Page 67 of His Godsent Duchess
Christina shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. "I can't," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I won't be useful to you."
Victor stared at her, his heart aching at the pain in her voice, the belief that she wasn't enough. "You've already been more than useful. Not just to the girls, but to me."
She glanced up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her disbelief evident. "I've only caused trouble. Amelia… she almost…"
"No," Victor interrupted, his grip tightening on her hand. "What happened with Amelia wasn't your fault. It was mine for leaving. You've done nothing but good for them—more than I could ever repay you for."
Christina shook her head again, her tears falling now. "I was supposed to be their mother, but I haven't been enough."
Victor reached up, gently brushing the tears from her cheeks. "You've been more than enough," he said softly. "I married you to be a mother to my daughters and nothing more. But I didn't realize until now how much I wanted you—not just as their mother, but as my wife."
Her breath hitched, her gaze searching his face as if trying to understand. Victor felt the depth of his emotions rise, emotions he had kept buried for so long, afraid to confront them.
"My life without you in it, Christina, feels colorless. Bland. I never realized how much I needed you until I almost lost you." His voice broke slightly, and he took a steadying breath. "After I lost my brother, something inside me broke. I had to be strong for my girls, for all of them. Their mother was already gone, and when Christian and his wife died… it felt like I couldn't grieve. I couldn't feel anything because they needed me to be strong."
Christina's eyes filled with more tears as she listened, her lips trembling.
"I grew distant and unfeeling," Victor continued, his voice softer now. "I was overly protective of them, scared that something might happen again. And then you came along, and you made me feel things I didn't expect. You made me feel alive again. And I was scared of that. Scared of how much I was falling in love with you."
Christina's breath caught, and she shook her head slightly, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "In love?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Are you really in love with me?"
Victor cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. "I swear it, Christina. I love you. More than anything. And I'm terrified of what losing you would do to me."
For a moment, everything was still. The rain pounded against the roof of the carriage, but inside, there was only the sound of their breathing, of the raw emotion hanging between them.
And then, with a sob, Christina threw her arms around him, burying her face against his chest. "I love you too," she cried, her voice muffled against his coat. "I love you, Victor."
Relief surged through Victor, a warmth spreading through him that he hadn't felt in years. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close, as if by holding her, he could make up for all the time he had spent pushing her away.
They pulled back slightly, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before their lips met in a kiss. It was a kiss full of everything they hadn't said, everything they had felt and been too afraid to admit. Victor kissed her deeply, pouring all of his love, his regret, and his hope into that moment. He felt the tears on her cheeks, felt the warmth of her against him, and knew, without a doubt, that he had found his heart again.
When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless, and Victor rested his forehead against hers, his fingers still tangled in her damp hair.
"Come home with me," he whispered.
Christina nodded, her smile soft, her eyes shining with love. "Yes," she whispered. "Take me home."
Epilogue
"Addison, where are the children?" Christina asked as she walked into the drawing room.
Before Addison could answer, Mrs. Brimsey rushed into the room, her face flushed with urgency. "Your Grace, you must come quickly! The children are in the garden—and, well, you should hurry."
Christina's heart leaped into her throat as she immediately swept past Mrs. Brimsey and out the door, her skirts rustling as she moved swiftly through the halls and into the garden. Her breath quickened with every step, her mind racing with all the terrible possibilities.
As she approached the far edge of the garden, her eyes caught sight of Victor standing by a ditch, and her pulse slowed slightly. The girls were gathered around him, skirts lifted, peering into the muddy trench with wide-eyed fascination. Victor had Carrot in his arms, and Christina's first thought was that something had happened to the cat.
"Victor!" she called, breathless. "What's happened? Is Carrot?—"
Her words trailed off as she saw the cat nestled comfortably in Victor's arms, purring contentedly. He looked perfectly unbothered, not in the least distressed.
"Carrot is fine," Victor said, amusement in his voice. "But we seem to have found a bit of excitement."
Christina stepped closer, her eyes widening as she saw two footmen standing knee-deep in the ditch, carefully pulling out small, wriggling bundles. Puppies. A whole litter of muddy, wet puppies.
"Mama, look!" Agnes cried, bouncing on her toes. "There are five of them! Aren't they adorable?"
Cassidy beamed, her face alight with joy as she held one of the rescued pups in her arms. "We're saving them, Mama! Can we keep them all?"
