Page 52 of Seducing an Earl under the Mistletoe
“Anything.” Lord Saltdean nodded, lifting his head in hope.
“Release Catherine from the deal you’ve made with Lord Thornton,” Arthur demanded. “Show me…showusthat you’ve changed, and I will consider forgiving you.”
Lord Saltdean inhaled deeply. Catherine watched anxiously as her father turned to Lord Thornton. “I release my daughter from our deal.”
Lord Thornton’s face contorted in anger upon hearing this. “You haven’t heard the last of me, Winters! You’ll pay for this!”
With those words, he stormed out of Saltdean House, leaving behind a room full of shocked and appalled guests. The Winters family stood in the midst of the turmoil, their world shattered by revelations that had come to light.
Lord Saltdean turned to both Catherine and Arthur again. “I never meant for any of this to happen…I was desperate, and I thought I could find a way out of our financial ruin.”
“This is a good first step towards mending our relations,” Arthur nodded.
“I want you both to know that I will do everything in my power to prove that I am a changed man, a man who loves his children and wants to see them happy.”
Catherine couldn’t hold on any longer. She wrapped her arms around her father and gently shushed him. “It will be all right, Father. You’ve confessed everything. Now, all we have to do is make amends. But where there is a will, there is a way. We can do this together, one day at a time.”
“Thank you, my dear,” he murmured gently.
At that moment, Lord Saltdean dismissed everyone who had been a silent bystander to this family drama. “Let’s give Lord Rinder and Cate some much-needed privacy. I’m sure they have a lot to talk about regarding the wedding.” He glanced in the direction of the drawing room. “But with the door open.”
Catherine smiled. “The door stays open, Father.”
Arthur took Catherine by the hand, clasping them together as if to demonstrate their unwavering unity. She led him to the drawing room, where he turned to her with love in his eyes.
“None of this has gone according to plan, Cate.” He smiled a little awkwardly, but that made him all the more endearing. “And I know this is far from ideal, but you know I love you, and nothing, not even your father’s actions, would ever be able to change that. Now that there are no obstacles in our way…” he said, kneeling down and taking a ring from his pocket, “will you do me the honor of being my wife and spending your life with me?”
“Yes, Arthur! Yes!” she replied, teary-eyed.
He slid the engagement ring onto her finger. Unsurprisingly, it was a perfect fit.
“It is beautiful, Arthur,” she gushed, gazing at it. “I love it…”
The ring featured a brilliant-cut diamond, its facets catching the ambient light and reflecting it in a dazzling dance of sparkling brilliance. Nestled in a delicate, intricately designed setting, the diamond seemed to float on Catherine’s finger, drawing attention to its stunning clarity and radiance.
Catherine admired the ring with awe and gratitude, knowing that it represented not only a new chapter in their lives but also the promise of a love that was strong enough to overcome any challenge. It was a symbol of their unwavering commitment to face the future together, hand in hand.
He pulled her close for a kiss when she looked at him, her facial expression turning serious for a moment.
“With this vow, I promise to amend my father’s wrongs, too, Arthur,” she promised.
He shook his head with a smile.
“These were not your wrongs, Cate. And besides, while I do believe what your father did was wrong, exposing our troubles and pains like that for the world to see, he only exposed the truths that were already there. He has never made up any lies about us. He merely told the truth. That still doesn’t mean that I will forgive him all that easily, but eventually, with the passage of time and his commitment to this cause, we might reach common ground again.”
“Thank you for being so reasonable,” she smiled.
“I would do anything for you, Cate, you know that.” He smiled back. “Sometimes, it is not easy to forgive and forget, but life goes on. As long as mine goes on by your side, I am a happy man. And there is actually something else that has made me incredibly overjoyed.”
“There is?” She gasped. “What is it?”
“My brother, James…” he spoke with a trembling voice, but she could see all the happiness emanating from him. “He’s back. He is alive, Cate…”
“Alive?” Her eyes widened at the shock of this discovery. “But…how?”
He smiled, as both his words and his eyes told her the story of what happened. She listened intently, incredulous at the happy endings that fate had written for them all.
“That is truly a miracle, Arthur.” She couldn’t suppress a bout of tears that started to stream down her face.
