorry --”

“Enough of that,” he said, though he softened his words with a wide hand spanned across her cheek. “I proposed marriage to you before because I could not imagine sending you back to him and it was the only way to keep you safe. I still want to do so, but not only for those reasons.”

She blinked once, twice, before managing a tremulous smile. “I have hidden so much from you,” she murmured. “How can you forgive me after what I have done?”

“Because I know why you did it,” Benjamin replied at once, an ache in his throat as he saw just how vulnerable she truly was. “You had to escape your cousin somehow, and you had no one to turn to.”

“I did not know your character, else I would have told you all from the beginning.”

Benjamin shook his head. “I can understand your thoughts toward me. I did not treat you with the respect you deserved, but only made you think I was just like Dunstable.”

Revulsion and anger swirled within him once more as he thought of the man. “You -- you’ve changed me, Sophie. I want to show you the man I am, the man I know I can be. You must know I am not like your cousin, but I…” he stopped and took her hands in his. “Miss Sophie Carmichael, will you be my wife? I can think of no other who will do me so well as you. With you by my side, I will not stray. My course will be straight, my life a responsible one.”

Sophie swallowed, no smile on her face. She studied him for a long moment, her eyes contemplative. “I do not think I am worthy of you, my lord,” she said, eventually. “I can bring nothing but trouble to you. My cousin –”

“Will no longer be an issue. I will never let him hurt you,” Benjamin interrupted, quickly. “Do not think of him. You will bring me a great deal of good, Sophie, I know it,” he finished, not understanding why her gaze was still so closed off an unsure.

As she looked down at him with wanting, waiting eyes, the love bloomed in his chest and he finally recognized what she was waiting for. What a fool he had been. What she wanted to know was the depths of his heart. “I cannot deny that I hold a deep affection for you.”

Her breath caught and her eyes widened as she looked back at him.

“You make me a better man, but it’s more than that. Whether you are a lady or a maid, I care naught. What I care about is the love I have for you and what you may feel for me,” Benjamin promised, his own heart beating with gladness and delight. There was no pain, no embarrassment in being so open and so vulnerable, only a wondrous, freeing feeling that grew with every word he spoke.

“You love me?” Her expression was incredulous, her eyes burning with an inner fire as if she could hardly believe the words.

“I do,” he answered, softly. “I love you, Sophie Carmichael. I cannot imagine being without you. I only ask that you forgive me for how I have acted toward you these past weeks.”

Her face broke into a grin, and her smile was radiant, despite the pain that she obviously still felt in her body. “Benjamin,” she said, his name on her lips causing a stirring within him. “There is absolutely nothing to apologize for. I welcomed your kisses. In fact, I want nothing but more of them. I thought you were marrying me out of duty, and I had no wish for you to tie me to you as a burden for the rest of your life.”

“Never a burden,” he said, relief washing over him that she did not fear him, nor think of him as the facade of a man he had been.

“Benjamin Harrington, I would be pleased to be your bride. I -- I confess that I have felt the same, although my ardor has confused me terribly.”

“Then it shall confuse you no longer,” he breathed, joy lifting his heart. “My dear Sophie, I shall make you my wife just as soon as I am able.” He kissed her gently, refusing to allow himself to plumb the depths of his feelings towards her as he reminded himself of what she had just gone through. Stars seemed to sparkle around her as he drew back, her wide hazel eyes full of love as she looked at him. She meant more to him than he thought anyone ever could. “Truly, you are quite a remarkable woman,” he finally said, softly. “I cannot believe all that you have endured. I know you have been alone for a long time and I promise you that you will never be alone again. In fact,” he laughed, “you may regret the people around you once you meet my family!”

Tears began to run down her cheeks in earnest. Benjamin pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wiping them away. He smiled at her gently as he took her hand once more, hating that her lovely face was marred by the marks of her cousin.

He reached for her then, and she went willingly, forgetting the pain in her body as she moved towards him. He was gentle, making sure not to touch her neck but setting her body alight nonetheless.

His kiss was slow and soft, as if he did not want to hurry her, did not want to press her into any kind of affection she did not feel. Sophie buried her hands in his hair and leaned down a little more, angling her head as he had once done to her. He jerked in surprise at her boldness as she nipped at his bottom lip but, in a moment, his hands were around her waist and he was pulling her to the edge of the chair, his chest pressed to hers.

* * *

“Sophie,” he gasped, breaking the kiss and looking into her eyes. “We shouldn’t continue. Not until we are wed. I swore to myself I wouldn’t take you before then.”

“But you love me, do you not?” Sophie whispered, refusing to release him.

“I do,” came his breathless reply.

“Then you have nothing to fear,” she replied. “I do not know what it is to experience love between man and woman but I know I want to share it with you.” She felt no shame or embarrassment at saying such a thing, her heart bursting with love for him, secure in the knowledge that he felt the same for her.

He groaned aloud and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his hands still spanning her waist. “You’re much too tempting, Sophie,” he whispered before his mouth found hers once more.

Sophie, wanting to prove to him just how much she needed him, how much she wanted him now in this moment, managed to get to her feet, her fingers tearing at her wrapper. She shook with both nerves and heightened desire as she allowed it to pool on the floor. His eyes glittered as he watched her, making it almost too difficult for her to breathe. Sophie closed her eyes as he gently reached for the hem of her dress, moving carefully so as not to bring her any more pain. He gradually brought it over her head, and her skin tingled with the awareness of being entirely bare before his heated gaze. Her heart thumped wildly and she swallowed hard, finally bringing her eyes to his.

Suddenly embarrassed by her nakedness, she moved her arms to cover herself but he gently held them at her side. “No,” he murmured. “Let me see you.”

She let her arms drop before finally bringing her eyes up to his. What she saw was complete and utter shock, followed by a hungry desire that, much to her surprise, matched her own. Sophie shuddered, putting one hand out to rest on his shoulder, suddenly weak with all that she felt.

“You are utterly exquisite,” Benjamin breathed, reaching out one hand to run his fingers lightly along her arm. “I can hardly believe that you are mine.”