His to love.
“Oh. Yes!” And then she turned, and they continued walking.
“Promise me two things?” she asked in her lilting voice.
“What would you have me promise you?”
They took several steps before she spoke again. “I shall not live my life in fear.” Her voice had taken on a particularly somber tone. “After you left Misty Brooke, I’m not proud to admit that I began questioning every bad thing that ever happened in my life, thinking I had been the reason for those things.”
“Because of your father?”
“Partly,” she admitted. “But also because I’d kept myself closed off from much of the world. And marrying Mr. Smith, I believe, was a part of that. A way to keep hiding. To imagine that I am not worthy, I think perhaps it was an excuse for being afraid. But I have realized something.”
Gabriel waited quietly for her to go on.
“I am not a curse, no more than that mine was.”
He could hardly have been happier with where this discussion was going.
“There is bad luck. There are bad people.” She tilted her head to rest upon his shoulder as their steps slowed. “Bad things happen but so do good things.”
“Of which I am eternally grateful for.” Gabriel snaked his arm around her tiny waist, just above the gentle flare of her hip. “But what are these two promises you ask of me?”
“One, that you do not go deep into any mines in the near future.”
“On that, you have my word.”
She stopped and turned. They’d reached a small folly that was surrounded by some large oaks and boxwood.
Gabriel took her into his arms, allowing his cane to fall. “And two?” He was having a hard time thinking about what she would say. In fact, he wanted so badly to kiss her that he would likely promise anything at that moment. “Have I mentioned how much I love your eyes?” His voice was barely more than a whisper.
“And two.” She focused upon his lips. She seemed to be having difficulties concentrating as well. And then she lifted her gaze to his eyes. “If you decide to fight one of those bad people, make certain he isn’t hiding a pistol.”
He smiled. “I think I can manage that.” He pulled her tighter. “Olivia.” Searching her eyes, he knew that everything he’d ever wanted was within his grasp.
“Yes, Gabriel?”
“Oluvia.”
Heaven. Sheer heaven.
When his lips settled upon hers, the magnitude of his joy exploded inside him. Nowhere on earth was there a luckier man, because he had his one of a kind, his most beautiful love.
Olivia.
Epilogue
“We ought to have a house party, Gabriel. Over Christmastime!”
Resting his head on his elbow, Gabriel watched in delight as his wife of less than four months lay back on her pillow, eyes dancing in excitement as she stared up at the ceiling.
Away from her father and mother, away from Misty Brooke, away from the ‘curse’ nonsense, she’d literally blossomed.
Unwilling to delay their wedding, Gabriel had forgone having the banns read and purchased a special license and he and Olivia took their vows exactly three days after he’d proposed. Crawford and his duchess had served as witnesses.
The ceremony had been held in a small church outside of Mayfair. It had been quiet, simple, and very private. Walking out into the sunshine, with Olivia on his arm, Gabriel had never felt more satisfied or proud in his life.
Or happy.
