“I am sure that is correct,” he said with a sigh. Turning serious, he said, “I asked Aislynn to marry me.”
She smiled broadly. “I hope I am invited to the wedding.”
“As if I would have it any other way,” he noted.
Mary nodded her head. “Ye picked a fine lady, Cord. I can tell she truly loves ye.”
“She has become my saving grace. I am just glad I was not too blind to ignore what was right in front of me.”
“I would not have let ye,” Mary returned firmly, her brow lifting.
He laughed richly, and for the first time in a long while, he realized how good it felt to do so.
“It sounds like someone is having fun in here without me.”
He sat up straighter when Aislynn entered the room. She had donned one of her serviceable gowns, and Cordell told himself that the first thing he would do was ensure she received a new wardrobe. He might not be able to give her the title of duchess like she deserved, but he would certainly dress her as one.
She walked over and sat down beside him, and he put his arm around her. It seemed so natural to do so when he had eschewed human connection for a number of years. “We were just waiting on you so that we could discuss a date for our marriage.”
“I would marry you today if I could,” Aislynn said. “I feel like I have waited too long for you already.”
Cordell stilled, wondering if there would be time to petition the archbishop for a special license. He decided it would be too close for that, and Gretna Green was too far to make it in one day. “I cannot promise it will be that soon.” He paused to reflect on the day, and then added, “And I feel we missed the New Year.”
“We could wait for St. Valentine’s Day,” Aislynn suggested, but just as quickly scrunched up her nose and appeared to discount that idea. “But perhaps that is too much.”
He brought her closer and kissed her lightly on the lips. “There is no need to put so much thought into it. I think once all the pieces are in place, that is the day we should celebrate.”
She smiled. “I like that idea very much. As you said before, we should live in the moment.”
His dark eyes roamed over her face. “And together, we shall.”
Later, Aislynn returned to the theatre for that evening’s performance. While it was bittersweet because she still missed the women who had stood beside her on the stage and shared the same dreams, she could take comfort in the fact that the man responsible for their deaths was no longer a threat.
She sat in her dressing room and stared at her reflection, but it no longer held the keen excitement that used to course through her veins when she was ready to make an appearance in front of the crowd. She had wanted nothing more than to entertain hundreds of people and become renowned all through England for her talents. Now, the only thing she truly wanted was to be Cordell’s wife and start a family, to share a life with him.
It was funny how the things a person once worked so hard to achieve suddenly do not hold as much appeal as they once had. It was not two weeks ago that she was determined not to let anything spoil her future as a successful actress, and now she was ready to give it all up. She knew that Cordell was thinking of leaving the city, and she was starting to find a certain appeal in that as well.
Thus, when she donned her costume and set out for that night’s performance, she did so with the knowledge that this would be her last performance. She knew that the manager of the theatre would not be pleased by her decision, but it was her life and she intended to live it on her terms.
Once she had completed her performance, the auditorium erupted in cheers and thunderous applause. As she stood on the stage and bowed along with the rest of the cast, she looked out at all the faces and knew she would remember this moment as long as she lived. If their reaction was not the proof that she had made her way in the entertainment world, then nothing else could.
When she entered her dressing room, she found several bouquets of flowers from various admirers set about the interior. Their delightful perfume filled the air, but what put the smile on her face was when Cordell turned around and greeted her with a broad smile.
She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.
“You were magnificent tonight. You have always stunned me by your ability to capture an audience, but this evening was exceptionally brilliant.”
“I wanted to personally dedicate it to the women who lost their lives,” she said somberly. “And I wanted my last performance to be a memorable one.”
Cordell immediately frowned. “Your last performance?”
“Yes.” She framed his face with her hands. “You are all that I want. The theatre was a dream, and I have succeeded. The pleased reaction from the crowd was all I ever strived to achieve. I craved it like nothing else but now what I crave is you.”
He pulled her close, and she thrilled at the intimacy. “That makes two of us,” he growled lightly.
She glanced around the dressing room and then lifted a coy brow. “It would be wrong if we did not offer a proper goodbye to the theatre.”
“I like the way you think, Miss Sims.”
