“Where the devil are they?” Stratham inquired, his voice prompting a laugh from Tristan and Lilli alike.
“Come. I think we’d best join the rest of the party,” Tristan said with no small amount of regret. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the parlor where congratulations awaited.
He watched with happiness in his heart as she embraced her mother and the dowager countess. Somehow, against all odds, he’d won the woman he loved. And he would do all in his power to honor, protect, and support her. Until his dying breath.
Epilogue
“We really ought to get up,” Lilli told Tristan while doing very little to follow through on her words. Instead, she snuggled further into her husband’s embrace.
A deep chuckle vibrated through him, prompting her lips to curve in a smile that was pressed against his chest as she kissed him. His hold on her tightened, bringing her closer. “Our guests aren’t due for another hour at least.”
“Which is roughly how long it will take me to dress and prepare.” It had already been two o’clock by the time they’d finished luncheon and headed upstairs for their afternoon ‘nap’.
“Not if I serve as your lady’s maid,” Tristan said. His palm roamed over her bottom with lazy strokes that threatened to drive her mad. He suddenly shifted, rolling her onto her back. Gorgeous dark eyes gazed into hers. “And since we know I’m most efficient, there ought to be time for a few more kisses first.”
Resisting him was impossible, so Lilli just sighed with pleasure and gave herself up to another incredible round of lovemaking. It was almost a year since they’d met and during that time the love they shared for each other had deepened.
When she finally managed to climb out of bed after watching Tristan dress, she marveled that her legs could hold her upright. A shift slid over her head and her arms were gently pulled through the sleeves. Stays followed along with a pair of silk stockings with tiny red roses embroidered along each side. Lastly, Tristan helped her put on her gown.
Standing behind her, he planted a series of kisses along her shoulder as he finished doing up the buttons at her back. “There. No one will know you were being ravished ten minutes ago.”
His fingers traced the length of her neck, eliciting a tiny shiver. Heat flooded her cheeks. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Would you want me any other way?”
Their gazes collided in the mirror. “Never.”
Heat filled his eyes. One of his hands settled firmly against her waist. He moved in closer and pressed his lips to the edge of her jaw.
“Tristan.” She'd meant to reprimand him. Instead the breathiness with which she spoke revealed her desire. The devilish scoundrel had managed to stoke it again with the slightest of ease.
His hand slid lower.
Lilli leaned into his solid embrace, allowed herself to be seduced by that wondrous scent so innately his: a touch of sandalwood mixed with bergamot, musk, and a hint of ocean breeze.
A knock sounded. “Mr. and Mrs. Henley?”
Tristan muttered a curse. “Yes?”
“Your guests have arrived,” the butler informed them, his voice slightly muffled by the door.
“Please show them to the parlor,” Lilli told him. “We'll be down in a moment.”
Tristan sighed, pressed one last kiss to Lilli's shoulder, and stepped away. “I suppose we'd better put in an appearance.”
Lilli smiled broadly as she turned to accept the arm he offered.
She'd never been prouder of anyone in her life. Since their wedding, Tristan had proven himself not only a capable landowner and a successful investor, but also a thoughtful husband who valued his wife's opinion. He'd been firm but kind with regard to his father, and while Lilli knew her own Papa must have tested Tristan’s patience on occasion, he'd never complained. Instead, he'd listened and learned, implementing every piece of advice he received until every debt had been paid and the property could be credited with a significant income.
“There you are,” said Grandmama the instant Lilli and Tristan entered the parlor. She sent them a wry smile. “We were wondering what might be keeping you.”
“Don't mind her,” Lilli's cousin, Eva, said while rocking Robert, her one–year–old son, in her arms. “We’re all thrilled to be here. It's high time you hosted a house party.”
“We wanted to wait until the weather improved,” Tristan explained.
Glancing around, Lilli welcomed all the familiar faces. Annie sat beside Lilli's mother on the sofa, her position slightly awkward on account of her large belly. Her husband, the Duke of Rutland, stood behind her, one hand resting lightly upon her shoulder.
Meanwhile, Henrietta watched her husband with deep adoration while he cradled their sleeping daughter, Jane, in his arms.
