Miss Lacey's Love Letters (9 page)

She hurried to the drawing room so quickly, she was practically running. The children had drained her energy, but the thought of seeing Noah Worthington had re-energized her. When she opened the door, her hands were shaking, so she held them behind her back as she entered the room.

As soon as she saw him, Valeria gasped. He was dressed to the nines, in a tailor-made greatcoat, superfine breeches, and polished black boots. He looked like such a gentleman, handsome and polished, and he had even shaven his face. She barely recognized him.

"Mr. Worthington, what a pleasure to see you!" she exclaimed. "An unexpected pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless. What brings you all the way to London?"

"You." His voice was quiet, but severe. "I came for you."

"I... see." Her hands still trembled, so she clenched her fists. "Well, I... I'm flattered. I never imagined you would come all the way to London, seeing as you rarely venture out of your house."

"I had a very good reason for venturing out." When he took a step in her direction, she saw that his hands were shaking too, and that put her at ease. "Valeria, I have something for you."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"My heart," he said. "My heart, and a letter." When he reached into the pocket of his greatcoat and extracted the parchment, his hands were shaking more than ever. And they continued to shake as he read aloud:

My Dearest Valeria,

Before I met you, I was a hopeless man. I had nothing... no one. I enjoyed my solitude, and I reveled in loneliness. Now that I have met you, I never want to be alone again. Now that I have met you, I realise I am nothing without you.

When you left, you took my heart with you. You have been in my thoughts and in my dreams, and I am happy to have you there. I would have you in my dreams forever, if I could. I did not know the depth of my feelings until our hour of separation. Since then, my life has been nothing but misery. I stand before you now, hoping you will make my life worth living again.

To be honest, the reason I avoid human interaction is not because I am afraid of being let down by people. I am actually afraid of losing them. Having you in my life is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don't want to lose you. I do not want a life without you.

When I look in your eyes, I am filled with overwhelming contentment. I feel as if my entire world is at peace, like I have found where I belong. I belong with you, and you belong with me. We have not known each other very long, but I know I am right. We complete each other. When I am without you, I would swear I am only half a man.

When I am older and I look back on my life, this will be the moment that will make me the most proud. It takes a great amount of courage to stand before someone and tell them how you feel, but if I had not done this, I know I would regret it forever. Regardless of what you say to me, my heart is yours. My heart will always be yours.

If I am lucky enough to have you in my life, I hope I never die. I want to live forever, for I have already found heaven on earth. I am in heaven when I am with you, Valeria Woll. If I could hold you, I would have an angel in my arms.

With love,

Noah Worthington

Noah folded the letter, returned it to his pocket, and hesitated to look at her. When he heard her sniffling, he wondered what it meant.

Valeria was crying.

"That was beautiful, Noah." Her voice crackled as she spoke. "I... I don't know what to say!"

"You could tell me how
you
feel," he chuckled. "But that is only a suggestion. You certainly shouldn't feel obligated. You--"

"I love you!" Valeria ran toward him and seized his hands. "I realized it the moment I left you. I want to be with you. I never want to be parted again!" She released one of his hands and wiped her cheeks. "I... I hope that does not sound too silly. After all, I haven't known you for very long and--"

"Silly?!" He threw back his head and chuckled again. "I just poured out my heart in a letter! Do you honestly think
anything
would sound silly to me, you silly girl?!"

"I... suppose not. But... I fell in love with you so quickly! How is that even possible?!" She shook her head with disbelief. "Lydia always said I needed to be more fanciful, to let myself relax and love and enjoy life."

"Lydia." His lips sagged. "She will be missed."

"She will. I miss her every day. You know, we have Lydia to thank for our happiness. She encouraged me to read the letters... she encouraged me to meet you. If you think about it, it is very serendipitous. She must have known I would need someone."

"I have always needed someone. Now I know what I need." Noah cupped her cheek, caressed her skin, and brought his face closer to hers. "I need
you
." When she did not turn away, he lowered his lips to hers, kissing them again and again. Noah knew it was improper to kiss her so many times, but he simply could not resist, not when her kisses put him in a state of unimaginable bliss. "Will you marry me, Miss Woll?"

She didn't even need time to think. "I will."

"Then I am the luckiest man alive. And the happiest."

When she saw him descending for another kiss, Valeria laid a finger over his lips. "If I marry you, you must promise me something."

"Anything," he said. "I am yours to command, dearest Valeria. I would promise you anything and everything."

"Let us always appreciate each other. Always and forever." Valeria closed her eyes and held his hand against her cheek. The warmth of his skin made her entire body erupt with pleasant tingles. "And let us never forget the loved ones we have lost."