Page 29 of Buon Natale, My Wicked Rogue
“Don’t.” He softened his tone. “Don’t call yourself that. And it doesn't matter. I am a grown man; I will marry anyone I want. And I want to marry you.”
She calmed down. A bit. “I am not even English.”
“You were born from one of the oldest, most respected bloodlines in England. You are half English.”
“Amesbury never acknowledged me.”
“He will now,” Evan said in a firm voice. “No one will make you feel less than, not while I draw breath.”
“And one last thing. I never gave Jacob a child. You need sons.”
“Now, wait just one moment. You told me that Jacob stopped visiting your bed within months of having married you.”
She sagged. “Yes, that’s right.”
“I will never stop bedding you. That’s a promise.”
“Just because you keep bedding me doesn’t mean that I will conceive your son.”
“Then I shall simply keep on loving you and allow my distant cousin to inherit when I die.”
“No, you’ll resent me. In time, you will. I know that you noblemen value passing on your titles to your own sons, your own flesh and blood. Family bloodlines mean more to your kind than the love of any woman.”
“Angela, I would give up everything for you.”
Warmth blossomed in her chest. Feeling her eyes widening, she threw her hand over her mouth.
“Yes, Angela, you heard me correctly. I love you more than anything or anyone else in the entire world. If I were to lose you, my whole world would end. I would rather die than live without you.”
She had stepped back, and she trembled at his passionate declaration.
“Now that I have thrown my pride aside completely and laid my heart out for you to accept or reject as you want, what do you have to say to me?” he asked in a more moderate tone.
“Oh Mamma Mia!”she exclaimed softly.
He came to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I love you, Angela.”
She still trembled, and she stared at him, unable to speak.
He released her, and he bent down on one knee and took her hand.
“Angela Berry, will you be my countess?”
Well, what else was there to say to such a gesture?
“Yes, I will.”
Chapter Eleven
Mrs. Wyndam met them at the Whitestone dowager house.
Angela glanced around the two chambers, the partition between them removed to create a small ballroom of sorts. It reminded her of how many older, smaller homes in Boston might prepare for some event. The chamber was decorated with winter greens and velvet crimson ribbons, some of the ribbons entwined with the greenery and some fashioned into large bows. The effect was quite festive.
Some cherub statues, along with ribbons and bows of silver gilt, had been added to the Christmas décor. These were obviously added to make the chamber more suitable for a wedding.
Her wedding to Evan.
For her first wedding, little had been done to decorate the captain’s cabin. A bouquet purchased by Jacob before they had set sail had been thrust into her hands.
