Page 72 of Choosing Her Earl at Last
Norman’s henchman recovered from his surprise and gave chase after her. At the bottom of the gangplank, he caught up to her, grabbing her by the arm. He jerked her around and raised his hand to strike her across the face.
Emmeline held her head high, prepared for the pain that was about to come. She would not let him see her cower in fear.
As if appearing out of nowhere once more, Michael charged forward and punched the henchman square in the face. “Unhand her!” he roared, his face a picture of fury. Pulling Emmeline into his protective embrace, he looked down into her face. “Are you harmed?” he asked, his eyes searching every part of her for signs of abuse.
Emmeline shook her head. “I am not harmed.” She was so happy to see him that she could barely get the words out.
Pulling her away from the downed henchmen, he allowed the Bow Street Runners to take the criminal into custody as well.Once all of the criminal elements were in hand, Michael picked Emmeline up into his arms and carried her over to a waiting carriage.
Setting her down on the bench seat, he knelt before her, holding her hands in his.
“How did you find me?” she whispered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
“My groundskeeper,” Michael explained.
“He is alive?” Emmeline breathed in relief. She had been concerned for the elderly man.
“He is,” Michael confirmed with a nod.
“Rebecca?”
“She is safe. Colin left her under guard at a nearby inn. He did not wish for her to be harmed in the scuffle that he knew was coming.”
Tears of joy flowed down Emmeline’s cheeks. “Thank you,” she cried out. “Thank you! How will I ever repay you?”
Michael reached up his hand to her cheek and brushed away the tears. “I was happy to be of assistance,” he reassured her. “There is no debt betwixt us.”
His words fell upon Emmeline’s heart, bringing her comfort. His tone had suggested that he was talking about more than Rebecca’s rescue.
“I was so frightened that I would never see you again,” she admitted. “I have never regretted anything more in my life than the day that I chose duty over love and married Norman. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?” She knew that the last time she had asked, she had been rejected, but there was something different in his eyes now that told her it was worth asking once more.
“Forgiveness was never needed. I simply needed to come to a better understanding of the woman that I love,” Michael reassured her.
“That you love?” Emmeline asked, her heart beating faster with anticipation.
“Love,” Michael repeated. Taking her into his arms, he kissed her sweetly at first, then passion overtook them both as they melted into each other.
He loves me!Her heart sang as their souls became one.
Epilogue
One Week Later
Michael stood in the place where he had first declared his love for Emmeline as a child, his heart heavy with the feelings that threatened to overwhelm him. He and Emmeline had at long last declared their love for one another and shared an impassioned kiss, but he had avoided her since.
She is wed and belongs to another. Norman Livingston may be in prison, but he is still alive. She will never be mine as long as he draws breath.He prayed that his actions had not already caused her an unrecoverable scandal.
Turning, he walked across the boundary of their neighboring estates and made his way toward the Frampton country manor house. He found Emmeline and Rebecca embracing and crying in the garden behind the house. Pausing for a moment to ascertain what might be wrong, he saw that they were smiling, and Colin was standing off to the side, beaming with joy.
“I take it that Rebecca said yes to your proposal,” Michael noted as he approached his cousin.
“She did indeed,” Colin replied, his entire face glowing with the intensity of his happiness.
“Congratulations.” Michael smiled, shaking Colin’s hand in celebration. “I am pleased to see that she has recovered well,” he noted, watching the two sisters.
Colin nodded. “The physician said that she is healthy and that there should not be any residual effects from her imprisonment. He said that nightmares are a perfectly normal response to all that she endured, and that someday those, too, will fade.”
Michael nodded. “That is good news.”
