Page 18

EPILOGUE

“ M iss Trentworth!”

Joceline lifted her head sharply from her book, her heart stopping for a moment as she heard her name being called again. When her eyes caught sight of Lord Albury coming towards her through the gardens, she snatched in a breath, her eyes widening as she looked to see if her mother was accompanying him.

She was not.

“My dear Joceline.” The gentleman bowed low and then, as Joceline rose to her feet, caught her hands in his. “I came here to apologize. Your mother permitted me a few minutes to speak with you though she will join us soon.”

“Apologize?” Joceline repeated, a little breathless given his sudden arrival. “For what?”

“For missing our waltz,” he said, gently, a light in his eyes that she had never seen before. “I wanted to return to you, wanted to make certain that we danced together again but circumstances meant I could not. I could hardly bear the thought of you standing alone, waiting for my return.”

Joceline blushed, fully aware that she had been looking about the ballroom in the hope of seeing him coming to claim her for the dance. When he had not, she had told herself that it was perfectly understandable, though part of her had been afraid that what she had told him had been too great a shock.

“It is all over,” he told her, as she caught her breath, eyes flaring. “The necklace has been returned to me.”

“Then… then it was as I thought?” she said, as he nodded. “Good gracious! Little wonder that you did not manage to return to the ball!”

He chuckled, a sense of ease and happiness about him that, to Joceline’s mind, was entirely new. “It was quite an extraordinary evening!” Still holding her hands, he took a small step closer to her. “My aunt had taken the necklace. She had arranged it all, intending to exchange it so that both my mother and I would not notice.” His smile faded. “I am sorry that she tried to have you shamed for the theft. It was her maid who made the exchange, though she was meant to leave the paste necklace in your mother’s bed chamber. It was almost as though my aunt wished to please my mother by doing so, even though she was taking the heirloom from her!”

Joceline blinked quickly, a little overwhelmed by all she was hearing. “It must be rather difficult for you to accept all of this.”

“It has been but, in truth, not only am I relieved to have recovered the necklace, which is now safe and secure, but I have also seen that throughout this difficulty, I have found something I never once expected.”

Her head lifted just a little, her heart beginning to quicken at the warmth in his eyes.

“I do not know if this is something you will understand or even feel, but for myself, the connection between us is something that I have begun to delight in,” he said, an earnestness in his eyes which practically begged her to tell him the very same. “You are astonishing, Joceline. Your intelligence, your wit, your kindness and your complete inability to hold a grudge make me marvel. There is no other lady like you in all of England, I am sure, and I count myself fortunate to know you as I do.” Taking a breath, he set his shoulders. “That being said, I should like to know you all the better, Joceline. There is so much for me to learn about you, so much that I should like us to share, and, with that being said, I wonder if you would consider accepting my courtship.”

Joceline’s mouth fell open though she snapped it closed just as quickly. Her heart squeezed with happiness, a lightness in her spirit which she had never truly felt before.

“You do not have to accept me,” he added as if her brief silence was enough to make him afraid of her refusal. “I share with you only what I feel, for my heart is beginning to fill with a deep affection for you but I understand completely if you do not feel the same way. There is no demand or expectation, only –”

“You think you are falling in love with me?” Joceline exclaimed, a fresh happiness pouring into her as he nodded slowly. “Truly?”

The edges of his mouth began to tilt upwards. “If that is what you wish to call it, then yes. I believe that is so.”

Joceline did not wait. Pulling her hands out of his, she flung her arms about his neck, bold as ever in her actions. It took him a moment but then his arms came tightly about her waist, finally enveloping her in his arms. Their connection had been of a strange sort, Joceline had to admit, and she felt just as he did – as though there was a great deal more for her to discover about him.

“I presume that you are willing to accept me, then?”

Laughing softly, Joceline pulled back gently and looked up into his eyes. “It is as though you have spoken of my heart, Albury,” she said, softly. “It came upon me most unexpectedly but I cannot turn away from it.” Lifting her hand, she brushed it gently down the side of his cheek, seeing the flush that rose there. “And I do not want to.”

Relief came out in a sigh as he smiled and, after only a moment’s hesitation, brought his lips to hers. Joceline leaned into the kiss, overwhelmed with delight and sheer joy at all that had come to be. The necklace had been recovered, her innocence proved and, with that, had come the beginnings of what she was sure would grow into a fierce and determined love.

I am glad they saw their way to fall in love!

Read ahead for a sneak peek of the first book in the Landon House series, Mistaken for a Rake . One of my favorite books!