Gabriel’s smile was bittersweet. “He spoke of honor and duty.”
Eden cupped his cheek in her hand. “And what of love?”
He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. “He believes love can overcome a man’s past.”
Eden’s heart swelled with hope. “Then he would not stand against us?”
Gabriel opened his eyes, their green depths filled with anguish and longing. “I believe he will not if we are honest.”
She nodded fiercely. “Then let us be honest, with him, and with the world.”
“Tomorrow night. After the midsummer festival. I will tell Thomas the truth, that you have captured my heart, and ask him for your hand.” He kissed her then, a kiss filled with fierce tenderness and aching vulnerability. It was a kiss that spoke of promises made and promises yet to be fulfilled.
Together, they would face whatever trials awaited just as they had once braved childhood storm’s hand-in-hand, only now the stakes were infinitely higher and their hearts fully entangled.
Together, they would build a future rooted in truth, rising from the shadows of secrecy and fear.
And together, they would prove that love—true, steadfast, and unbreakable—was worth every obstacle.
Twelve
The midsummer festival had always been the pride of Harrowsgate. Villagers and gentry alike mingled in the village green, the air rich with the scent of roasted meats, fresh-cut hay, and the sweet perfume of wildflowers woven into colorful garlands. Music floated through the air, fiddles and pipes, and the sky, a brilliant blue, seemed to promise only delight. Yet for Eden, that promise felt precarious, a fragile echo of joy drowned beneath the storm of her own uncertainty. The jubilant laughter around her only sharpened the contrast, as if the entire village rejoiced while her heart stood still, balanced on the edge of what might come. The festivities blurred around her, muffled by the persistent flutter of nerves that danced beneath her ribs.
With cautious hope stirring in her chest. The echo of Gabriel’s last whispered promise lingered in her mind: “Tonight, I will tell Thomas the truth, that you have captured my heart, and ask him for your hand.” Would he truly keep his word? Would the night bring the unveiling she both yearned for and feared? Her breath came quick with mingled hope and doubt, each inhale a reminder of all she stood to gain—a future with Gabriel—and all she might lose if it slipped away. Somewhere among the crowd, Gabriel awaited her. Their secret meetings had become the lifeblood of her days, but tonight, under the celebratory sky, she dared to hope for more.
She wore a gown of pale green muslin, simple yet elegant, her dark hair braided with tiny white daisies. Every step she took carried a hum of energy, her senses heightened by the possibility of what the night might reveal. In her heart, a single, hopeful thought beat like a drum. Tonight, perhaps, they would no longer have to hide.
Across the green, Gabriel stood near a cider stand, speaking politely with local tenants. His dark coat and trousers made him look every inch the marquess, but his gaze, when it found Eden’s across the distance, was raw and unguarded.
Her breath caught. Anticipation swelled in her chest. Excitement rising, twined with fear and fierce, irrepressible joy. Tonight would change everything—or shatter them completely.
Gabriel started toward her, weaving through the crowd. Eden felt her pulse quicken with every step he took.
When they met near a shaded alcove where the hedgerows grew thick, Gabriel caught her hand in his.
“You are breathtaking,” he said in a low voice.
“And you are late,” Eden teased, smiling up at him.
Gabriel chuckled, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Forgive me. I was waylaid by duty.”
She tilted her head, her hazel eyes sparkling. “I would forgive you anything.”
He drew her gently into the shelter of the hedgerow, away from prying eyes. The music and laughter faded into a muted hum, leaving only the two of them wrapped in a quiet closeness that pulsed with promise. The scent of crushed grass and warm blossoms mingled around them, grounding the moment. Eden’s breath caught—not just from Gabriel’s nearness, but from the quiet certainty within her that this was a turning point. A breath held before the leap.
Gabriel cupped her face, his touch reverent, though his hands trembled. Not from doubt, but from the weight of what this moment might mean. Fear pressed in—of Thomas’s fury, of damaging Eden’s name. His heart beat fast, torn between love and the consequences of claiming it. “I wish to court you openly,” he whispered. “To shout my love for you from the rooftops.”
Eden’s heart swelled. “Then do it, Gabriel,” she urged, voice trembling with hope. “Let them see. Let them know.”
Before he could answer, she rose onto her toes, sealing her plea with a soft kiss, tasting faintly of cider and summer blossoms. The warmth of his breath mingled with hers, and the distant hum of fiddles melted into the background. Her hands clutched the fabric of his coat, grounding her in the dizzying rush of sensation, seeking reassurance in his steady presence.
Gabriel responded with a groan, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.
Their kiss deepened, passion flaring as longing ignited into a fierce, undeniable blaze. Eden gave herself over to the press of his lips, the touch of his hands, the thrum of her pulse echoing in her ears—a wild, breathless certainty that she was exactly where she belonged.
They broke apart only when a sharp voice pierced the air behind them.
“Well, well,” drawled Mr. Price, his tone cold and cutting. “What a charming tableau.”
