Page 59 of To Heal a Broken Earl
“Well, I sort of had an idea that you liked me enough to keep kissing me. Which I really enjoyed and hopefully will again.”
He laughed as he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Oh, we will definitely be kissing again,” he said with a growl.
“Good, because I love you too,” she said as her eyes blurred with tears.
He kissed her again. “I wanted to tell you how I felt and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you yesterday,after the party was over, but then you went and got yourself kidnapped,” he said with a wink.
“I promise, no more getting myself kidnapped.” A radiant smile broke out across her face.
“Good, because I would like to make you my countess, that is…if you say yes.”
This was everything she had ever dreamed of happening, yet she’d never imagined finding a man she could love as deeply as Michael. “Yes, I will marry you, my lord. As long as you promise to teach me to fish, like you promised, and never get grumpy when I’m trying to do something nice for you.”
“All right, you have a deal. But let’s kiss on it just to make it official.”
“Yes, we must make it official,” she said, giggling.
He beamed at her. “I’d love to teach you to fish. And I suppose we should even discuss teaching you and Katie to swim. With the pond so close on this property, I want to ensure we avoid any mishaps.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered. “I heard you…earlier.”
“When?”
“You told me three things…and I listened to each one. Even though I tried, I couldn’t answer you…” Emma said.
“Are you going to marry Lord Wilton, Auntie?” a sleepy Katie said.
“Looks like what we were discussing will have to wait…” Michael whispered teasingly.
“Yes. I’d like to discuss that further,” Emma said, then turned to Katie. “I am,” she said, kissing her niece on the forehead.
“Oh, goody! It’s about time! Isn’t it, Finn?”
The spaniel gave a soft woof.
“See, Finn approves. When is the wedding?” Katie asked.
Emma and Michael looked at each other and burst into laughter.
There would be plenty of time to plan a wedding. In the meantime, Emma would insist on more kissing. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
~*~
Epilogue
Wilton Hall
Amberley, South Downs
Sussex, England
One year later
“Darling, we just received the sweetest letters from Katie and Evie. Evie and Martin just finished renovating a townhouse in Mayfair,” Lady Emma Wilton said from the blue damask settee in the parlor. “Evie says that Katie is doing a wonderful job learning her letters and her numbers with her governess, Jane. And she’s loving being Leo’s big sister.”
“Leo’s almost a year old now, isn’t he?” Michael asked.
“Yes. Katie helps with his bottle feedings and tells him stories—mostly adventures that she and Finn had while she was here, according to Evie,” Emma said, smiling and shifting slightly in her chair, hoping to find the right spot so her back wouldn’t hurt. She suddenly realized how miserable Evie must have been when trying to sleep while pregnant. Michael’s birthday was tomorrow, and she and Hastings had been planning a small house party for months, hoping to make up for the one last year, which had resulted in her kidnapping.
