Page 46 of Scandalous Desires on a Summer Morning
Maryann’s heart pounded painfully, but she lifted her chin and spoke quietly. “My lady, I mean no disrespect, but I love your son with all my heart. I would never wish to bring shame upon your family. If you cannot give us your blessing, I understand, but I promise you this, I will love him faithfully, always.”
There was a long silence. The earl, who had been watching quietly, stood and crossed to his son.
“If your heart is set, Sebastian,” he said quietly, “then you have my blessing. You’ve chosen well.”
Sebastian inclined his head. “Thank you, Father.”
The countess made a strangled sound, pressing a hand to her temple. “I cannot—”
“Mother,” Sebastian said gently. “You need not approve today. Only know that my happiness lies with her.”
The countess looked from her son to Maryann, her eyes flickering between outrage and reluctant recognition. And then, quite suddenly, she exhaled, her shoulders lowering. “You were always stubborn and determined in your ways,” she said softly. “I suppose I should not be surprised by this.”
A slow smile spread over Sebastian’s face. “No, I imagine not.”
Then, to Maryann’s astonishment, the countess stood, crossed to her, and said in a quieter tone, “If you are to join our family, then we shall make the best of it. Welcome, Miss Winton.”
Tears filled Maryann’s eyes. “Thank you, my lady.”
Sebastian’s hand found hers, his fingers closing around hers in a silent vow that needed no words. Maryann looked up at him, her heart swelling with a feeling so deep it nearly stole her breath. In his gaze, she saw the man who had defied pride and propriety for her, the man who had chosen her when the world would not have dared.
He smiled softly, tenderly, and the simple warmth of it made something in her chest unfurl. In his eyes she saw the quiet promise of a future built together, a love fierce enough to withstand whatever storms might come.
EPILOGUE
The bells of the chapel pealed across the rolling hills of Derbyshire, their sweet sound drifting through the summer air like a benediction. The day was warm, touched with sunlight that gleamed off the chapel’s stone walls and gilded the fields beyond.
Maryann stood at the altar, her gloved hands trembling in Sebastian’s as she gazed up at him. The light poured through the arched windows, wrapping him in gold. He looked devastatingly handsome in his dark coat and ivory waistcoat, his expression a mixture of pride and reverence—as though he still couldn’t quite believe she stood before him.
It had been only a fortnight since he had asked her to be his wife, yet he had refused to wait longer. “Two weeks,” he’d said, his voice low and determined. “Not a day more. I will not wait to call you mine.”
And now, in his family’s glorious Derbyshire estate, within the private chapel that overlooked the lake, they were joined before God and man. Maryann’s gown was simple but exquisite ivory muslin trimmed with lace. A few loose tendrils framed her face, and the faintest pink colored her cheeks. She had never feltmore beautiful, or more utterly seen, than in the way Sebastian looked at her.
Her eyes brimmed with tears as the vicar spoke the words, and her voice trembled as she repeated the vows. “To have and to hold… from this day forward…”
Sebastian’s thumb brushed across her knuckles, a silent reassurance. When he said his vows, his voice was deep and steady, carrying through the chapel with quiet conviction.
When the ceremony ended and he bent to kiss her, the world seemed to narrow to that single moment—the warmth of his lips, the promise in his touch, the certainty that this was forever.
Outside, the sun broke fully through the clouds, bathing the estate in golden light. Sarah and her sisters ran through the gardens, laughter ringing like music, and even the countess, though subdued, smiled faintly as she watched her son with his new bride.
As they walked down the chapel steps hand in hand, Maryann turned her face up to the sky, feeling the warmth on her skin. Her life had begun again—not as a dreamer clinging to hope, but as a woman who had found her home, her family, and the love that had once seemed impossible. And when Sebastian looked at her, eyes dark with tenderness, she knew with utter certainty that every heartbeat, every breath, every sunrise from this day forward belonged to them.