Page 67 of A Governess' Forbidden Flame
Anna walked over to him and took him by the hand. “Is this what Father was searching for as well?”
“Yes, my love,” Sebastian replied, tenderly caressing Anna’s cheek with his good hand. “That is why we must give credit where credit is due. It was his journal that led us to this. He hasbeen the beacon of light that has led us to this point, and I shall make sure that the entire world knows it.”
Anna couldn’t sustain her tears. Sebastian knelt down and embraced her with his good arm. Surprisingly, Anna was gentle enough to embrace him on the opposite side to the one that had been bandaged, although Sebastian would not have minded at all. Pain reminded him of everything he had done for those he loved, and he would have done it all over again, with the same knowledge in mind.
“I love you so much, Anna,” he murmured into her ear.
Amelia could hear it clearly, but she felt as if she were imposing on this tender, private moment. She gave them a moment, turning to the bookshelves, pretending to be immersed in the books that rested there. When she turned around, they were standing next to each other again, smiling at her.
“I cannot believe it is finally over,” she heard him say.
“The curse?” she asked.
“Everything,” he said, somehow pensively. “The treasure had always been what Henry and I shared. I believed that if we ever did find it, we would do so…together.”
Amelia walked over to him and placed her hand gently on his heart. “Henryishere,” she corrected him. “As long as you remember him, as long as Anna remembers and loves him, he is not gone. He is always with you both. And he has shared in this special moment with you both because you mentioned him, you manifested him here, if only in spirit, not in flesh.”
He smiled at her. “How is it that you always know what to say?”
She shrugged playfully. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
His eyes suddenly lit up. “Ah…since we are revealing treasures…there is something I’ve been meaning to show you, but I never found the right moment for it.”
“Any moment is right if you make it so,” she remarked gently.
“See? There you go again.” He chuckled, grabbing her by the hand and Anna by the other very carefully, pulling them back out into the daylight, which still lingered on to the last rays of the sun.
“What is it?” Amelia wonders, amused.
“Shhh,” he urged. “You’ll ruin the surprise.”
“I’ll stay here with Nicholas,” Anna told them as they surfaced again, with Nicholas already back to his usual duties as if nothing had happened. Sebastian waved at the man, who nodded back with a smile. Truly, things were already back to normal, and Amelia could not have been happier and more thrilled about it.
She allowed Sebastian to lead her through the winding paths as the sky turned darker, but the fragrance of blooming flowers still filled the air. They quickly reached a secluded corner where a bench nestled under a blossoming arbor, a serene retreat within the vibrant tapestry of the garden. He gestured at her to sit, which she did, her heart beating so loudly that she was afraid she would not hear a single word he had to tell her.
***
Sebastian felt like a fifteen-year-old boy wearing his heart on a sleeve. His mouth was parched, and his mind blank. He had practiced a small speech earlier, but he had forgotten it all. Not a single word remained. He knew he had to allow his heart to lead the way and speak all the words that she needed to hear.
“I’ve been working on this,” he spoke, gesturing around him with his hands. “For you, Amelia.”
He watched as her gaze wandered over the meticulously arranged flowers, the carefully trimmed hedges, and thethoughtful touches that transformed the garden into a haven of beauty. He gave her a moment, then he joined her on the bench as he began to express feelings he had long kept guarded.
“Amelia, I…I never expected to find happiness in such unexpected places. I thought that there would be no love for me, that the curse or whatever it was would hang over me for the rest of my days. As such, I was fine secluding myself here with Anna, but I see now how wrong I was in thinking this was the right choice, for me, for Anna…With you, I’ve discovered a joy that I didn’t even know had been missing from my life. And I know that Anna feels the same way about you. You have saved us both in ways you cannot even imagine.”
He paused, gazing at her, drinking in the sight of her. His voice was earnest as his body turned to her, and he took her by the hand. “I can’t imagine my days without you in them. You’ve brought light into the shadows, Amelia, and for that, I will be forever grateful, forever…yours…if you want me.”
Her beautiful eyes betrayed her confusion, which he was ready to dispel. He felt a warmth in his chest, a gentle flutter of emotions he had never felt before. It was a moment of vulnerability and authenticity, where he had never felt more foreign to himself, yet at the same time, more like himself.
“Amelia…” he said, his voice low and filled with genuine emotion, “I can’t promise a life without challenges, but I can promise that we will always face them together. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
The words hung in the air, mingling with the sweet fragrance of the garden. A profound joy radiated from her eyes, a love that mirrored his own. She nodded, a radiant smile breaking across her face.
“Yes, Sebastian,” she said in that beautiful, melodious voice of hers that he wanted to listen to for the rest of his life. “With all my heart…yes.”
Sebastian’s expression softened, and without a moment’s hesitation, he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was a culmination of shared struggles, unspoken feelings, and the promise of a future they both longed for. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the tender embrace of newfound love.
At that moment, the pitter-patter of small feet interrupted their tender moment. Anna appeared, breathless and slightly flushed.
