“Not even to Mr. Hughes and Mr. Walker?”
Everett shook his head. “No. They knew of Grayson’s death. Everyone knew of the tragedy that befell the Robertson heir, but not the circumstances. After that day, I never mentioned my brother again.”
“I’m honored you shared such a painful story with me.”
“I would do anything for you. You’re the light in my life. When you left without saying goodbye, I felt lost. I returned to London to carry on as before, but I was a changed man and could no longer tolerate the thought of such an empty existence. I needed you.”
“My darling, I feel the same.”
He stood, bringing her to stand with him. “Olivia, I love you with a fierceness I’ve never known. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, my lover, and my partner in life?”
“I’d like nothing more! But…” she added as the sobering thought occurred to her, and winced to see his face fall. “But there is something you must know as well. I was never able to bear Armstrong a child. What if I’m barren? You’ll need an heir for the earldom.”
“I have a distant cousin who’ll inherit if I don’t have a son, and that’s good enough for me. I no longer care. All I need is you, my darling.”
Tears pooled in Olivia’s eyes. There was no doubt left that Everett truly loved her. “I will most happily accept your proposal, my darling,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
“Are you happy, love?” he asked between kisses.
“More than I’ve ever been, and it’s all because of you. You fill my world with such wonder.”
“And I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I love you.”
“And I love you.”
“You, my lady, have managed to do what no one else has ever done,” Everett said.
She gazed at him with wonder in her eyes. “And what’s that, my lord?”
“You’ve melted the heart of the Earl of Ice.”
Epilogue
5 years later
Castle Point, England
“Mama, I have a presentfor you,” the little girl yelled.
Olivia looked up to see her daughter running toward her. “What is it, my darling?”
The four-year-old held out her hands, which were full of yellow dandelions. “I picked them for you,” she squealed.
Everett, who was sitting on the blanket with his wife, gazed at his daughter. “Annabelle, that was very sweet of you.” He reached over and took his newborn son, Grayson, from his wife’s arms.
The little girl rushed into her mother’s lap. “Do you like them?”
Olivia hugged her child tight. “I love them.”
She’d believed that she’d never have the joy of holding her own child, but life takes strange twists and turns, and she cherished every day with her children.
For the past five years, their lives have been filled with happiness. Their growing family even spent a few summers at Castle Point, although Everett wouldn’t allow sailboats on the estate. She respected her husband’s wishes, especially since it had taken him a few years into their marriage before he’d agreed to even visit his country seat.
“Where’s my precious girl?” a voice behind her asked.
Olivia looked behind her to see her mother Dorothy walking toward them and smiled, her heart soaring with love at seeing her mother finally happy after everything she’d suffered during her marriage.
After Olivia and Everett had been married for a year, she got a cryptic letter from her mother who must have somehow found out they had wed. The letter left her feeling that something was decidedly wrong and she worried about her mother’s well-being. She didn’t have to do much to convince Robertson to take her back to her childhood home to investigate… and to finally confront her father for selling her to Armstrong. She finally felt strong enough to stand up to her tyrant father.
