“George was right—you really are a show-off,” Isla said.
Her sparkling amber eyes, flushed cheeks, and wide grin warmed him. He would never tire of this incredible woman.
“Perhaps.” He shrugged, nerves tightening his throat, leaving him with only that simple response.
She tilted her head, eyes questioning.
“What, that’s it? No clever comeback? No smooth line ... no academic ...”
“I’ve got a ring in my pocket,” he blurted.
She stumbled, and he barely held on, both of them coming to a stop.Smooth, Andrew. After asking this question multiple times, you’d think you wouldn’t mess it up this time,he thought.
“You have ... a ring ... in your pocket?”
Sighing, he slipped his hand into his coat and pulled out the small jewelry box.
“I do. And ... well, I hope you’ll say the same. You know ... say ‘I do’ ... at the altar, I mean.”
Isla’s eyes sparkled with amusement, a laugh threatening at the corners of her mouth. Andrew let out a small nervous chuckle. Though her reaction eased some of his nerves.
“Amused, are we?” He skated into her space, crowding her a little. “I can tell by that smile you’re going to make this either very easy on me—or perhaps very difficult.”
Her smile grew. He breathed in her feminine scent as she lifted her arms around his neck.
“It’s about time you asked. I was very soon going to ask you myself if you didn’t get on with it.”
He squeezed her closer, her skates making it easy to press her to his body.
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes that I wish I could have given days ago.”
He leaned in close to her mouth, his lips brushing hers as he said, “You haven’t even seen the ring yet.”
“I’m sure it’s lovely, but I don’t need to see it for me to say yes.”
He kissed her gently, savoring the moment and dreaming of their future together continuing on in the twentieth century, but not ending there.
Epilogue
May 5th
Isla looped her hand through her husband’s arm as they sat in the old auditorium. The Minister of Interior Affairs addressed the room with quiet gravitas, his voice carrying across the high, arched ceilings. Professor Kingsley had been awarded posthumously for his selfless contributions, and a hush fell over the audience. Andrew gently passed her a tissue, and she dabbed at her eyes.
“I would like to take a moment to thank everyone in the academic community, as well as our colleagues in the United States, who have played an essential role in the development, production, and distribution of penicillin,” the minister continued. “Through their dedication and diligent work, we now have the means to fight infection and save countless lives, keeping families whole.”
Isla thought of Professor William Smith, who had worked tirelessly to make international collaboration possible, ensuring that critical research could cross borders and continue to move medicine forward. The room seemed to hum with quiet appreciation for the pioneers whose efforts often went unseen, yet whose work had changed the course of so many lives.
When the speech drew to a close, Andrew guided her gently out of the auditorium. Married life was rich—full of debates, compromises, laughter, and occasional disagreements—but shewouldn’t change a single moment. She would choose him, again and again.
As they stepped from the row, he drew her close, lifting her wrist to his lips and pressing a kiss to her watch strap, resting just above her Sigil mark. His lips didn’t touch her skin, yet the simple gesture made her stomach swoop and butterflies stir, a quiet reminder that love, even in the ordinary rhythms of life, was still very much alive.
Juliette hurried over, having just been deep in conversation with Edmund and George. Edmund had been invited to attend as the minister acknowledged his contributions, as well as George. As Edmund, Juliette, Jimmy, and George had gone on stage to receive their thanks, Isla had noticed that the minister had been much less enthusiastic in his praise of George’s efforts. She didn’t understand his coolness; George was one of the kindest people she knew.
“Come,” Juliette said, looping her arms through Andrew’s and Isla’s, splitting them up as a way of guiding them along.
Greetings were exchanged, though Juliette seemed slightly off-kilter. Her gaze kept flicking to a new young lady standing beside Edmund, impeccably dressed in the latest fashions, her makeup flawless, who, in turn, appeared to be studying George with interest. George, ever courteous, turned to acknowledge Isla with a warm smile, his kind eyes welcoming and steady.
