He tried again. “I was never going to marry. But then I was never going to fall in love either. It was an emotion I thought I was immune to. You’ve proven me wrong. I just wish I had realized it before Christmas day. Had I recognized it sooner, we would have been engaged before your father returned; hell, I might even have dragged you off to Gretna Green to make sure we were married before his return.”

He paused, waited hopefully, but she still just stared pensively at the tree. His last chance, and she was shooting it down with her silence. Of course, that was answer in itself. She’d had enough time to harden her resolve. But he hadn’t anticipated indifference.

He moved behind her, started to put his hands on her shoulders, but stopped himself, afraid she’d bolt if he touched her. “Rissa, say something.”

“I read your brother’s letters.”

“And?”

“And I might have done the same thing you did.”

He went still, held his breath. “You’re saying you forgive me?”

“I’m saying I love you and can’t find any way around that.”

He didn’t give her a chance to take it back or try to correct what she’d just said. He swung her around, gathered her close, kissed her deeply. That she yielded immediately was his answer and filled him with such relief, there was barely any room left to contain his joy. She was his again! And he wasn’t going to lose her this time.

“You came here with the intention of forgiving me?” he said.

“I thought it might be possible.”

Her grin was infectious. He returned it, hugged her tightly. “Elope with me.”

“No, we do this the proper way this time. You’ll have to speak to my father.”

He groaned. “He’s made his feelings clear. He doesn’t like me.”

“You’ll find he’s probably changed his mind about that,” she told him. “He knows I love you. He’s the one who made me see that I was being too hard on you. But if I’m wrong, then we can elope.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?” he asked her in amazement.

She cupped his cheeks in her hands so tenderly. “I was letting my hurt overrule my heart, when I knew deep down that you were still the man I fell in love with. I’m sorry it took so long for my heart to take over again—”

“Shh, it doesn’t matter now. Nothing else matters, except that we’re together again. I’ll speak to your father immediately.”

“You’ll help me take down the Christmas tree first,” she said.

He chuckled. “I knew that tree was going to bring us together again.”

“It’s almost a shame to take it down, when it’s still so green.”

“Then don’t,” he suggested. “Or is that part of the ritual?”