Page 72 of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl

“So, what do you say?” Floyd asked cautiously. He cocked his head curiously to one side while he waited for the woman who he had always loved to answer. The thought of the reunion had kept him moving forward, even when things were tough. At his lowest ebb, Floyd had been able to continue because of Annabelle. “What do you think about me and you making it officialfinally?”

“What do I say?” she gasped in shock while clutching her free hand to her chest where it had been only moments before, just for a different reason. “Is that your way of asking me to marryyou?”

“Of course, it is,” Floyd chuckled. “I want nothing more than to be yourhusband.”

“The old me, from five years ago, would have said yes right away,” Annabelle mused. “But now I feel like I needmore.”

“More?” Floyd panicked, he had not planned for Annabelle to say no. He did not know what he would do with his life if she turned him down. He would have all the success that he ever dreamed of, but not the woman of his dreams. It would feel empty without her. This did not make any sense, she had only just said that she wanted to come and live with him. What could possibly be wrong? “What do youmean?”

“I cannot agree to a wedding without being courted first,” she said in an overly posh tone of voice. “I am a Lady in demand. I have only just broken an engagement; do you notknow?”

“Of course, you are.” Floyd’s heart rate calmed down.Thathe could do with ease. He would be happy to court this wonderful woman. It would be good for them to get to know one another properly again anyway, a lot had changed in the last five years. “If my memory serves me right, you have two brokenengagements.”

Annabelle shot him a look, but laughed, finding humor in the situation. “Why yes, so I need a gentleman that deservesme.”

“I believe I do now,” Floyd replied eagerly, forgetting that they were only kidding around. “I want to take you to my stables, I wish you to see what I have achieved….” He trailed off when he saw the knowing look on Annabelle’s face. Without a second thought, Floyd returned to their game of teasing. “In that case, Lady Annabelle Hathaway, will you please let me take youout?”

“I will,” Annabelle replied happily. “That soundswonderful.”

Floyd leaned in and he kissed Annabelle again finally feeling like everything was right with the world. He had come to find the Lady from his past, hoping that this would happen, but now that it had, he realized how little he had believed that it would. Now he could return to Ashbridge, the place where he felt his real life beginning, and he could have his love with him. They would, eventually, get married and start a family of theirown.

He did not need money, he did not need anything, not if he had hislove.

Annabelle’s brain churned as she kissed Floyd, a kiss that was filled with promise for them to spend the rest of their lives together. She was glad to be with him, grateful that she had been brave enough to make the right choice and most of all happy that she did not send the letter declaring her intent to marry James to her father. He never would have trusted her again if she kept flitting from decision todecision.

Now though, she had made her choice and she would stick to it. There was no one else in the world that she wanted to be married to than Floyd Brewer… the man that she was always supposed to bewith.

“I suppose it is onwards and upwards,” she told Floyd with a smile. “On to the next chapter of our lives… and what an adventure it promises tobe!”

TheEnd