“Wait, wait, what are you doing?” the earl exclaimed in alarm, his voice wavering. “Release me. You have no right to manhandle me like this. I am an earl. Of high standing. Unhand me, you witless oaf!”
“You can hardly pull rank with the blood of the former Duke of Axfordshire on your hands,” Seth muttered in a gravelly voice.
“Blood?! No! That man is a liar! Tell them, Charity. Tell them how he abducted you!”
“I will not speak falsehoods, Father,” Charity said, keeping her voice calm. It was a strange sensation as she turned her back toward her father’s voice, facing Seth completely. She felt as if she was turning her back on him for good.
“No. No!”
“The time has come that you answer some questions. Come with me, my Lord. And that’s not a request, mind you, it’s an order.” Clearly, the constable had to be stronger than her father, for she could hear their voices growing distant as he was taken away. The sound of horse hooves also grew distant, drowned out by the quick approach of footsteps.
“Bates, please fetch a cart for Luke’s body. I will make arrangements for him to be interred,” Seth requested.
“Of course, Your Grace.” Bates placed a comforting hand on Charity’s shoulder. She touched it briefly, warmed by the kindness, before he hurried off.
“They are gone,” Seth whispered, his voice so close that she sank into him, knowing his arms would come up to catch her. “I nearly lost you.” He rested his head in the crook of her neck as he spoke.
“You saved me,” she murmured. “Seth, you braved those flames, and you saved me. Oh, I have no words, no words that can express what you have done…”
“It does not need to be spoken of. All I ask is this. Come home with me,” he pleaded, his lips still close to her ear as they kept their arms around one another. “No more talks of leaving. Stay with me. Marry me, as we originally planned, will you?”
“I…” She paused, her breath held, aware she had something important to confess first. “I love you,” she whispered gently.
His lips collided with hers in a tender kiss, with such fervor that tears washed over her eyes. They were tears of happiness and pure relief, to still be standing here with him, after making it through everything…
“Then you accept…?” he asked cautiously against her lips.
“Yes, Seth. Of course I will marry you!”
EPILOGUE
ONE MONTH LATER
“Well? Is everything set?” Seth called as he stepped in through the door and leaned upon the wooden frame.
Charity was kneeling up on the bed, wearing a nightgown that was slipping down off one shoulder, her golden hair wild about her as she smiled up at him. Seth felt that familiar desire curling in his gut as he looked at her, but he held himself back from springing across the room and taking her once again. First, there were things to discuss.
“Everything is set,” Charity assured him. “Everything is prepared for the wedding tomorrow, although Edith seems to be quite upset that she was not involved in helping to prepare the party afterward… but truthfully, I am quite excited that I was allowed to shoulder that responsibility and make the arrangements myself for once,” she beamed.
Seth grinned as he released the door and moved toward her. She was much more capable than many in her family had ever thought her to be—and he had seen that, time and time again.
“They are invited then, Edith and Kenneth?” he asked with some hesitation, and her smile faltered.
“They are,” she said eventually.
When the news of Lord Holmwood’s arrest had been broken, there was much commotion and scandal throughout the country. At first, Charity’s brother had refused to speak to either of them, thinking it was some dreadful error, but when the man from the Bloomsbury Club who had wanted to speak to Seth before came forward again, explaining that he had wanted to speak of what he had known for some time, little could be denied. He had been encumbered, unable to come that day to meet Seth, but he had overheard the discussion between Lord Holmwood and Luke.
He was able to prove in court that everything Luke had said was true.
“Edith is happy to come,” Charity explained. “My brother on the other hand…. is still somewhat reluctant to believe the truth, but he has accepted the invitation. Just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t stay for particularly long, I suppose. Is Oliver attending too?”
“He is.” Seth smiled inwardly as he sat on the edge of the bed. “He has done me the honor of agreeing to be my best man.”When the news of Seth being shot had broken, Oliver had turned up at the house the next day, determined to check he was well. Every week since they had seen each other, sometimes twice a week, and they discussed much of what had passed between each of them over the last decade.
The week before, they had made a vow to one another to never let their friendship drop again. It was too important to both of them.
“That is wonderful news!” Charity chimed. “So, everything is ready then. The ceremony, the wedding breakfast, all of it.”
“As for the shared bedchamber, that has been ready for some time,” he reminded her teasingly. “Thank the heavens my staff know discretion, eh?” he whispered and leaned toward her. She giggled before she evidently realized he was so near, then closed her eyes as he kissed her.
