Page 60 of The Lady's Guide to Marrying a Viscount
“You came to find me, though you’ve told me more than once that it would be better for me to leave Wulverton. You’ve won, at last. I’m going, and there’s no reason for me to return.”
The stallion tossed its head, unhappy about being kept standing in the snow. Mallon was obliged to tug on the bridle to keep the mount from skittering. “Hear me out, Geneviève.”
“You think I have no feelings…but it hurts to see you, and I’d rather not be hurt.” She was biting at her lip, reluctant to look at him now.
He reached for the edge of the window and located her hand, clasping his fingers through hers. At her touch, a terrible ache swept over him, as if his heart would burst and break. He needed to convince her, though he hardly knew where to begin.
She tugged her hand away. “If you think so little of me, what more can there be to say? You care for me, I know, yet you won’t fight for us. Instead, you run away.”
“I’ve been a fool.” Blurting it seemed the best way. Mallon knew he had to tell her everything. “I was a coward and an imbecile, but I’ve realized what you mean to me, Geneviève. I was living a half-life, pretending that I didn’t need anyone, refusing to allow myself to love.”
“I want to believe you, Mallon, but I’m not sure I can make things right. I’ve tried…” There was a tremble in her voice. She was certainly holding back tears, but one escaped.
“I need you.” He drew closer. “Forgive me for hurting you. Forgive me for being so damn blinded.” He spoke softly yet with urgency and sincerity. “Forgive me Geneviève, and love me, just as I love you.”
It was the first time that he’d said it aloud—that he loved her—and he was shocked to hear the words. He’d thought they would be hard to say, but they felt easy and natural now.
Her lips were parted, her beautifuleyes wide, looking back at him.
“You love me?” She raised her hand to wipe away the wetness upon her cheek.
“Of course, I do. And I want you to belong to me. I love you and I never want to let you go.” He meant every word.
“Never?” She sniffed again, but managed a smile.
“I want for us to be together always. I’ll adore you, with all that I am. I’ve been waiting long enough for my life to begin. Now I’ve found you, I don’t want to waste a single day, not an hour, even. I’ll have Reverend Wapshot read the banns at the next Sunday mass.”
Leaning out of the carriage window, Geneviève threw her arms about his neck, pulling him to her kiss. In it he tasted forgiveness, love, and a promise of what might be, of the future they might forge together. When she broke off, it was to gather her skirts. She pushed open the door and stepped down, onto the crunch of snow.
“You’ve room for another in your saddle, I suppose?” As she looked up at Mallon, he felt that his heart had been aching for this since their first encounter, though he hadn’t known, then, what those feelings had meant.
He quickly dismounted and helped her climb up, to sit in front of him, pulling her into his warmth, just as on the day she’d been thrown in the mire.
“You might have stayed warm in the carriage, you know,” said Mallon, brushing her ear and her neck with his lips.
“Except the carriage is going the wrong way, taking Lisette back to the hall.” Geneviève twisted to look at him, with mischief in her eyes. “If you want our livestogether to begin right now, I suggest we ride to The Saracen’s Head. Don’t they keep a room for you there, for whenever you happen to arrive with some woman thrown over your horse?”
“A scandalous notion!” Mallon’s lips twitched in suppressed laughter.
“Might your reputation stand it?” teased Geneviève. “We can book two rooms if you like, but I shall expect to have the better of them, and you must do the creeping along the corridor.”
He kissed her before she could say another word.
“I love you.” Geneviève uttered the declaration softly, but it came to rest in Mallon’s soul. He believed her.
“Quite right, too!” Stirring his horse into action, he clasped her firmly.
Mallon called instructions to a grinning Mr. Scroggins, threw a wink at Lisette, whose head had appeared at the carriage window, and set off for the inn at a racing clip.
“I’m going to show you just what it means to be loved, Geneviève. Most thoroughly!” Mallon murmured against her ear, and gave the lobe a playful nip.
Everything would unfold as was intended to be and, having each other, it would all come right. They would wake on Christmas morning as they meant to go on, believing in the power of love to conquer all.
EPILOGUE
Wulverton Hall, 1909
“When willDaddy come up and see me? I spotted a red kite on the moor today. It’s my job, he says, to keep an eye on the birds. He’ll want to know about the kite.”
