His gentle rebuke had Evangeline staring at her lap. She was still looking down, unwilling to meet his eyes, when he took hold of her hand.
“Thank you, for your honesty. You trusted me enough to share something that I suspect you have not told another living soul. Forgive me if my first reaction was that of anger. It was not aimed at you. In truth, I must confess to being jealous. But that is my problem to deal with, not yours.”
“I never loved him. It was a foolish infatuation that died almost as soon as it began. Once he believed I was his, he showed me his true nature. Vincent isn’t an evil man, but neither is he good.”
Gus brushed his hand over her cheek and smiled. “What Marec is doesn’t matter. He is your past. And if you are prepared to accept me, I would gladly be your future.”
He still wanted her.
“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want you to feel compelled just because of the situation we find ourselves in. I can take a boat from Binic and find my own way to Paris,” she replied.
He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “The only boat, ship, or yacht you will be sailing from Binic in is mine. And that will be after you have become my wife.”
We will marry in France?
“You and I talked about holding a service at the church in Binic for Armand. Why don’t we have two services? A wedding and a prayer vigil. It will be the closest thing to him being there.”
Gus had put considered thought into this, both the proposal and the wake for her uncle. If anyone should be feeling humble, it was her.
Evangeline swallowed deeply. Whatever Gus truly felt for her, she trusted that he wouldn’t ever lie. Their relationship was evolving at a fast rate; and while she knew the depth of her own feelings for him, it only made sense that Gus would need time to come to terms with his emotions. “And you are sure about this?”
Gus rose over her, placing his hands either side of Evangeline’s face. “Yes. Say you will be mine.”
“Yes.”
His mouth met hers. The warmth and tenderness of his kiss, both surprising and delightful. When his tongue slipped past her lips, she moaned.
She clutched at Gus’s coat, holding him to her. They might be in the middle of a field, but she had no intention of releasing him. Not until he had thoroughly kissed her.
I could do this all day.
They were both panting when finally, reluctantly, they broke the embrace.
“If I had known you kissed like that, I would have been waiting for you at the jetty every time theNight Windarrived. And I would have stopped you going into Saint-Brieuc,” she said.
You didn’t think I knew about you and the crew. About your visits to the local taverns.
He nervously cleared his throat. “Those days are now behind me. I am in possession of a fiancée, and soon she will be my wife. All my kisses and embraces belong to her.”
She tapped her finger on the end of his nose. “Good. I shall hold you to that, Gus Jones.”
Gus was still grinning at her when he moved to sit back on the ground. But as soon as he thrust his arm out to steady himself, his smile instantly disappeared. He was clearly in pain.
“Can I take a look at it for you?” she asked.
“It’s not fully healed from the shot, and that tumble we took at the hotel didn’t help. I’m not sure what you can do for it, apart from offer sympathy,” he replied.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “As you said not five minutes ago, I am your fiancée. That gives me rights. One of which is to take care of you despite your protests.”
Evangeline got to her feet.
“I will get some cold water from the pond. While I am gone, you should remove your coat and jacket.”
The smile returned to his face. “Oui, Madame Jones.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Only a fool would refuse when a beautiful woman offered to touch him. And Gus Jones was no fool. If Evangeline wished to enforce her rights to lay her hands on him, who was he to deny her?
