Page 65 of The Earl's Christmas Deal
“He has.” Adam hesitated as his fingers tightened around her own. “I can only hope that I am not too late. That you can forgive me.”
“Forgive you?” she asked. “What could I need to forgive you for?”
“I was blinded by my jealousy and anger, Emilia. I thought you had betrayed me, lied to me. My own demons had a hold of me. I should never have doubted you. I am sorry.” He took a deep breath. “And most of all, I wanted to tell you that I love you.”
Emilia’s eyes were shining with tears now, and as he stood, she did too. They stood together in front of the window where the snow had begun to fall again.
“You have lit up my life—your music, your wit, your intelligence. I came here dreading everything I would have to go through, and now I am happier than I can say that I took that leap. I will do everything in my power to deserve your love and nurture it for the rest of our days if you will have me.”
Emilia wiped at her eyes, the bright brilliance of his words shining through her like a shaft of sunshine. She had never felt such all-encompassing joy, and she smiled.
“When you first proposed to me on the terrace, I felt something had been growing between us since the beginning, but I was too afraid to name it. We have both been hurt in our lives, and we have both experienced loss. Over the last few days, I began to feel something far more than I ever thought possible. There is nothing to forgive, my Lord—”
“Adam.”
“Adam,” she said with a shy smile. “I am so grateful that we found each other.”
“As am I.”
“I love you,” Emilia said softly as he took another step toward her. “I cannot wait to share my life with you.”
Adam lowered his head over hers and finally claimed her lips with his own. They stood together as one being, their lips moving against one another, their arms coming around their bodies as they held each other close.
Outside, the winter wind rippled through the snowflakes on the bright Christmas Day, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds illuminating the world around them in bright, perfect light.
EPILOGUE
One year later…
Emilia moved through the corridors of Bellebrook Manor, looking about her at the decorations and Christmas colours on every surface.
Her mother had arrived a few days before, and they had spent many happy hours ensuring the manor was exactly as it needed to be for her first holiday as the countess of Bellebrook.
As she tweaked with a ribbon on the back of one of the chairs, a low chuckle sounded behind her, and she turned to see Adam leaning against a doorway, watching her with a soft expression.
“It is quite straight, I assure you. Everything looks perfect.”
She arched a brow at him, but he simply laughed. “I am merely ensuring I do not disgrace you,” she said with mock irritation as he came toward her and took her into his arms.
Bending down to give her a long kiss, he pulled away, smiling at her cheerfully.
“Is that what you are in danger of doing?” he asked. “And all this time, I believed it wasIwho might disgraceyou.”
She hit him playfully on the chest, taking his hand and pulling him toward the drawing room where the rumble of voices could be heard. They had a variety of guests staying with them this holiday season. After the success of her mother’s party the year before, Emilia had insisted that Bellebrook Manor would be the location for the next Christmas.
The intervening year had been the most wonderful of her life. She and Adam’s feelings had only grown stronger and brighter since their confessions on Christmas Day, and everything about their time together had been beyond perfect.
Emilia still laughed at the memory of her first day visiting Bellebrook Manor before the wedding had taken place. Adam had been so nervous that she’d had to reassure him that nothing about ahousecoulddissuade her from marrying him. He had spoken of placing a pianoforte in every room, much to her amusement, and even after many months together, it was still his favourite pastime to listen to her while she practised.
As they entered the drawing room, Adam grinned at Lionel, who stood by the window looking at his wife with consternation. Charlotte was holding something up for him to try, and Lionel leaned away from her in disgust.
“But they are honeyed chestnuts, dearest,” Charlotte was saying. “You surely cannotdislikethem.”
Charlotte placed a nut in Lionel’s mouth, and he grimaced, making Emilia laugh heartily at them both as her friend shrugged and took a handful for herself.
“I do not understand him,” Charlotte said as she noticed Emilia in the doorway. “They are just delicious.”
Lionel had proposed to Charlotte as soon as he heard Adam and Emilia’s happy news, and the two couples had been nearly inseparable for the past year. Emilia and Charlotte spent as much time as they could together, and if they were not at each other’s sides, they were writing letters between their homes.
