“Goodness!” she finally said once they parted.
“I have heard mention of magical kisses but I had not expected the air to be disturbed.”
“Me neither,” Samantha admitted then looked around, suddenly concerned. Wind and the flaring of lights should not have occurred even if those were her gifts.
“Do you think…”
“What?” she asked Cassian.
“The spell has been broken,” her mother announced as she ran into the room. “We felt the change in the air, the charge of magic, in the vault and dared to hope.”
“Can you see me?” Samantha asked.
“Yes, dear. Very much so.” She came forward and pulled Samantha into an embrace.
“We can all see you,” Petra announced.
“Try to leave the room,” Cassian said.
What if she was still held back?
“Go. I am right behind you.”
The friends and family who had filled the room parted as she passed and when Samantha reached the doorway, she took a deep breath then stepped forward, then through and walked a little further.
The relief was so great that her knees nearly gave out and she had to press her hand against the wall.
“You are free, Samantha.”
She turned to look at Cassian.
Would he leave her now despite what he had said? There was no reason for him to remain.
“You can go to France now?”
He took her hand in his. “Only if you want to and will go with me.”
“Truly?” she hated the hopefulness in her tone, but everything had happened so quickly and she feared that none of it was real.
“I was not lying to you back there. You are my heart and if you will have me, I want you to be mine whether it is living in the cottage in the Sacred Grove, or struggling to survive while we travel to France and attempt to reclaim an estate.”
He had feared that he could not give her riches, but Samantha had never wanted wealth, or to experience another Season or more gowns than she could possibly wear. She craved love and companionship and if it meant that there would be no servants and only serviceable gowns, then so be it because she would be with Cassian and that was all that truly mattered.
“It is about time,” Petra complained as she passed them and climbed the stairs.
“For what?” Cassian called after her.
“It’s been obvious for weeks that yours is a love match.”
“How is that even possible?” Samantha asked, following her.
But Petra did not answer so they followed her up the stairs and into the dining room. Samantha’s stomach grumbled and mouth watered to see the food that had been prepared for a late luncheon.
“Sneaking looks at each other while neither thought the other was looking and not realizing that the rest of us were,” Petra answered as she took a seat at the table.
Samantha’s face burned and she sat across from her. It would be nice to feed herself for a change.
“Then there was the music,” Malcolm offered. “That should have alerted you immediately.”
