“I know that but…” Yvette winced and looked away. “I have been thinking a lot lately, and I have decided that I want a family of my own. I know this is a lot of put on you, and I do not expect you to…” Her chin began to wobble. “You must know that I want children of my own. There is no way my mind will change.”
“Miss Norleigh…” The Duke released her hand and touched under her chin, forcing Yvette to look at him. He still smiled at her, and she saw the love he held for her in eyes. “I want children too.”
“But Hugh –”
“Will be raised as my son, but he is not that. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, and as I said, I have been wrong about so many things. Mainly, what my future looks like, and who I want to spend it with.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Does that mean…”
“It means that I want to spend my life with you. Just as it means that I want to have a family with you. If you will have one with me.”
She beamed. “On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“That you stop calling me Miss Norleigh…” She could not help but grin. “My name is Yvette.”
“Yvette…” Just hearing the name sent a ripple across her skin. “And you, Yvette, this Your Grace business…” He clicked his tongue. “If you are to be my wife, I expect you to call me Alistair.”
She started back. “Your wife?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No.” She breathed in deeply as she took his hand again. She held his eyes. She let him see her, as she saw him. “Not at all.”
With that said, there was but one thing left to do. It felt overdue, a piece of them both that had been missing for so long and was finally found. They held hands, they stood close, and they looked into one another’s eyes as the situation and what it called for dawned on them both.
And thus, with nothing holding them back, they did as they had both yearned for so long. They kissed.
It was a kiss of passion. It was a kiss of intensity and desire. Most of all, it was a kiss of love. Their lips came together, held, and Yvette felt that love pouring through her body and touching her heart so that it threatened to explode. It then wrapped her like a cocoon, keeping her safe, letting her know that she had nothing else to worry about.
It was a kiss that said so much, questions answered, and worries put to bed. It was a kiss that brought their two worlds together and proved that they could exist as one.
And when they parted, smiling at one another, heart beats matching, Yvette knew that all the pain she had been through, all the confusion, and all the suffering was worth it. From here on out, happiness was what waited for her, and she looked forward to it like nothing else.
And from the way that Alistair looked down at her, she knew he was of the same mind. He might have been from a differentworld, but he and her were meant to be together, and nothing, anywhere, would keep them apart again.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Alistair looked to the space beside him, saw that it was empty, and was flooded by a sudden feeling of deep anxiety. It was silly, he knew. There was no need for it. But when he had turned his head, he half-expected to find Yvette sitting next to him, and to realize that she was not… well, it upset him greatly.
He rolled his eyes at himself and shook his head.
There is no need for that. We have the rest of our lives to spend together, so what are a few hours of being apart? Nothing in the grand scheme of things.
In fact, Yvette was the one who suggested that she not join Alistair today. He had asked if she wished to be by his side for this, but she’d elected to leave it in his capable hands. Rather, she opted to spend the morning with Hugh, who was thrilled to bring Yvette to the lake where he might show off his swimming skills.
Alistair imagined the two there right now, the laughter, the fun they were surely having. His heart swelled to picture it, and again he wished that he could be with them.
Alas, before he was able to commit to a life with the woman he now loved, there was one thing that he needed to do first. It was not an arduous task. It was not one that would bring difficulty. It was just something that he had to do, and until he did, he and Yvette would not be able to marry.
So it was that Alistair brought his attention back to the inside of the carriage. It was slowing down now, an indication that he was about to arrive. He pushed thoughts of Yvette from his mind and focused on the present. This would not take long, and he reminded himself for the hundredth time not to lose his temper.
So long as he does not give me a reason to lose it…
The carriage came to a sudden stop, and Alistair sighed as he looked out the window. There, he saw Vicar Norleigh’s small home, and he could picture clearly the drunken vicar inside right now, no idea how his life was about to change.
“Your Grace…” The carriage door opened, and the footman stepped to the side to allow him out.
