Page 57 of Taming a Beastly Duke
Marcus chuckled, raising himself above her.
“Bold, indeed,” he said, leaning close to her ear. “My future Duchess of Lochville.”
Her laugh became a gasp as Marcus claimed her lips again. They had proved that some betrayals could be healed by trust and time and that some loves were stronger for having been tested. She would be his wife, his duchess, and the mother of his children. And she knew she would be the luckiest lady in all of England for such an honor.
Epilogue
“Marcus?” Thomas said, standing outside the open door of Marcus’s study.
Marcus rose from his desk, grinning broadly at his friend.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he said, motioning for Thomas to sit and join him. “Please, come in.”
Thomas nodded, accepting the chair across from Marcus’s.
“Thank you,” he said. “I apologise for calling in on you so unexpectedly. But there is something which I need to discuss with you. Though I admit that I am not quite sure how. Particularly just days before your wedding.”
Marcus’s brow furrowed. He had only seen Thomas so serious two months prior, when he was suffering the effects of Edwin’s poison. He thought about the maid’s involvement and his stomach tightened.
“Has something happened regarding Miss Potter?” he asked.
Thomas’s eyes widened in confusion. Then, he shook his head with a small, sheepish smile.
“No,” he said. “She will still be granted mercy for her testimony, and she has just departed for the cottage in Cornwall to which you pensioned her. Everything went according to plan where she is concerned. And Edwin will still never leave his prison cell due to his trail of murders and inheritance fraud.”
Marcus sighed, shuddering.
“And what of the esteemed physician?” Marcus asked. “Did he manage to escape justice?”
Thomas shook his head, a wry smile gracing his features.
“He certainly did not,” he said. “In fact, Mr. Fletcher was implicated in the death of Mr. Morrison, and it was confirmed that his business was tailored toward the more scandalous nobility who seek methods of removing people from their lives permanently.”
Marcus smirked.
“I suppose he confessed,” he said, not expecting the answer he received.
“Yes,” Thomas said matter-of-factly. “He faces transportation to the colonies. I pity those who encounter him there. However, from what I understand, punishment is far stricter and dictated more by religion there than it is here.”
Marcus relaxed, nodding.
“I am glad,” he said. “Miss Potter did not deserve to spend her days in a cell. Edwin, however, certainly does, with such a knack for murdering people who stood between him and any inheritance to which he decided he was entitled. And that physician… may he live long enough to get everything he deserves.” Marcus paused, studying his suddenly grave and nervous friend. “If all that news is so favorable, what is it that troubles you?”
Thomas sighed. He stared at Marcus, clasping his hands in front of him tightly.
“It is about Edith,” he said, speaking as if he needed to say all his words in a single breath. “I know this is highly irregular and unexpected, but I have fallen in love with her, and I wish to…” he trailed off, taking in a big rush of air. He looked frightened, as though he realized that what he had just said was a terrible mistake.
Marcus waited with an intense stare for his friend to finish his thought. When a moment passed, then another, and Thomas still did not speak again, Marcus took a deep breath. He straightened his shoulders, then slowly and deliberately leaned on his desk with his fists on the surface of its wood.
“To what?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice bland and even. “To marry her? To marry my sister?”
Thomas swallowed, nodding.
“Yes,” he said. “I understand that she is your sister, and that we are friends. But love has found us, Marcus. I am sure this comes as a surprise to you, and I certainly did not plan for it to happen. But it has, and I hope you can search within yourself and find the grace to grant us this.”
Marcus bit his lip so hard that he thought his teeth might pierce the skin. He stood straight again, moving around his desk with slow steps. He stopped mere inches from his partner and friend, holding his gaze for another silent moment. He wanted to see if Thomas would speak again; if he had anything else to say in his defense. But eventually, Marcus could not hold his breath any longer.
“Thomas,” he said, his voice cracking as he chuckled. “You say it comes as a surprise. But I have known about Edith’s feelings for you, and yours for her, since your very first dance. I have been secretly waiting and hoping for the two of you to speak of marriage.” He laughed, clapping his flustered friend on the back. “And if you are asking for my blessing, my permission to marry my sister, then consider it freely and happily given, effective immediately.”
