“You’ll have to tell me, I’m afraid,” he said thickly, more of that hope squeezing his throat, rising inside him so large and so out of control that he was amazed he could fashion words at all.
“I love you, Nando. I have never been happier than as your wife. Levering has been punished as he deserved. There is no more fear of danger, and what happened was not your fault. He was a madman incapable of reason. He wanted to hurt someone, anyone, and he would not stop until he had.”
She had said a great deal, but what was sticking with foremost tenacity in his mind were those precious three words she had begun with.
I love you.
Eleanora loved him.
For the second time since entering the room, Nando swayed on his feet.
“You…you love me?” he repeated.
“I do. I love you, and I want nothing more than to be with you, wherever that may be, whether here in Varros or in London. All I want is to be your wife, Nando. To be with you. Not because you’re handsome, or because you’re a prince, and not for any reason other than you have my heart. You’vealwayshad myheart, from the moment I first saw you, only I was too scared to admit it to you or to myself, even when you told me you loved me in your letter. I can only hope that it’s not too late for us. That you still love me as much as I love you.”
Shelovedhim.
She wanted to be his wife. She had been shot because of him. She had nearly died because of him, and yet here she stood, his brave and glorious wife, laying her heart before him.
He gathered her to him, holding her tightly. Too tightly, he knew, but he couldn’t seem to banish the fear that she would change her mind or that she was nothing but a product of his feverish imagination and that he would awake from a dream to find none of this had been real. He had to cling to these precious seconds.
“I do love you,” he murmured, pressing his cheek to her smooth, soft hair. “I love you more than words can convey. I love you more than I even knew was possible. I love you so much that it hurts, and enough to know that you are better off without me.”
She leaned her head back at once. “I am betterwithyou. Never tell me such nonsense again. And never make my decisions for me. I am perfectly capable of rational thought, you know. I understand your intentions were noble, but if you make me chase you across the world again, I won’t be impressed.”
He chuckled, for that was his Eleanora, strong and determined and unafraid. And she was not wrong. He should have let her make the choice instead of making it for her. He had believed he was doing the greater good, but in the end, he had only torn them both to bits.
“I promise never to make you chase me again,” he assured her. “That is to say, not across the world. If you wish to chase me in our bedroom for sport, however, it could prove vastly diverting.”
She laughed, crystalline and melodious, and Deus, how he loved that sound. Dear God, how he loved the woman. Full stop.
“Excellent. Because should I ever have to chase you again, I cannot promise I won’t be tempted to push you out a window for your obtuseness.”
Nando laughed too. “Maxim said something oddly similar to me before I joined you here.”
“He threatened to push you out a window?” Eleanora asked.
“Yes. I don’t suppose he meant it, though.”
Her eyes widened. “Tansy said the same thing to me. She said that if you didn’t fall to your knees and kiss my feet, she would push you out the nearest window.”
“Hmm. Astonishingly bloodthirsty of them. I do believe they’re turning into the same person. I’m not certain whether I should be alarmed or impressed.”
“It is Machiavellian of them, isn’t it?” Eleanora agreed, smiling.
“Do you know what else is Machiavellian?”
“What is?”
“Following me to Varros, telling me you love me, burning the bank and annulment documents and house deed and then bringing them to me in ash, before standing here in this salon, still wearing all your clothes.”
Charming color crept into her cheeks. “Nando! I’m not disrobing in the queen’s salon.”
He was happy. So damned happy. Deliriously, ridiculously, wonderfully happy.
“Then come to my bedroom,” he urged. “Toourbedroom. I’ll happily strip you naked there just the same.”
She laughed again. “Does this mean you want to remain married to me?”
