"You're not in trouble." Dominic said quickly. "I'm not angry, and I hope you're not angry at me for finding it." He released her hands, needing one of his to rake through his hair in a nervous gesture, unsure of where to begin.
He expected to tell her that they couldn't get married. It was foolish considering her bloodlines being little better than Teaghan's and the way that they had hur...but then it would soon become public knowledge that Hestia was expecting, and unless they wanted everyone to think her some sort of shameless trollop that paraded about with one man and let another father her child--and Dominic wouldn't stand for that, or for not letting this child know from the start who his or her father was--they would know that Dominic was the baby's father. They would be linked in the public's mind, and perhaps if the wedding were very small, very secretive, very very private...would the risk of it outweigh the hurt they were both going through now with knowing it was impossible?
He opened his mouth, intending to ask her that very question, but what came out was not that at all. "Marry me, Hestia." He looked stunned for a moment, shocked that his voice had so betrayed him, but as he had opened his mouth it seemed he couldn't stop now. He shifted himself so that he was on one knee. "No one need know but those who we want to, we could keep it secret and there would be no more danger but we could be man and wife and you could move in or we could find another house and still keep up any necessary pretenses. And..." he put a finger to her lips, epxecting opposition. "Before you think I'm just doing this to make you feel better or something foolish like that, you know as well as I do that I wanted that promise ring of yours to be an engagement ring. I just didn't think it was safe enough, but if we were careful about it, it needn't be any more dangerous for anyone. I love you, Hestia, and I'd love for you to be my bride."