“Only if you promise to kiss me again,” he grinned.
“Yes. I promise. Whenever you want.”
“That’s more like it.” He lowered her to the ground and grabbed the reins of the horses. “Look. Over there. Let’s get to the side of the road.”
A patch of grass with a rough log bench lay nearby, so they made their way there, tethering their mounts to a convenient branch and brushing the snow off the log.
The sun was now setting in a blaze of glory, and both were dazzled by the wonder of it.
“I love you, Grace,” said Perry, removing her glove to take her hand. “You have brought something special into my humdrum life and I don’t want to let it go. I won’t. I won’t let you go.”
She leaned against his shoulder. “I found out something when I got home. I discovered that there was nothing there for me. No joy. Just a comfortable routine that I always thought was enough.” She turned to him. “After these past few days I learned that it wasn’t. You showed me that.” She sighed. “We’ve known each other for some time and I always found myself looking forward to the times I knew I’d see you. Perhaps I was in love with you even then and didn’t recognise it. But I do recognise it now for what it is, because there’s a brilliant light shining around it that illuminates everything it touches.” She looked at their intertwined hands, then up at his face. “I love you, Perry. I’m not sure when it happened, but it did. You brought me joy. The best Christmas gift I’ve ever received.”
He slid an arm across her shoulders and turned her, positioning her so that he could kiss her with every ounce of the desire he felt burgeoning within.
“You drive me mad, woman. I’ve been riding for what feels like hours trying to find you.” He touched his forehead to hers.
She chuckled. “As have I. Morris told me you left in avivaciousmood.”
“Deery. Poor Deery.” Perry laughed. “I believe there are more than a few servants who will have much to talk about after today, love.”
They turned to watch the last of the sunset, leaning against each other.
“You’ll marry me, of course.”
Perry’s quiet words made Grace blink. “What?”
“Marriage. We’ll get married.”
“Oh. We will? I don’t recall being asked, Sir Peregrine.”
“That’s correct. I didn’t ask. I’m telling you. There will be no refusals, no hiding behind that glacial façade of yours. Although I respect you, I have a feeling you managed to come up with a number of reasons why we shouldn’t marry. Well, let me tell you right now, that none of those reasons are valid. There is only one matter between us. We love each other.” He nodded his head at her for emphasis. “And wewillwed.”
“Ohreally?” Grace’s voice slid over the word like nails on a blackboard.
“You love me. I love you. So yes. We will wed, and then I will whisk you off to somewhere exotic for a month or so. We’ll dispense with clothing and make love on the shores of warm seas. Or in a gondola. Or on top of an Alp. Wherever you wish, my darling.”
Somewhat appeased by this admittedly delightful programme, Grace shrugged. “Well in that case, yes, I suppose I’d better marry you. Can’t have you doing all that with anyone else, now, can I?”
“Absolutely not,” he answered. “Kiss me once more and then we’ll go home. Together.”
Grace enthusiastically responded, a smile on her lips and in her heart.
“Whose home?” she asked when she got her breath back.
He looked around, thought for a moment, then hugged her. “The closest. Yours. For Christmas anyway.”
“Perry?” She whispered against him.
“Yes, love?”
“Happy Christmas.”
“And happy Christmas to you,” he smiled back.
He helped her mount Snowball and then jumped into his own saddle. “Oh, I have one question.”
“What’s that?” Grace settled her skirts.
“You do have a piano at Seton Hall, don’t you?”
His raised eyebrow was wickedness personified and Grace, who knew exactly what he was referring to, nodded. “I do indeed. And I look forward toplayingmuch more often now.”
“As do I, sweetheart” he chuckled as they turned their horses toward home. “As do I.”
