Page 96 of Too Wanton to Wed
Concentrating all her efforts on not tumbling off the horse herself, Violet hiked up her skirts and maneuvered her legs until she sat astride. She wasn’t used to riding this way, but as this horse had not come equipped for feminine modesty, allowances had to be made.
As soon as she was able, she turned the horse back toward home. Percy Livingstone lay on the rocky path, holding his groin with one hand and a seeping head wound with the other.
Her words came out strong and deadly. “Consider this moment your formal apology. If you come after me or my loved ones again, I will kill you.”
Before he could respond, she took off at a gallop for the abbey. By the time she arrived, the main structure and outbuildings still stood, but the sanctuary was nothing more than a heap of stone and char. Alistair and Lily were nowhere in sight.
Fortunately, Percy Livingstone had been right about the smithy’s focus—the servants were untouched by fire, but lined the walk with identical expressions of horror.
Violet slowed to a stop next to Mrs. Tumsen and Mr. Roper. “What’s happening? Where are Alistair and Lily?”
Mrs. Tumsen shook her head. “The madmen fled the premises as soon as the sanctuary was as good as gone. Haven’t seen that dear child or her father anywhere. I fear the worst.”
Violet’s anxiety lifted. If they hadn’t been spotted, that meant Alistair had reached the safety of the forest and saved Lily’s life.
Mr. Roper held out a hand to help Violet down. “How did you escape? And where did you get a horse?”
She shook her head. “No time for that. Can you bring a carriage to the woods behind the back lawn? Alistair and Lily are there waiting.”
Mr. Roper sagged in relief. “I am at your command.”
Violet turned the horse toward the rear of the abbey and raced to where she’d last seen Alistair and Lily.
“Alistair!” she shouted into the darkness of the woods as she traversed the boundary where the lawn met the forest. “Alistair! Lily!”
“Here!” came a hoarse reply, at last.
Mr. Roper appeared behind her with the carriage just as Violet spotted the bottom of Alistair’s boots among the brush.
“Over there!” she called, motioning him from the carriage. “Alistair’s propped against a tree, holding Lily.”
Nodding, he crossed through the trees and carefully lifted Lily from Alistair’s arms. After settling the child in the back of the carriage, Mr. Roper came back to help Alistair to his feet before returning to watch over Lily.
When Alistair reached Violet’s horse, he shook his head and grinned up at her. “You won?”
“Of course I won,” she said with mock affront. “I always win.”
“Of course you do. I wasn’t worried for a second.”
She arched a brow. “Not for one little second?”
“Well, if you want to be technical, I was in a state of apoplexy more or less the entire time you were gone.” His mouth smiled, but his eyes were serious as he held out his arms to her. “Never leave us again.”
She swung her far leg back over the side of her mount and slid down into his embrace. “I promise.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her tight. “As Lily’s parents, we’ll spend the rest of our lives in the pursuit of happiness... together.”
“Absolu—” Violet jerked her face up toward him. “As her what?”
“Violet Whitechapel,” he said, leaning down to steal a kiss. “Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Love clogged her throat. There was nothing on this earth she wished for more. Not justafamily, butthisfamily. Forever and ever.
She rose up on her toes and kissed him soundly. “I would love to.”
“I have amother?”Lily shouted from the open carriage, her voice cracking on the final word. “Truly?”
“You have an entire family,” Violet corrected, still in a state of disbelief. “We all do.”
