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"All my life, I believed I was cursed," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I believed I had brought death into the world when my brother and mother died. My father made certain I believed it, and I carried that guilt for years. I thought perhaps I was destined to cause pain wherever I went, that there was something wrong with me that could never be changed."

Olivia's heart broke at the confession, because she knew how deeply those beliefs had wounded him.

"But you showed me I was wrong," he continued, gently cupping her cheek. "With you, I learned that I could feel something other than guilt. I could bring safety. I could bring happiness. I could love someone and have that love returned."

Olivia stared at him through her tears, scarcely daring to believe what she was hearing.

"Do you truly mean all of that, James?" she asked, her voice trembling as she placed her hand over his wrist.

"Every word." James held her cheek more firmly, as he looked at her with an openness that left her heart pounding. "I mean every word of it, Olivia," he said. "I love you."

The words seemed to suspend the world around her, and for one breathless moment she could only stare at him. She had imagined hearing those words more times than she could count, yet now that they had finally been spoken, she understood that nothing could have prepared her for the tenderness of them.

Love? Is this true?

Olivia closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself to feel the truth she had spent weeks trying to hide from herself. She loved him. She loved the man who pretended not to care while secretly protecting everyone around him. She loved his dry humor, his stubbornness, his strength, his gentleness with Felix, and even the quiet sadness he tried so desperately to conceal.

Opening her eyes, she touched his face with trembling fingers. "I love you too," she whispered, and then, gathering what courage remained to her, she smiled through her tears. "I have been afraid to say it because I thought I might lose you if I did."

James's expression softened with such tenderness that Olivia nearly cried again. He took both her hands and drew her closer, his forehead almost touching hers.

"Then there is one question that matters now," he murmured. Olivia's heart fluttered as he studied her face. "Do you want to marry me … again?" he asked.

She blinked in surprise, and he gave a faint smile.

"Properly, Olivia. Not merely because of an inheritance clause or because we needed to protect Felix. I want a true wedding, with your family there to witness it, and I want to stand before everyone and declare that I chose you because I love you." His voice grew firmer as he continued. "I want you as my wife in every sense of the word, because you are the woman I love."

A laugh escaped Olivia through her tears, half joy and half disbelief, and she pressed both hands against his chest.

"Yes," she said, smiling so brightly that her cheeks hurt. "Yes, James. I want that more than anything."

James drew her into his arms, and Olivia rested her head against his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart. For so long she had feared that she would never be truly chosen, that she would always be the difficult daughter, the troublesome twin, the woman someone tolerated only because circumstances demanded it.

Yet here she was, held by the man she loved, hearing him promise that he wanted her not because he needed her, but because he could not imagine his life without her.

James tipped her chin upwards and kissed her.

Olivia slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love she had been frightened to name, feeling his arms tighten around her as though he meant to keep her there forever.

Olivia sat before the dressing table in Bethany's bedchamber while Louiza stood behind her, carefully brushing out the last tangles from her hair, and Bethany sat upon the edge of the bed with one hand resting protectively over the small swell of her stomach.

The house seemed unusually cheerful that evening, filled with the soft sounds of conversation and the occasional laughter of sisters who had spent too long separated by circumstance. Olivia felt lighter than she had in months, perhaps because for once she was not waiting for something terrible to happen. Tomorrow she would marry James properly, before her sisters, and the thought sent a warm flutter through her chest every time she remembered it.

"I am so happy everything is working out for you," Louiza said as she drew the brush gently through Olivia's hair, smiling at their reflection in the mirror. "For a time, I feared we should never escape Aunt Charnley's house, and now you are to have a proper wedding with a duke."

Olivia laughed softly, shaking her head at the absurdity of it. "I believe you have made it sound far more romantic than it was," she replied, reaching up to catch Louiza's hand. "Although I shall happily accept the duke part."

Bethany laughed from the bed, and Olivia turned toward her with a grin. "And you must admit, Louiza, that you smashing that vase was rather impressive."

Louiza gave her an innocent look. "I did what was necessary."

Bethany smiled warmly at them both, her expression softening as she watched the twins tease one another. "I am simply happy that I shall be here to see my sister married," she said, resting her hand over her stomach. "When I first heard what had happened, I could hardly believe it. Now I feel as though everything has happened for a reason."

Olivia crossed the room and sat beside her, placing her hand gently over Bethany's. "I am happy you are here too," she said. "And our other sisters are on their way. They should arrive before the wedding, so we shall all be together."

The thought made Olivia smile. Their family had been divided for so long that having them gathered felt almost miraculous.

Louiza lowered herself into the chair beside them and studied Olivia with a more thoughtful expression.