‘Miss Rosington, you have captivated me. Entranced me. The idea that I will wake up in a week, knowing I will never see you again, is untenable.’
The voices of the others in the gallery, which had become muted with distance, now grew louder, signalling the need for even greater urgency. He caught her by the hands, pulling her quickly away from the door as he said in a low, hurried voice, ‘Then we shall elope. In three days’ time I can secure a Special Licence and make the necessary arrangements. You say you’d marry me if it were not for your fear of your cousin making your life intolerable. Well, dear heart, in three days’ time you shall be my wife and there’ll not be anything he can do about it. What do you say?’
She stared up at him, the fear in her eyes slowly turning to luminescent d
