Page 58 of The Iron Duke's Flaming Christmas
“It is true, Selene,” said her father, his voice breaking in the stunned silence. “We never told you because we thought it would only cause you pain. There seemed little point.” He drew a deep breath. “But now… now, it is the key to giving you your heart’s desire, daughter.”
Selene put a hand to her mouth, looking utterly overwhelmed. Tears glistened in her eyes. Lenore jumped up, running to them, gazing at Selene.
“Does this mean you will be my mother?” she asked, in a faltering voice.
Selene burst into tears, crouching in front of the little girl, taking her hands.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. “Yes, it does, my lady. And I will be honored to be your mother.”
Lenore gave a cry of delight, wrapping her arms around Selene’s legs. Ian enveloped them both, embracing them fiercely. He had everything he wanted in the world in his arms. A new beginning. A new life. A chance to start anew. He blinked back tears.
I am sorry, Mary. I will always carry the sorrow that I was responsible for losing you within me. But it is time, at long last, to move on.
***
Selene held the candle high, clutching the old, worn, leather book to her chest, as she drifted down the hallway toward the duke’s chambers. Her mind was still reeling with all that had been revealed that night: the revelation of her true identity, his proposal, and the fact that they were going to be married.
She took a deep breath. At the end of the night, as everyone had been leaving, he had smiled wolfishly at her, pressing a piece of paper into her hand.
Meet me in my chambers at midnight.
She tapped softly, then pushed open the door. He was standing near the window, dressed only in his britches and a white shirt, unbuttoned to the waist, exposing his hard, muscular chest and a smattering of dark hair. Her heart started fluttering wildly.
“There you are,” he breathed, striding toward her. “I have been pacing the room, longing for you.”
Selene exhaled slowly, feeling the air thickening around them. Deliberately, she took a step back. There was something she must do first before they submitted to their desire for each other. Something she must give him.
“Here,” she whispered, holding out the old book to him. “This is my Christmas gift to you. I found it tucked behind some books in the library. I have earmarked the pages you need to read, for I believe they will set you free.”
He frowned, looking at her quizzically. He took the book, turning it over in his hands, before opening it to the pages she had marked. He gasped.
“This… this is Mary’s handwriting,” he stammered, his eyes widening in shock. “This is her diary. You found it in the library?”
She nodded. “Yes, it was tucked behind some books. I do not know how it got there, only that it seemed I was meant to find it.” She hesitated. “Please, read the pages.”
He nodded, sinking down into a chair near the fire, his eyes scanning the pages. Selene’s heart started pounding as she sat in a chair opposite him, watching him read. When he was finished, he looked up at her, his face twisted and his eyes misty with tears.
“Mary wrote that she always knew she was going to go into labor early and die in childbirth,” he whispered, shaking his head incredulously.
“She was suffering from bleeding and the physician told her that it was due to the placenta rupturing.” He drew a long, ragged breath, wiping a hand over his face. “She begged him not to tell me. And she would not take to her bed to rest as he advised, for she wanted me to believe that all was well.”
Selene nodded, her heart aching for him. “Yes,” she whispered. “She knew she was going to die.” She swallowed a painful lump in her throat. “So, you see, that carriage trip in the snow may have hastened Lenore’s birth, but it did not kill Mary. She was going into early labor anyway, and no one but God could have stopped the bleeding which killed her.”
“The physician should have told me,” he whispered fiercely, putting down the diary, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “He said nothing.”
“She swore him to silence,” said Selene. “She sacrificed herself for her child. For Lenore.”
There was a heavy silence. He put his head into his hands. Selene whimpered, rushing to him, putting her arms around him.
“Look at me,” she whispered fiercely. “You were not responsible for her death. You must let go of the guilt, for it has been gnawing at you. It was her time. That is all.”
He gave a shuddering sigh, lifting his head, staring at her with such fierce love glowing in his eyes that her heart melted into a puddle. He took her hands, kissing them wildly.
“Yes,” he whispered. “I know it is time. I thought it this evening, as I embraced you and Lenore at the dinner table, asking for Mary’s forgiveness.” He hesitated. “And now, knowing this, I feel it has come full circle. I am ready to marry you and begin again, Selene. I have let the past go at long last. And I could not be happier. “
Selene felt like bursting into noisy tears. But she didn’t. She kept looking at him, as he bent his head, kissing her handsagain, love and intense desire for him sweeping over her, making her feel so faint and dizzy that she could barely stand it.
He stood up, forcing her to rise with him. With one swift movement, he swept her into his arms, gazing down at her with eyes glittering with passion.
