Later that evening,after enduring Wolf’s knowing smirks and Tiffany’s tearful embraces, they announced their engagement to a relieved household. The family’s exuberant celebration had left Farah’s cheeks aching from smiling and Rockwell’s hand warm from countless congratulatory handshakes.
The garden welcomed them like a secret sanctuary. At last, they were alone. Night-blooming jasmine perfumed the air, its sweet fragrance mingling with the earthy dampness of the evening.
Rockwell settled onto a stone bench, drawing Farah between his legs until she melted against his chest. The steady thrum of his heartbeat against her back anchored her to this perfectmoment. They gazed up at the stars, diamond-bright against the velvet sky. “I still can’t quite believe this is real,” she murmured, her fingers intertwining with his where they rested at her waist.
He nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear, his breath warming her skin. “Which part? The engagement or the fact that I located you so quickly?”
She shifted against him, delighting in his sharp intake of breath. “Both, I suppose. Though I should have known better than to think I could outwit you for long.”
“Mmm, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he said, his chest rumbling with appreciation against her back. “You’re far cleverer than I am, my dear. I simply had the advantage of being utterly desperate to find you.”
Farah twisted in his embrace, studying the play of moonlight across his beloved features. “You really were worried, weren’t you?”
“Terrified,” he confessed, his arms tightening possessively around her. “The thought of something happening to you… it was unbearable.”
She traced the worried line between his brows with gentle fingers. “I’m sorry for putting you through that. I just felt so trapped, so powerless. I needed to prove to myself that I could make my own choices.”
Rockwell caught her wandering hand and pressed a kiss to each fingertip, sending shivers down her spine. “I understand. And I admire your strength, your determination to chart your own course. It’s one of the many things I respect about you.”
“Even when it leads me to do foolish things?” she asked, her lips quirking.
His chuckle vibrated through her body. “Especially then. Though perhaps in the future, we could face our challenges together? I rather like the idea of being your partner in crime.”
Farah’s eyes sparkled with mischief in the starlight. “I think I’d like that too.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the distant chorus of crickets and the whisper of leaves in the evening breeze. Then Farah spoke again, her voice carrying the weight of dreams finally within reach. “Tell me more about this life you envision for us. I want to hear everything.”
Rockwell’s hand drew idle patterns on her waist as he spoke, his arm secure around her. “It’s a grand old place with bones as strong as its history—in need of some care, like all precious things, but with endless possibility stretching before us. I thought we might split our time between there and London, at least initially, while we get the breeding program off the ground.”
“We’d need to buy a London town home,” she said, already picturing their life together.
“I’ve already started looking. I want to be close to Wolf and Tiffany.”
Farah turned fully in his arms, her eyes bright with purpose. “I’d like that. And I’ve been thinking… Perhaps we could set up a school on the estate? For the tenants’ children, and maybe even some from the nearby village. Education is so important, and it could make such a difference in their lives.”
“God, you’re magnificent,” Rockwell whispered against her hair, looking at her with such intensity, it stole her breath. “See? This is exactly why I need you by my side. You think of things I never would have considered.”
She preened under his praise, warmth blooming in her chest. “Wewillmake a good team, don’t you think?”
“The best,” he agreed, his voice rough with emotion. “And speaking of teams… I hope you know I’m serious about wanting children with you, Farah. Not right away, of course—not unless you want to. But someday…”
Farah’s eyes softened. “I want that, too. A little boy with your curls and mischievous smile. A girl with your sense of adventure.”
Rockwell’s eyes welled with emotion. “They’ll have your intelligence, your compassion. Your ability to see the best in people.”
“And your courage,” Farah added. “Your integrity.”
A small frown briefly creased his forehead before he smiled once again. “How did I get so lucky?”
Farah stretched up to kiss him softly. “I think we both got lucky.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The following afternoon,the drawing room was full of laughter and chatter as all the ladies attempted to voice their opinion on which gown she should wear for her wedding tomorrow.
She’d had a few glasses of sherry, needing the courage. She was marrying the man of her dreams, except for the fact that she was not the woman of his.
The feminine goings on at least kept Blackstone well away. He had, however, been gracious enough to welcome Ashley back to his home. Ashley hadn’t stepped foot in the house since her scandal more than two years ago. Farah noted Ashley’s head lifted higher and her shoulders squared under his welcome. It had meant a lot to her friend and for the first time in a while, Farah could have kissed her brother.
