Page 80 of Taken By the Icy Duke

She clutched his lapels, her sobs mingling with a watery smile. “Yes,” she said with a shaky laugh. “But… what if your fear returns? You have carried it for so long.”

He closed his eyes, exhaling.

“Then I will remember the sight of you near death in that ballroom, and how I nearly failed you in my stubbornness, and I will stand firm. Neither of us is alone in this. Not anymore.”

Relief and newfound joy mingled with remnants of wariness, but she found hope in his words.

Gilbert eased her onto the pillows, arranged the covers, then brushed a tender kiss on her forehead. She felt the subtle tremor in his hand, a reminder that he still wrestled with ghosts from his past, but he was choosing to face them.

She swallowed a final sob and turned to look at him. “You will stay?” she asked uncertainly.

“Yes,” he said, leaning in to press his lips gently to hers. “I will stay for as long as you need me… longer than that. I want to be here when you wake, and every day thereafter.”

Upon hearing his promise, Diana felt a desperate happiness growing within her. He smoothed a protective hand across her hair, whispering quiet reassurances, speaking of a future where they would face life’s tribulations together. Diana trusted the ring of truth in his words.

She believed that Gilbert had cast aside the old vow, one born of loss and pain, and had chosen a fresh vow born out of love and promise; one with her and their child at the center of his heart.

Epilogue

Diana stirred awake, early sunlight painting the bedchamber walls with a gentle gold. She blinked in drowsy surprise to find Gilbert beside her, propped up in a nearby chair as though he had guarded her throughout the night.

He still wore his rumpled waistcoat from the previous evening, and his hair looked disheveled. At her soft movement, he turned, his eyes vulnerable in a way she had rarely seen.

“How long have you been watching me?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“I have not slept much,” he said, rising to cross the small space between them. “I was worried. Are you well?”

She pressed a palm over her abdomen, recalling how the physician had confirmed her pregnancy mere hours before. The memory of Gilbert’s shock still glowed in her mind, now colored with cautious hope.

“I am better,” she said. “I never wished to alarm you.”

He let out a breath, his words edged with regret. “I am the cause of this alarm, am I not? You felt forced to hide our child because of my vow.”

She swallowed, emotions tight in her chest. “I was so afraid you would resent me… or the baby. You swore never to be a father.”

He knelt at her bedside, concern and love evident in his eyes. “I did,” he said. “My fear was stronger than reason for too long. But when I heard we are to have a child, I felt… relief. Despite my terror, I realized I wanted this more than I had admitted.”

She stared at him with a mix of disbelief and joy. “You wanted it? Truly?”

“I have always loved you,” he said, his voice trembling. “I simply refused to name it. Losing my father and sister scarred me. I assumed any child of mine would be doomed. Yet the thought of losing you, and losing this new life you carry, overcame every old terror.”

“Always?” Diana asked with tentative hope. “Tell me then, all the gifts and the outings shopping, did you do that out of duty, to ensure my appearance met your standards as your duchess? Or, because of your affection for me?”

His face fell with a gentle scoff as he shook his head. “Oh, Diana, my dearest. I may not have realized it at first, but I was happy toshower my affections on you with gifts. Yes, it was tactical in the beginning, but you deserved all of it. And I will spend the rest of my life giving you anything and everything that makes you happy.”

Her tears slipped free as she reached for him.

“Gilbert,” she said, her mouth quivering into a sob. “I love you, and I never wished to keep this from you.”

He closed his eyes, lifting her hand to his lips.

“I love you,” he said, leaning over her. “Please forgive me for all I have denied.”

She let out a broken laugh of relief.

“I forgive you,” she whispered. “I only hope we can face the future away from the shadows cast by your past.”

He touched her cheek, his eyes ignited with tender resolve.

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