Page 78 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
She nodded distractedly. “Yes. I am still so relieved that Leonard Green is finally dealt with.” She took a deep breath. “For some reason, though, all of this drama has made me miss my parents, and their support, even more. They seem so very far away, in Lincolnshire, and The Willows seems so remote …”
He stopped walking. She glanced at him curiously, stopping as well, frowning a little.
“Jasper?” she asked. “What is it?”
He reached out, taking her hand, gazing at her longingly.
“We could go back there,” he said, slowly. “We could move to Lincolnshire, as husband and wife …”
She gasped. “Truly?”
He nodded. “Truly. To tell you the truth, I have been pondering the possibility.” He took a dep breath. “You could sell the estate, and we could find a bigger, better one, in Lincolnshire, close to your parents. I could give up being a horse master. I know that would please my own parents …”
“I could never ask you to do that,” she said in a flat voice. “I know how much it means to you.”
He gripped her hand tighter. “I would not mind if I can do something else with horses.” He hesitated. “We could breed horses at this new property, Susannah. We could create the most beautiful animals …”
He saw the gleam of excitement in her eyes.
“Between us, we would certainly have enough money to get started,” he continued slowly. “My own father is just as wealthy as you are, Susannah. In fact, he might even be wealthier. He has a fortune to rival yours, you know.”
She laughed at this revelation. “Why did you never tell me this before?”
He shrugged. “I do not like to boast, I guess, and besides, I had turned my back on all of that, for a simpler life.” He paused. “But I can start over again, you know. In fact, I want to start over again, with you by my side. I want us to create our own lives together, in our own unique way, unshackled by the past in any way.”
She shuddered, for a moment. “It is like The Willows is haunted now, a little … isn’t it?”
He nodded, a bit reluctantly. He didn’t want to admit that he was feeling a little uncomfortable here now, as well. The revelations of how long Leonard Green had been spying on Susannah and her late husband had cast a pall over the estate; it was as if they were both constantly jumping, thinking that they were being watched from the woods.
It would be good, to start over. To be somewhere entirely new, that they could build up, together.
“I think it is a perfect plan,” she said, smiling slowly, in that bewitching way of hers. “I can be close to my parents again, and we can breed beautiful horses together … and bring all of the ones from here with us, as well.”
A flame of pure joy leapt to life inside him, and it was all that he could do to restrain himself from picking her up and twirling her around in his arms. He wanted to throw her into the air, just for the pure joy of catching her again.
“Ask me again,” she said slowly, a mischievous smile on her face. “Ask me to marry you again, Jasper Stone. But this time, I want you to do it properly. Down on one knee, in the dirt …”
He smiled faintly, but complied, taking her hand as he sank down onto one knee, gazing up at her solemnly.
“Susannah Drake,” he said, in a stiffly formal voice. “Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
She laughed, throwing her head back, her long red hair caught by the wind, streaming behind her. And then, she was pulling him to his feet, leaning in close against him, so that her breasts were crushed up against his chest.
“Yes,” she whispered, her grey eyes alight. “Yes, Iwillmarry you, Jasper Stone. I accept with great happiness and joy …”
Her lips hovered near his, tantalisingly close. All he had to do was lean down to claim them again …
Abruptly, he heard the sound of stifled giggles, just behind them.
They both jumped guiltily, turning around. David and Amy were both standing there, giggling behind their hands, watching them. Amy was carrying a large brown picnic basket in the crook of her arm, nursing it on her right hip. David was still holding Blitzen’s brush in his hand.
What the heck, he thought to himself.She has just agreed to be my wife. What do we have to hide, anymore?
Slowly, deliberately, he smiled. And then, he pulled Susannah closer, lowering his lips on hers. They kissed, long and passionately, their lips moving in an almost exaggerated motion, playing up to their audience.
The others started cheering and hollering, encouraging them. He felt Susannah smiling, underneath his lips, and a giggle start to bubble up within her chest. The next minute, she was heaving with laughter, too, almost choking with it.
It was so infectious that he started to laugh as well. Within seconds, they were all doubled over, clutching their sides, howling with mirth. He didn’t even know what was that funny, only that it felt so good to laugh. It feltverygood, after everything that had happened. Almost cleansing, wiping the slate clean, of all the terrible things that had occurred.
