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Checkmate

It had been exquisite

But it wasn’t why he had asked Hyacinth to marry him He’d asked her because—Well, there had been a hundred different reasons It had been complicated

He liked her Wasn’t that irandmother He couldn’t possibly marry a woman who couldn’t deal ith Lady Danbury

And he’d wanted her He’d wanted her with an intensity that had taken his breath away

It had made sense to marry Hyacinth It still made sense

That was it That hat he needed to articulate He just needed to irl She was Hyacinth

It hy he liked her so well

He opened his ed He had to get this right Or if not right, then at least not coan

“I a hiht “Good heavens, if I weren’t so bloody sensible, I would have cried off” Her jaent rigid, and she sed

And he thought to hi to cry

“I knehat I was doing earlier this evening,” she said, her voice painfully quiet “I knehat it meant, and I knew that it was irrevocable” Her lower lip quivered, and she looked away as she said, “I just never expected to regret it”

It was like a punch to the gut He’d hurt her He’d really hurt her He hadn’t , but he’d hurt her

And he was stunned to realize how much that hurt him

For athe other