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“You saved my life.” It would take a very long time to forget the crazed look in the squire’s eyes when he had pointed his pistol at her and pulled the trigger.
“I love you.”
She stared at him. Irrational anger surged through her. “I had to get shot and almost killed before you could tell me?”
He laughed. “You werena near killed. You heard the doctor. ’Twas a scrape.” His words and laughter made her even angrier. “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Ian MacKay. I have waited for weeks to hear you say the words.” His expression turned serious. “Lass, I would have given you the words, but I dinna ken if I could love you as you wanted me to. My father taught me about duty. My stepfather taught me about honor. It took a fiery tempered spinster to teach me about love.”
Her anger drained away as quickly as it had come. She smiled mistily at her husband.
“I am not a spinster, Ian. I am a wife.”
He returned her smile and leaned down to kiss her softly on her lips. “Aye. My wife.
I love you, Belle.”
* * *
Annabelle handed Diana her tea.
“I should be doing this. You have barely recovered from your injury,” Diana said.
Annabelle frowned. Her recovery had been more unpleasant than the gunshot wound.
Both Ian and his mother had a terrible tendency to hover. When Jenna sent word that her time was near, Annabelle had said good-bye to her mother-in-law with a mixture of sadness and relief.
Annabelle had been healed for weeks, but Ian still refused to let her roam the estate without an escort, balked when she wanted to go riding and in general fussed like the loving husband he was.
“My injury has not pained me for several weeks.” Annabelle patted Diana’s arm.
“You on the other hand would do well to leave the tea pouring to me.” Diana responded with a rueful grin. “I suppose my ungainly middle would put the tea tray in jeopardy.”
Annabelle laughed. “Only if you got too close.”
“I had no idea that pregnancy was going to be so difficult.” Annabelle ignored her friend’s complaint. She knew that Diana could not wait to become a mother. Although, she had to admit that the other woman was more unwieldy than she had expected. “Are you sure twins don’t run your family?”
“Do not even jest that way.”
Annabelle’s gaze flew to her brother standing in the doorway. His face had an ashen cast to it.
“I was merely teasing, Robert. Do not take it so much to heart.” Robert glared at her and moved to sit next to his wife. “It is not an amusing jest.”
“Aye. You shouldna worry a man about the woman he loves. He’s bound to lose his composure.” Ian had followed Robert into the room and was in the process of squeezing Annabelle next to him on the small settee.
Annabelle turned to meet her husband’s eyes. “I will endeavor to remember that.” He brushed her face with his fingers. “See that you do.” Squire Renton was a madman and Annabelle had been relieved when he was sentenced to transport to the colonies. Ian did not believe he would survive long in Botany Bay. She could not grieve the possibility of the madman’s demise. However, she did not hate him. After all, he had been the one to finally force the lock open on Ian’s heart so that her husband could acknowledge his love for her. He had no problem saying the words now and told her several times a day.
She smiled happily at him. “You know, some perils are worth the risk.” Ian’s eyes grew dark with emotion. “Aye. From evil comes good.” Out of the corner of her eye, Annabelle saw Diana turn to her husband and beam at him. “Yes, from evil can come good. I have never been so happy and so secure in your love as since you discovered Mr. Thorn’s scheme.” Ian regained Annabelle’s full attention when he whispered a question in her ear.
“Are ye secure in my love, lass?”
She turned until her lips were a mere breath from his. “Can you doubt it?” Then she kissed him. It was a soft, chaste kiss, sealing her words.
Robert choked. “Annabelle, I think you forget that there are others present in the room.”
Annabelle did not look at her brother when she answered him. She was busy watching Ian’s lips. “I’m perfectly wanton. Ask Ian. He likes it.” She kissed her husband again.
Ian winked at her.
Diana said, “I think it is time we took our leave, Robert. As you know, wanton behavior requires privacy.”
Annabelle found Robert’s blush hilarious.
Robert looked down at his wife. “Are you sure you are up to the journey home?” Diana gave an exasperated sigh. “Robert, I have no intention of delivering our baby in anyone’s home but my own.” Diana softened at the look of pallor that came over her husband’s face. “I am more than fit for the journey.”
“Then I guess we had best be on our way. The carriage has already been brought round.”
Annabelle and Ian followed Robert and Diana outside to see them off. Annabelle stood secure in her husband’s arms as they watched the retreating coach carrying the Hamiltons toward home. She sighed. It had been a wonderful visit, but she was glad for the privacy. There was something she wanted to tell Ian.
“Well, lass, are you well pleased now that you have had your visitors?” Belle smiled at Ian’s surly tone. “Yes. Although, I admit I wish that Ceddy and Vivian had been able to come before going on their wedding trip.” He rubbed her arms. “They promised to come for a wee visit when they return.” He stressed the word “wee” and Annabelle bit her lip to keep from laughing. “That will be nice… Ian?”
“Aye?”
“Do you think it is very wanton to make love to your husband in the middle of the day with the dust from your guest’s departing carriage barely settled on the drive?” His answer was to sweep her in his arms and run up the stone steps. He did not stop until they had reached their room. He lowered her to the floor and she immediately set to the task of removing his cravat and shirt.
He shuddered under her roving fingers. “You make me so hot, I burn.”
They made love and afterward she lay in his arms, their naked limbs entwined.
Golden light cascaded through the window as the sun set. Annabelle snuggled into her husband’s side. “About visitors.”
His growl made her want to giggle. “There will be no more visitors for a while. I want my wife to myself.”
She ran her fingers over his chest. “In about six months I believe we are going to have a visitor that will be making a very long stay. I hope you do not mind.”
> “My mother can stay with us, but surely she’ll want to return to Lansing Hall occasionally.”
“I am not talking about your mother.”
Annabelle found herself flat on her back with her husband looming above her. “What are you saying?”
“This baby fever seems to be contagious.”
“Are ye saying ye’ve caught it, lass?”
“Yes.”
He went completely still and then he swooped down and buried her mouth in a joyous kiss. “I can only hope that if we have a daughter she is as beautiful and strong as her mother.”
She could not help the tears that welled up in her eyes. She was so very happy. She had far more in Ian than she could ever have hoped for.
He loved her.
He cherished her.
He wanted her.
She blessed his stepfather and the man’s unconventional will.
“Ye’ll have to be very careful now that ye are increasing.” Annabelle groaned, but she couldn’t work up any real chagrin. After all, Ian loved her enough to cosset her. She had done well for a woman labeled The Ordinary her first season.
About the Author
also writes for Samhain Publishing under the pseudonym of L.C.
Monroe. Please visit www.lucymonroe.com for more information about and a listing of her available books.
Look for these titles
Now Available:
Meagan’s Chance (writing as L.C. Monroe)
Coming Soon:
Miss Fixit (writing as L.C. Monroe)
What if you’re in love–but you can’t make love?
Last Chance, My Love
© 2007 Lynne Connolly
Book One of the Triple Countess series.
Miranda and Daniel, Earl and Countess of Rosington, are in love, but for the past five years their love has been purely platonic. Because if Miranda has another child, she will die.
Daniel resolves to take a mistress, one who will understand the purely physical business arrangement, but when Miranda discovers his plan, she can’t bear it. So Daniel’s brothers scheme, and Daniel finds himself on the losing end of a wager.
