Page 90 of The Moonstone Marquess
“Only to you, my Moonstone temptress. I would not find this happiness with anyone else.” He kissed her with sweet urgency, pressing his lips to hers as he allowed hunger and craving to overtake him.
He drew her up against him, lifting her slightly off the ground, so that their bodies fit together like the final pieces to complete the puzzle of their lives. Their hearts beat together, hers ridiculously rapid but his steadier and matching every second beat of hers. “I love you, Cormac.”
“I am insanely in love with you, my lioness.”
A warm summer breeze enveloped them as they stood under the bright sun thinking of their future and all the hopes and dreams that lay ahead of them.
*
Cormac’s grin wasear to ear when they arrived at the dressmaker’s shop. His nieces were having their gowns pinned to their measurements, and they looked like faerie princesses.
They hopped up and down with delight when he strode in, ignoring the pins and simply ebullient in their pleasure as they showed off their gowns of palest pink silk.
“Ducklings, you look amazing,” he said, his eyes alight with joy.
“Phoebe needs to choose something nice for herself,” Ella said, and Imogen nodded in agreement. “Chloe’s gown is the color of lilacs. It’s so pretty.”
Cormac gave each girl a kiss on the forehead. “Phoebe will have the best there is. She’ll be the prettiest bride ever.”
He turned to the dressmaker. “Madame de Clare, your best for Lady Phoebe.”
Chloe took her sister’s hand and drew her over to a display of fabrics. “Come look at these silks. What do you think of these laces?”
Phoebe, Chloe, and the dressmaker discussed the various choices while Cormac remained with his nieces. In the background, Phoebe could hear Cormac chatting with them, teasing them gently as he always did, and leaving them in giggles. She loved how good he was with them and how much they adored him.
“Phoebe,” Chloe said, cutting into her straying thoughts, “you need a gown to rival the finest London has to offer. Is that not right, Lord Burness?”
“Yes, yes!” the girls responded before he could get in a word. They were so excited, and Phoebe quickly caught their enthusiasm.
She held up her hands and laughed. “All right. Let’s show those stuffy Londoners how it is done here in Moonstone Landing. Right, Madame de Clare?”
“Indeed!” the woman agreed with a jovial smile.
Phoebe knew this was not merely going to be her day, but Cormac’s as well. She wanted this for him more than anything, for he had not merely lost his arm but pieces of his heart. Those were healing, and this was what counted most.
He was all rakish grins as the dressmaker took her measurements. When she put the tape around Phoebe’s bust, he remarked, “Need help with that?”
Chloe and the woman giggled inanely while he followed it up with a naughty wink. Phoebe stood there shaking her head, her cheeks flaming. “You are incorrigible.”
Cormac kissed her on the nose. “And you are beautiful.”
He took the girls down to the docks to watch the boats sailing in and out of the harbor while the dressmaker finished taking her measurements and began putting what would be her wedding gown together. “You’ll need to come back tomorrow for a proper pinning.”
Phoebe smiled. “Gladly. What time would you like me here?”
They made their appointment, then she and Chloe went in search of Cormac and the girls. It was not hard to find them even amid the crowd of vendors and shoppers by the harbor. Cormac was talking to Lieutenant Brennan, the young man they had met at the church fair. He waved to them as she and Chloe approached.
“What brings you back to town?” Chloe asked, her smile particularly bright.
“I finished scouting the nearby harbors and towns.”
Phoebe nodded. “And what have you decided?”
“Well, my recommendation will remain to build the new hospital in Moonstone Landing. The ultimate choice is not mine to make. I’m sure there’ll be quite a bit of political wrangling once I file my report. But you have a good, deep harbor and plenty of room to build on the north side of town. An army barracks is already situated here, although that might need to be expanded. The town’s transportation routes and amenities are well developed, so those should not be an issue beyond adding an access road to the hospital and a few modifications to the harbor.”
“I’ll be interested in seeing your plans and discussing your report,” Cormac said. “So will the Duke of Malvern. I believe he is the largest land owner in the area. Will you be available to meet with us tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, my lord. With pleasure.”
