He shifted slightly to give her space, not crowding her, not pushing her to make a choice, because she wasn’t the only one who had changed.
‘You hurt me.’
‘I know.’ His voice shook slightly as he met her eyes. ‘And I wish I could turn back time and be the man you deserved, the man you needed…’
‘You are the man I need. You always were. There’s never been anyone for me except you. Even when I hated you, I loved you.’
His heart twisted with hope.
‘I couldn’t forget you because I never stopped loving you,’ he admitted. ‘That’s why I couldn’t let go. Only I couldn’t admit that to you. Not then. I was too proud. Too stupid. Too cowardly.’
‘You’re not any of those things.’
‘Do you believe that? Is that why you wrote to my father?’
As she nodded, her hand found his. ‘I couldn’t let go either.’
His fingers tightened in hers and Ettore pulled her against him, breathing through the tears clogging his throat.
Dulcie buried her face against his neck, breathing his scent, her heart beating steadily now.
‘Are you staying in London?’
‘I’m not staying anywhere.’
‘Then where’s your luggage?’
Ettore frowned. ‘I don’t have any.’
Dulcie laughed. ‘Are you joking?’
‘No, I didn’t pack anything. After I talked to Papà, I got on the jet and flew here. It’s okay, I lent this beautiful blonde some money and she paid me back today. She puts money aside for emergencies and I guess getting rid of me was an emergency.’
His eyes found hers. ‘I know losing her felt like one.’
‘I sold the house. I’m renting a room from one of the college professors.’ She leaned into him. ‘I can’t believe you came all this way to talk to me.’
‘Not to talk to you. To fight for you. To fight for us.’
Dulcie stared into his beautiful light eyes, seeing the softness there and the heat. Her hands gripped his T-shirt, squeezing the fabric in her fists.
‘I want that too. But we can’t fight here. The gardens shut soon. But maybe you could come home with me.’
‘Is there room?’
‘There’s plenty of room. It’s a castle.’
Ettore stared down at her in confusion, his eyes searching hers, and she loved him then for his openness and his need and his courage and because he was hers.
‘You said it wasn’t a home without me. But what if I was there?’
They stared at one another steadily, each allowing the possibility that after so many missteps they were finally in the right place to make their marriage work.
‘Then I would be the happiest man alive.’
‘Then we match. Because I’m the happiest woman alive,’ Dulcie said huskily and Ettore lifted his hands and cupped her face and kissed her, his arms tightening around her as the bees started to hum again.
Epilogue
