I turned.
No one was there.
I assumed I had imagined it and went back to work.
A few weeks later, I arrived at Richard’s estate and stopped in the entrance hall.
Fresh flowers filled tall vases. Candles flickered across the room, and soft music drifted through the house.
Richard normally warned me before inviting guests because those days required more preparation.
This time, he hadn’t mentioned anything.
I found him in his study wearing a dark suit.
For once, he looked nervous.
“Are you expecting guests?”
“There you are,” he said. “Please, Nora. Sit down.”
“Not exactly.”
I sat, confused.
Richard took a deep breath.
Then he slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
“Honey, I know I’m much older than you, and maybe you’ll laugh in my face, but I’ll be honest. I’ve fallen in love with you. I don’t want to waste time pretending otherwise, so I want to ask you to marry me.”
