Page 100 of Married to the Icy Duke
“Tommy helped me with this painting,” Charlotte explained, smiling up at Isaac. “There’s a piece of all three of us in it.”
“Well, I’m quite in suspense,” he laughed. “Let me see it, please!”
Breathing out slowly, Charlotte stepped forward and pulled away the covering.
The canvas was a large one and would be framed in gilt and displayed in the hall. Isaac had already decided upon that.
On a deep gray background, she had painted Isaac, herself beside him, and with Tommy beaming in between.
“Are those … Are those our masquerade masks?” Isaac whispered, taking a step closer.
“Yes. I … I rather thought that night was pivotal for us all. Besides, I quite adored that mask of yours, in place of the eyepatch. Of course, I would not mind if you dispensed with the eyepatch at all.”
He shot her a wry smile, taking a step forward and bending to look at the detail around the bottom. Charlotte had added texturing there, but had been careful not to obscure Tommy’s name, written in green, or the handprints.
“My hand, Papa!” Tommy chirped up, running forward to place his hand over the prints—one blue, one yellow. Beside them were Isaac’s prints, one in red and one in black.
“How did you …” Isaac stuttered, and Charlotte laid a hand on his shoulder.
“That day, when you and Tommy were finger-painting. I began this painting. At first, I found myself only painting you, but a family cannot be one person, can it? I painted us all. I had Tommy recreate his handprints and yours, which I transferred from the other painting. Very clever, no?”
“It’s lovely,” he whispered. “It’s not at all like those stiff, ugly portraits of my ancestors in the Great Hall. It’s fresh and new. It’sus.”
“I’m so glad you like it,” Charlotte breathed, beaming up at him. “I tried to put a little love in it.”
He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
“It seems that I have more love in my life than a man like me could ever deserve,” he murmured, eyes intent on her face.
Charlotte grinned, looping her arms around his neck. “Then I suppose it shall be my goal to convince you that you deserve it.”
He leaned in to kiss her, but before their lips could meet, Tommy came scurrying over, his little arms waving in the air.
Laughing, Isaac swept him up, and the three of them moved together in a tight hug. Charlotte lay her cheek against Isaac’s chest and closed her eyes.
So, this is love,she thought, a smile wavering on her lips.To think I had to marry a Devil to find it.
The End?
