Free A Good Woman by Danielle Steel

had a lovely evening with each other, and with dessert, Josiah ordered champagne for both of them. The waiter brought the bottle to the table and opened it for them, and Annabelle smiled as she took a sip. She had only had one glass of wine with dinner, so her mother’s warning had stood her in good stead.
    “That’s delicious,” Annabelle commented. He had ordered a particularly fine bottle. Josiah had had more to drink than she had, but he was still sober too. He wanted to keep his wits about him for what he had to say. He had been saving it for a long time, and the day had finally come. He had butterflies in his stomach, as he smiled and toasted her.
    “To you, Miss Worthington, and the wonderful friend you’ve become,” he complimented her, and she smiled.
    “So have you,” she said gently, taking another sip of champagne. She didn’t have the faintest inkling of what he had in mind. He could see it on her face. She was innocence itself.
    “I have a wonderful time with you, Annabelle,” he said simply, and it was true.
    “Me too,” she echoed. “We always have a lot of fun.” She started to talk about the medical books he’d given her then, and he gently cut her off, as she looked surprised. He usually let her rattle off for hours about what she’d learned in those books.
    “I have something to say to you.” She looked at him blankly, wondering what it was. She hoped nothing was wrong. “I’ve waited a long time to say this. I didn’t think it would be right to say it before April, because of the anniversary. And your birthday is coming up soon. So here we are.”
    “Are we celebrating something?” she asked naïvely, feeling a slight buzz from the champagne.
    “I hope so,” he said softly. “That depends on you. It’s up to you to decide. What I’ve wanted to tell you since last summer is that I’m in love with you. I don’t mean to upset the applecart of our friendship, or to startle you. But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you, Annabelle. I think we’re wonderful together, and I can’t stay single forever. I’ve never met a woman who made me want to settle down. But I can’t think of a better foundation for doing that than being best friends, which we are. So I would like to ask you to do me the honor of marrying me, if you will.” As he said the words, he saw Annabelle staring at him in complete amazement. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were wide.
    “Are you serious?” she asked him when she finally caught her breath.
    He nodded. “Yes, I am. I know this comes as a surprise to you, and you can think about it if you need to. Annabelle, I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” He couldn’t tell if she was happy or angry. Most of all, she looked shocked.
    “I thought I should wait until now.” She nodded. It was proper and made sense. And Josiah always did the right thing. It was one of the things she loved about him. She was still staring at him in disbelief. “Are you upset?” he asked, looking worried, and she shook her head. There were tears in her eyes when she looked at him.
    “No, of course not. I’m very touched,” she said, reaching out to take his hand.
    “I know I’m a lot older than you are. I could be your father. But I don’t want to be. I want to be your husband, and I promise I’ll take good care of you forever.”
    She believed that as she listened to him, and then wondered, “Does my mother know?” It explained her occasional discreet suggestions about Josiah, all of which Annabelle had brushed off.
    “I asked her permission in October, and she said yes. I think she believes it would be a good thing for both of us.”
    “So do I,” Annabelle whispered with a shy smile. “I just never expected this to happen. I thought we were just friends.”
    “We still are,” he replied, smiling too. “And if you accept, we always will be. I think a husband and wife should be best friends, along