The bishop cleared his throat pointedly. “Shall we proceed with the ceremony, then?”
Rockwell took Farah’s hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “What do you say, my love? Ready to begin our greatest adventure?”
She smiled up at him, her heart so full it felt like it might burst. “With you? Always.”
As they turned to face the Bishop, Farah couldn’t stop smiling. This was how her wedding day was supposed to feel—full of joy and love and promise. She’d nearly let fear keep her from this happiness, but Rockwell had fought for her, had laid his heart bare in front of all their friends and family to prove his love.
Through the ceremony, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Every time their gazes met, she saw the same wonderful truth reflected there. This was real. This was love. This was forever.
When they were finally pronounced man and wife, Rockwell pulled her close, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you,” he whispered. “No more doubts?”
“No more doubts,” she agreed, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him again. “I love you too.”
Their guests broke into fresh applause and cheers, but Farah barely noticed. She was too busy thanking whatever twist of fate had led her to hide in Rockwell’s trunk that day and journey to Ireland. Sometimes the greatest adventures and the greatest loves came from the most unexpected places.
As Rockwell led her back down the aisle, she caught sight of Wolf standing with Tiffany. He winked at her, and she had to laugh. Perhaps she owed her brother-in-law a thank you for giving Rockwell that final push.
But that could wait. Right now, she had a lifetime of adventures to begin with the man she loved.
“Ready to face the world together, Lady Ware?” Rockwell asked softly.
She squeezed his hand, feeling the perfect fit of their fingers intertwined—like two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together. “As long as we’re together, I’m ready for anything.”
Epilogue
Suffolk—6 years later
Farah stood atthe nursery window, watching the sunrise paint the Suffolk countryside in hues of gold and pink. In her arms, eighteen-month-old Sarah dozed contentedly, her tiny fist curled around a lock of her mother’s hair. From the window, she could see the rolling fields dotted with hundreds of white Merino sheep, their wool gleaming in the early morning light.
“There you are…” Rockwell’s voice came softly from behind her. “I woke to find your side of the bed cold.”
She turned, smiling at her husband as he crossed the nursery to join them. At thirty-six, he was more handsome than ever, his dark hair touched with the slightest hint of silver at the temples. The past five years of country life had added a healthy tan to his complexion and strengthened his already impressive physique.
“Your daughter decided dawn was the perfect time for her breakfast,” Farah explained, leaning back against his chest as his arms encircled both her and the baby. “And then I couldn’t resist watching the sunrise over our kingdom.”
Rockwell pressed a kiss to her temple, then one to Sarah’s downy head. “Our kingdom indeed. Though I suspect you’re really checking on the new lambs.”
She laughed softly. “You know me too well. The twins will be desperate to see them when they wake.”
As if on cue, the pounding of little feet echoed down the hallway, followed by excited whispers that weren’t nearly as quiet as their owners believed. Moments later, their five-year-old twins, James and Elizabeth, burst into the nursery, already fully dressed in their outdoor clothes.
“Mama! Papa! Can we go see the baby sheep now?” James asked, bouncing on his toes. He was the spitting image of his father, right down to the mischievous glint in his dark eyes.
Elizabeth, fair-haired like her mother but with her father’s adventurous spirit, was already heading for the door. “Cook said there were three new ones born last night!”
“Shh,” Farah cautioned, nodding toward the now-stirring baby in her arms. “Let me put Sarah in her cradle, then we can all go down to breakfast. After that, if Papa isn’t too busy with business today…”
“Actually,” Rockwell interrupted, “I think checking on the new lambs is exactly the sort of business I should attend to this morning. Especially with my most trusted advisors.” He winked at the twins, who beamed with pride.
As Farah laid Sarah in her cradle, she marveled at how naturally Rockwell had taken to fatherhood. The man who had once feared being tied down by family life now seemed to live for these moments with their children.
The nursery had become one of her favorite rooms in their sprawling country house. The walls were covered in maps and illustrations of far-off places—Rockwell’s way of sharing his love of adventure with their children. But unlike the restless explorer he’d once been, he now found his greatest adventures at home.
“Tell you what,” he said to the twins. “Go down and ask Cook to pack us a picnic breakfast. We can eat out by the south pasture and check on all the new lambs at the same time.”
The children raced off, their excited chatter fading down the hallway. Rockwell pulled Farah into his arms, finally giving her the proper good morning kiss he’d been waiting to deliver.
“I missed you this morning,” he murmured against her lips. “Six years of marriage, and I still hate waking up without you beside me.”
