He had read the letter enough times in the past day to be quite certain of what it said and yet as soon as it was out of his hands Evander found himself genuinely panicked that he had hallucinated the whole thing, and that he had misread one thing for another.
In any case, even the letter did not make it a sure thing, because there was every possibility that, just as he had spent the last month convincing himself of this step, she had talked herself out of it. She certainly felt something, judging by the gasp, but until she smiled at its finish he had had his doubts.
But she had spurred on the whole affair, so perhaps he ought to afford himself a little safety in her answer. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards expectantly again, trying to recall the exact wording of the sentence as he had mentally rehearsed it earlier. “So, I suppose all that remains is your final verdict on the matter,” Evander said, meeting her eyes and feeling rather as though his fate was in her hands now, with nothing else to be done for it, “and I dearly hope it is still the same as it was.” He had meant to say rather more on the subject to convince her, but with the rush of adrenaline all he actually managed was taking one of her gloved hands into his again. “Would you do me the very great honour of allowing me to court you, Caroline?”
In any case, even the letter did not make it a sure thing, because there was every possibility that, just as he had spent the last month convincing himself of this step, she had talked herself out of it. She certainly felt something, judging by the gasp, but until she smiled at its finish he had had his doubts.
But she had spurred on the whole affair, so perhaps he ought to afford himself a little safety in her answer. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards expectantly again, trying to recall the exact wording of the sentence as he had mentally rehearsed it earlier. “So, I suppose all that remains is your final verdict on the matter,” Evander said, meeting her eyes and feeling rather as though his fate was in her hands now, with nothing else to be done for it, “and I dearly hope it is still the same as it was.” He had meant to say rather more on the subject to convince her, but with the rush of adrenaline all he actually managed was taking one of her gloved hands into his again. “Would you do me the very great honour of allowing me to court you, Caroline?”
