You’re light in my life, please don’t ever leave,
And we’ll discover where our love will lead.
When I finished, Lydia had tears in her eyes. I handed the guitar off to Bradley and knelt on one knee, pulling a thin black box from my pocket. “Lydia, I give you my heart. I don’t wish to be with anyone else. Will you be my wife until the end of our days?”
Lydia took the black case from me and opened it, revealing two chained necklaces, each with half of a heart charm on it.
“Yes. Yes!” Lydia cried.
I rose, and she threw herself into my arms, kissing me. For a moment, I forgot where I was, and it was just me and her lost in the softness of each other. I burned with desire for this woman who’d captured my heart even when I pretended she hadn’t. Even when I believed I was a lost cause, she’d fought for me, for us. And now she was mine, and I’d hold on for dear life. After we parted, I faced the band. “I’m going to dance with my wife. You've got things covered?”
“It’s covered,” Bradley said.
I held Lydia’s hand as we moved off the stage and down into the crowd of onlookers.
“I figured he’d be a fabulous husband.” Mrs. Bennet, who stood with a gathering of ladies, clapped her hands and gazed at me as if I was a saint from heaven.
Not quite, but I would take her goodwill.
We passed Darcy along the back wall, staring longingly at a certain Bennet sister across the way.
“Darcy, go ask her to dance,” I said.
He shook his head.
“If she understood what you did for her, and for us, I don’t think she’d hate you so much,” Lydia said.
“I’d prefer she didn’t find out. I don’t want anyone to know,” Darcy said quickly. “I don’t want her to assume I did it for recognition.”
“You did it for her. Shouldn’t she know that?” I asked.
“Please,” he said.
“Don’t worry, mate, we won’t tell anyone,” I said.
“Thank you. Happy birthday, Lydia.”
“Thanks, Darcy.” She tugged on my hand, bored with the conversation and ready to dance.
As we moved onto the dance floor, I noticed the Midnight Kitchen Society hanging out in the back corner, and I looked at Lydia. “You invited them?” I nodded toward the other vampires.
Lydia followed my line of vision. “Of course! They agreed to help find the killer and risked exposure for it. I look forward to baking with them as an honorary member. Mason already said I could join.”
I stared at her in shock. “Did he? Mason made me wait at least a month before he let me come.”
“He knows a talented baker when he sees one. I also invited our neighbor.”
“Mr. Rothschild?” I turned to see him coming toward us in the middle of the dance floor. “Not to the Midnight Kitchen Society?”
She laughed. “No, I invited him here.”
“Good evening, you two!” Mr. Rothschild said. “I’m glad to see that you have a wife, Wickham. I was beginning to wonder. Besides, we need someone to watch over you to ensure that no more altercations occur on your doorstep, and to make sure the flowers by your front porch are better attended.”
“I’m afraid, Mr. Rothschild, that I’m terrible at tending plants. They always die on me,” Lydia said.
“Then I guess there’s no hope. Still, welcome to the neighborhood.” Mr. Rothschild nodded and then went to talk to Mayor Pembroke, hopefully not about any parking spots.
The mayor greeted him. She wore a long faux-fur coat and white leggings with holographic snowflakes printed on the side. To top it off was a massive faux ice tiara, complete with LED lights that changed color from icy blue to blinding sparkle mode.
