"I've never had anyone ask for my hand in marriage before."

When he asked for the young girl's hand in marriage, her parents accepted.

"When you asked for my hand a few minutes ago, I was still too young to marry."

I'm going to get down on one knee and ask for your hand.

At the end of the day, he had his father ask for her hand.

He asked for my hand, but I would not marry him.

After thinking things over, however, he asks for her hand again.

A man goes to a girl's family and asks for her hand.

But then William had asked for her hand in marriage.

It would explain why he'd never asked for her hand in marriage.