Page 102 of Legacy of Roses

“Of course I’ll marry you!”

Dimitri stood, pulling her up with him and wrapping her in his arms.

“Thank you,” he murmured into her hair.

They only had a moment to linger in the embrace before Rosalie’s family swarmed them, creating a mass of hugs, tears, and happy exclamations. When they finally emerged, Dimitri’s grandfather took his turn congratulating them.

“I’m sorry to saddle you with an old man like me,” he told Rosalie. “But now that I’ve found my grandson again, I intend to stick close.”

“Oh, please do!” she exclaimed. “It would make us both so happy.” She smiled up at Dimitri. It made the moment complete that they could both have their family around them.

“I want to be married as soon as possible,” Dimitri said, smiling back down at her. “I don’t want us to be apart any longer.”

“How about the last day of summer?” Rosalie’s mother surprised her by asking.

“But that’s only two weeks away,” Rosalie gasped. “Can we really be ready by then?”

Her mother gave a satisfied grin. “I may have begun preparing a few things already. I had a feeling this was coming. There’s been a lot of work involved in getting the house ready, but that isn’t the only reason I’ve been so busy lately.”

“Mother! I can’t believe it!” Rosalie shook her head.

Her brothers edged closer, all grinning smugly.

“We’ve been helping,” Vernon said.

“The three of you? And you managed to keep it a secret?” She stared at them, her astonishment real.

“We’re fourteen now,” Ralph said proudly. “Mother knows she can rely on us.”

Rosalie caught her mother’s quickly hidden smile and burst out laughing herself.

“You have my admiration and my thanks,” she assured her offended brothers when her laughter subsided.

“Was I that obvious?” Dimitri asked ruefully.

Rosalie’s father chuckled. “We were only surprised you didn’t propose before you left.”

Dimitri glanced at Rosalie. “I wanted Rosalie to know that it didn’t matter where I traveled or who I met—my feelings about her weren’t going to change.”

Both of Rosalie’s parents beamed approval of his words, and Rosalie’s already full heart expanded even further.

“Thank you,” she whispered to Dimitri. She was still getting used to being more open and vulnerable about her true self, and it meant a lot that he hadn’t just dismissed her fears.

She turned away to surreptitiously wipe her eyes while the others broke off into several smaller conversations. When she had recovered, she gave Daphne a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here too, Daph,” she said. “You know you’re family as much as anyone else, right?”

Daphne smiled. “Of course. I did run, didn’t I?”

Rosalie laughed, but while she feared she might float away from the happiness filling her, Daphne seemed a little sad behind her smile.

“Are you sure everything is all right?” Rosalie asked, not wanting her situation to overshadow Daphne’s, as it sometimes had in the past.

Daphne sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to spoil any part of your big moment. I’m truly so happy for you, Rosalie. You’re the only sister I have. I’m just sad that I have to leave.”

“You’re going? Already?” Rosalie felt some of her joy ebb.

She had always known Daphne would leave eventually. Daphne needed the chance to become her true self just as Rosalie had. And the only way for Daphne to step out from under the Legacy’s weight was to return to Oakden. But Rosalie had convinced herself that it wouldn’t be for a while yet.

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