“T-touch me – please – touch me,” she begged, her words falling over themselves. “I did not – understand, I did not – know what I – was doing – but I – l-love you, oh, Valdo – I love you so – agonisingly.”
She felt the hard strength of the Marquis’s arms.
Then, with her face still hidden against his shoulder, she felt his hand go to her hair, pulling out the hairpins and dropping them onto the carpet until wave upon wave of fiery silk fell over her shoulders and almost down to her waist.
Then very very gently the Marquis put his fingers under her chin and lifted her little face to his.
“Do you mean that, my darling?” he said, his voice hoarse and low. “Do you really mean you love me? I have been afraid, desperately afraid, that it was but a part of my delirium. I was looking for you an
