Page 169 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

They had reached the bed, and Joaquin was straddled across her, when the door opened.

‘Oh, my God! Your dress...your hair! You should be ready, not...not...’

‘Sorry, Mum, he was just leaving.’

Clemmie pushed at Joaquin, who did not look abashed as he sat on the side of the bed and straightened his tie.

‘You look very happy, darling.’

‘I am, Mum.’

‘Harry and I have been discussing our next step, and we have decided there is no hurry for our wedding. I intend to stay in Yorkshire with him—at least until he has sorted through his mother’s house and belongings. But I have told him that when you have children—no matter when that is—we will move back to the gatehouse. I want to be a very involved grandparent.’

Resisting the temptation to press her hands to her still-flat stomach, Clemmie smiled. She had only known for twenty-four hours, and for the moment she was hugging the news to herself.

News that would be her wedding present to Joaquin.

‘That sounds like a plan. Now, my hair, Mum... Any ideas? At least we don’t have to worry about rain, or the wind blowing my veil away.’

When the guest numbers had grown, the village church had been substituted for the great hall in the manor—the only space big enough to accommodate everyone and the masses of flowers that filled every corner of the house. After the ceremony the plan was for everyone to transfer to the marquees that had been set up in the grounds.

When Clemmie walked down the aisle, her mind was not on her hair—which had been arranged in a half-up, half-down style, the half-up part supporting an antique veil—her attention was totally focused on the man who stood waiting for her...

‘Did that really just happen?’ she whispered after the ceremony, as they walked hand in hand past the smiling guests.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve lost your memory again? Sorry, that’s not funny,’ he added with a wince. ‘You’re wearing your wedding present, I see,’ he went on.

Clemmie touched the diamond studs that glittered through the strands of hair floating around her face.

‘And I’m wearing my wedding gift to you.... Well, sort of...’

He looked down at her, bemused, and she watched comprehension dawning as she held his eyes and pressed both hands to her stomach.

‘Really?’ he said, sounding stunned.

She nodded, seeing joy, fear and awe flash through his eyes. The same emotions that she had felt when she had looked at her positive pregnancy test.

‘I only did the test yesterday. It’s still sinking in. Do you like your present, Joaquin?’

‘I love my present—and I love you!’

Behind them the guests’ cameras clicked, recording the couple kissing under the flower-bedecked stone arch as if they were alone in their own world.

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