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“Yes, I fear we were rather… coarse at times,” Joanna admitted, smiling.

Emma raised her cup of weak coffee. “I should like to raise a toast to the day that I ran away from the church and the Marquess that I was supposed to marry,” she said, drawing the attention away from Lydia’s pink cheeks. “For if I had not, my sweet sister would never have found the love of her life.”

Silas nudged her playfully.

“Oh, yes, and I would never have found mine!” Emma added, laughing brightly. “To the happy couple, who were always destined to be! Indeed, to all of the happy couples who were always destined to be!”

William picked up an empty cup to toast to the sentiment as a chorus came back from the gathered company. Anthony was loudest of all, beaming from ear to ear as he knocked back what appeared to be a glass of cloudy apple juice. And, just for a moment, William’s heart was heavy, hoping that his brother would one day find what he had. No one deserved it more than Anthony.

“While the rest of you enjoy your breakfast and undoubtedly hear the entire story again from my dear mother’s lips, I thought I might steal my wife away for a moment,” William said, beckoning to Lydia.

She jumped up and came to his side, smiling bashfully as the rest of the table cheered and whistled in accompaniment to their swift exit from the breakfast room.

“Is something the matter?” Lydia asked as they walked down the hallway to the rear of the house and out into the somewhat decrepit gardens. “Did you want to discuss how we are going to transform these grounds, or were you just trying to spare me my blushes?”

He turned and pushed her up against the nearest wall, pressing a fierce kiss to her lips. She seemed stunned for a moment, but as his mouth caught hers once more, she melted into his embrace, relaxing into his familiarity. She kissed him back with a smile on her lips, her hands smoothing up the muscled lines of his back, tickling the skin beneath his shirt and waistcoat.

“I hoped to encourage a fewmoreblushes,” he replied, breaking the kiss for a moment. “And I wanted to tell you, in case I had not already this morning, that I love you.”

Her eyes twinkled with laughter as she beamed at him. “You mean, aside from the ten times or so that you whispered it while I was still waking up? Or the time you said it when I went to dress? Or the time you said it when I told you I was heading down to the breakfast room?”

“I was just telling my mother—kitten, I do believe I am obsessed with you,” he said, grinning. “And I love you. One should tell the person they love that they love them as often as possible, in my opinion.”

She reached up to cradle his face. “Well, in that case…” She kissed his lips. “I love you.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you.” She kissed his neck. “I love you.” She kissed his hand. “I love you.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his brow. “I love you.” With a smile, she returned her kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

And as they gazed at one another, both warmed by the affection they held for each other and each other alone, William wondered how he could ever have been afraid of that precious, beautiful word—love.

The End?