A siren’s voice welcomed him, luring him inside, but not to his doom. Merely to the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld in his life.
Lucasta sat on the sofa where he had seen her perched many times before, but she was encased with children. Tressie sat on one side, Starria another, both so close that Lucasta could not have moved her arms. Hannibal sat on the floor, leaning against her knee, playing with a wooden toy.
Judith sat at the spinet, playing a tune. Mrs. Cadogan sat in a corner, smiling contently over her knitting. And Lucasta’s voice filled the room, so clear, so true, so profoundly miraculous that Jem blinked tears from his eyes.
Judith turned toward the door, tilting her head, and beside Jem, Trevor Pevensey let out a low gasp at the sight of her lovely face with its scarred, white eyes. Frotheringale cleared his throat.
Jem ignored all of them. Lucasta broke off in mid-measure as the children’s heads swiveled toward the door, and in seconds they sprang from the sofa towards him. But Jem walked through his siblings to get to Lucasta, pulling her with both hands to her feet and into his arms.
“You are in one piece,” he said on a rush of relief so strong he thought his ribs might break from it.
“I am,” she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “What are?—”
“You are not hurt?” He slipped a hand into the knot of hair at her nape and gently coaxed her head up so he could scan every beloved line of her face. His heart thumped against his chest. There was a cut on the slope of one cheek and a dark bruise at her temple. She gave him a lopsided smile as he brought his hands to either side of her face, examining her intently.
“No, I—” But the rest of her words were lost as he lowered his head and kissed her.
Her soft, happy exhale told him all he wanted to know. All except one crucial bit of information. He broke off the kiss before he drowned in her and said raggedly, staring into her eyes, “You are not married?”
Those gray-green eyes of hers held the sheen of tears, but the puckering of her lips was an amused smile. “I am not married.”
“Thank heavens.” Jem sighed. “For you are to marryme.” And he kissed her again.
“Good heavens, Jem, let Lucasta breathe, won’t you?” Judith scolded. “She’s had a taxing day, you know.”
“Nonsense.” Jem lifted his head but refused to release the woman in his arms. She felt so warm, so lusciously right. Shewas the piece of his life he’d been longing for without knowing what it was he was seeking. He would never let her out of his arms again.
“It’s scarcely two miles from Deer Moor to here,” he told Judith. “I doubt she even felt exercised.”
“It would be a lovely stroll in fine weather.” Lucasta glanced over his shoulder. “You brought us company.”
“You lied to me!” Frotheringale exclaimed.
“You kidnapped me,” Lucasta replied. “Jem, you received my poem?”
“Minx,” Frotheringale mumbled. “You told me it was nothing.”
“I can’t see why you didn’t write to me, Lucasta,” Trevor said. “Your family. I would have come for you in a moment.”
“Yes, and the Baron would have been right behind you with a special license, extorting the vicar that Frotheringale found to marry you to me instead of him,” she answered. “I’m not of a mind to be wed yet, thank you.”
Jem’s heart clenched. Did that include him?
“I have more important things to be concerned about, as I told you again and again, Gale. And that reminds me.” She performed brisk, proper introductions all around, then looked up at Jem with an expression that made his insides turn to mash, so eager and imploring was her face. “Can you take me home, please? The concert is tomorrow, and I don’t doubt that my foundlings have been completely lost without me, if they haven’t given up on me altogether.”
“Of course I’ll take you.” Jem tightened his hold. “The Gorgons—that is, your friends have kept your plans going, but we’ve all been frantic, to say the least.” He faced his sister. “Jude, I’ve no doubt Mrs. Cadogan whisked off to make up a tea tray, but I really must take Lucasta away at once. The concert is tomorrow and?—”
“And I am attending it.” Judith lifted her chin and faced him with the sternest, most stubborn look he had ever seen his sweet sister wear.
“Jude, pet, we discussed this?—”
“I helped save her,” Judith said. “She was wise enough to find us, and we took her in at once. I won’t perform if you won’t permit it, but I insist on hearing this concert, Jem. Lucasta has put her whole heart into these preparations, and I want to be there myself to see what a marvelous success she shall be.”
“Us, too,” Tressie said. And his siblings ranged themselves before Judith, in order of descending size.
In his arms, Lucasta grew very still. Jem blew air out of his cheeks.
“I appreciate what you’ve done, Jude, really, but—it’s a very public event. It will be attended by crowds of people. I can’t think…”
