“No, Lord Courtenay, I put that first,” she said softly.
And then——!
Who made the first movement towards the other neither ever knew. Certain it is that Marie suddenly found herself returning Wilfrid’s passionate kiss and clinging to his embrace as if she meant never to part from it.
In the stillness that followed, she could hear the wild beating of her heart above the ripple of the forest leaves.
“And do you really love me?” asked Marie, breaking the long spell of silence.
“Do you doubt it?”
“No, but you have not yet said it. It will be sweet to hear it.”
So Wilfrid said it, not once, but many times.
“And is this,” she asked, with a significant pressure of her arms, “is this the plan you were speaking of?”