“You—you love me,” he repeated, because he wasn’t certain he hadn’t fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion in the carriage andthis was all some wonderful dream he’d be heartbroken to wake from.
She nodded. “I don’t know what to do. You proposed to me tonight…yesterday, I suppose it is now. But after the kidnapping and the death of your grandfather and?—”
“You think any of that would change how I feel about you?”
“You’ve lost so much and it’s because of me.” She blinked and the tears that filled her eyes broke his heart.
“Not because of you, love,” he said. “Because of my grandfather. None of this was your fault or my fault or even Laurence’s fault. And seeing you in danger, fearing you’d be snatched away from me permanently, it only solidified my feelings, it didn’t weaken them.” He moved from the settee so that they knelt together now. “I asked you to marry me, but I’m realizing I didn’t tell you those feelings. I love you, Julia.”
Her face crumpled a little with joy and fear all at once. “Alexander.”
“Don’t you dare stop me from saying it, not after tonight. I love you. Only you. All of you. Every day, for all the days. I love you.” He stroked her face, knowing it would be the face he would look into all his life. Because hewouldconvince her now that he knew she loved him. “And I knowexactlywhat you should do.”
“Tell me,” she said, her voice cracking and tears flowing.
“You hold me,” he said. “And you tell me everything about yourself. And I tell you everything. We love each other’s scars. We laugh together and cry together. We love each otherbecause, never despite the cracks we find in each other. We give each other a future.”
“But the future is so uncertain.”
“If you’re willing to wager on Gray Danvers’ innovations, certainly you should be willing to wager on a bad bet like me,” he teased.
She bent her head into his chest and let out a long sigh. “Youaren’t the bad bet.”
He lifted her chin so they looked at each other again. “Neither are you.”
“And what if we fail?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Then we try again. And again. And again together.” He smiled. “That’s life, my love.”
She was nodding, which was encouraging, but she still asked, “There will be a great deal of trouble coming after your grandfather’s death.”
“There will.” He sighed at the truth of it but that was followed by a little smile. “But we’ll face that together, too. Please, please, mylove. Say yes this time when I ask you to be mine forever.”
She cupped his face and kissed him deeply as she whispered, “Yes. Yes. Yes,” as the sun rose and bathed them both in golden light.
EPILOGUE
They were married by special license within days, watched and cheered on lovingly by both her sisters and her aunt, as well as Alexander’s mother and even Simone. It was a small party, also attended by Beatrice, who weaved between the legs of everyone in attendance.
As she watched, Simone approached her and put an arm around her. “You are glowing,” she said with a smile.
“So are you,” Julia said with a wink because her good friend had also found unexpected and very welcomed love under the very noses of the Comerford sisters. She was so happy for her.
“Love suits us all, I suppose,” Simone said and there was a hint of a blush to her cheeks now as she gazed across the room to where Caroline was holding Evie and Vaughn’s baby, Isabel. “Oh, I have some news you and your love might enjoy hearing.”
“What is that?” Julia asked.
“Now that the smoke is clearing after theaccidentaldeath of the Earl of Heathfield,” Simone said with a roll of her eyes.
“You know how these things are covered up.” Julia glanced at Alexander. He was smiling and seemed happy. Hewashappy, she knew. But he was also still grieving and trying to go throughthe heavy mud of the loss of a grandfather who had been so cruel.
“Of course they are,” Simone said. “However, it seems the new earl, your former fiancé has found some very damning facts as he’s digging through the mire. A very well placed source tells me the earl wasdeeplyin debt even though he hid it well and now that he is no longer alive to threaten those with bills to come due, they are bombarding Laurence with demands.”
Julia’s mouth dropped open. “Could that be true?”
“I believe it to be so. He’s even tried begging Gray Danvers for a way into his investments but has been refused roundly, as Danvers has never suffered fools.”
“And after all his dismissal of Alexander’s investments.” She snorted as she shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s good news, but it’s certainly news and I cannot say I’m not happy to hear he is suffering a bit after everything that happened and how poorly he treated me and Alexander.” She wrinkled her brow. “Though he didn’t kill us, so he does get some points back for that.”
