“My dear Olivia,” he teased, “nothing about my life has been normal since the moment I saw you walk into Cloverton Hall.”
She raised a brow. “Are you sorry, then?”
“Not sorry at all. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Which reminds me. I have another confession.”
The reprise of their secret joke brightened their conversation. Olivia straightened and turned to face him. “What, another one?”
“Yes. Another one.” He took her hands in his and leaned close. His gaze met hers so fully that it was as if he could see into her very soul. “I confess that I am hopelessly captivated by you. And if this past month has taught me anything, it’s that love, and love alone, makes life worth living. So that is why I ask you, MissOlivia Brannon, if you will do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
She didn’t want to break his gaze. The girl who had arrived at Cloverton Hall desperately seeking approval was now a woman who’d learned that strength came through love and acceptance. And it was beautiful.
She reached up, placed her palm on the side of his face, and looked deep into the green eyes of the man who had helped her find such truth. “Mr.Avery, I would be honored to become your wife.”
Epilogue
London, England, Summer 1819
Brannon & Avery Antiquities
Olivia Avery stood next to her husband on the bustling London street and faced the storefront with her eyes closed.
Lucas moved his hands on her shoulders and adjusted the angle at which she was standing. “Open your eyes and tell me what you think.”
She opened her eyes, and the new shingle hanging outside the shop door, fresh with bright and shiny gold paint, boasted the wordsBrannon & Avery Antiquities.
She clasped her hands before her. “Oh, Lucas, it’s beautiful!”
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to his side. “Are you happy?”
“I could not be happier.” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
“Now it’s official,” he bantered. “You can teach me everything you know about antiquities and all things unusual and ancient.”
She placed her hand on his chest and leaned toward him. “We can teach each other.”
Lucas looked back to the building, and his expression sobered. “I’m only sorry we were unable to secure your father’s building. I know it would have pleased you.”
Olivia’s heart tightened. Upon learning about Russell’s betrayal, Uncle Thomas cut Olivia and Laura out of the business and sold everything—the building and the inventory—and left for America.
At first the news stung, but time and her new circumstances were softening it. “Whether we like it or not, Father left his part of the business to his brother, not me. It was his to sell or to do with it as he liked. Besides, I think this is what Father would want for me. A fresh start. A new beginning.”
“And me?” Lucas asked. “What would he have thought of me as your husband?”
“I’m sure with a little coaxing he would have come around eventually.” She smirked. “But I do think this change has been good for Laura. She seems so much happier living with us than she ever did on Kingsby Street.”
“And for my mother as well. She and Laura have become quite good friends, haven’t they? Laura even got her to go out on a carriage ride. I’ve been trying to do that for months.”
Tate, who’d stopped by to see the new addition to the building, exited the shop, let the door slam loudly behind him, and turned to the shingle. “Look at you two. So in love. And to think, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for me.”
Lucas scoffed. “And how do you figure that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Tate propped his fists akimbo. “Iintroduced you to Wainbridge.Isecured the invitations to Cloverton Hall, at which point you connected with your lovely future bride. And if it weren’t for that, none of this would have been possible.”
“You’re ludicrous,” Lucas observed.
“Perhaps. But I’m right.” Tate’s expression shifted, and he shook his head. “As exciting as this all is, it is also a pity. Your focus will change entirely. No more carousing for us. I hate to think all our adventures will be coming to an end.”
“Who says the adventures will be coming to an end?” Lucas retorted. “Olivia and I have the whole world to explore.”
