“Marry him,” Allison said softly, surprising everyone even more. “Let him help you the way that you’ve helped him.”
Fiona put her hands to her face, her cheeks flushing with emotion and... happiness?
Deciding that there was no time like the present, he dropped to one knee in front of her. “I love you, Fiona. Please, make me the happiest man in the world and say you’ll be my wife.”
She dropped to her knees beside him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. “Yes,” she sobbed. “I love you. I love your children. There is nothing in the world that I want more than to be your wife. You’re right. We can figure out the details later.”
“Thank you,” he breathed, crushing her to him tightly. “Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for believing in me.”
She laughed breathlessly as she pulled back and looked sternly at his brothers. “You had all better be right about nothing happening to him.”
Epilogue
December 1897
Morgan lay upon the comfortable bed in one of the guest bedrooms of his family’s country estate, his heart in his throat as he watched his beautiful bride walk toward him. Fiona was absolutely radiant in a cream-colored satin nightgown, her lovely auburn hair still fashioned in the intricate updo she’d worn to their wedding in the family chapel hours earlier. However, small tendrils had escaped in a riot of color around her face, and her green eyes glowed with happiness.
“You take my breath away, Fiona,” he murmured as she climbed up on the bed and stretched out beside him.
“Sometimes it seemed as though tonight would never get here,” she answered softly as she nestled against him, laying her head on his chest.
“It seemed that way to me, too.”
The last six months had been filled with laughter and tears, as both of them had worked through the tangled pasts that had brought them to this point, but they’d been open and honest, sharing and learning about each other until the shadows had abated and all that was left was hope and excitement for their future.
As expected, once he’d taken responsibility for Winters’ death, the investigation had stopped, the authorities happy to take his word and that of his brothers about what had happened. Protecting Fiona had made it a little easier to bear the guilt of the past.
Although he’d wanted nothing more than to get married as soon as possible, he’d been determined to do things right. He’d wanted Fiona and everyone else to know how much he cherished this brave, beautiful woman who’d consented to spend the rest of her life with him. So he’d insisted on all the traditions and a beautiful wedding at the family chapel. Though it had been torturous not to have her with him every day, the look on her face as Adrian had escorted her down the aisle to give her away assured he’d done the right thing.
He’d wanted her to know she was good enough, that she was worthy of all the pomp and circumstance the occasion deserved. He’d finally convinced her that he was a third son, a mere Mister, and, if anything, she was too good for him.
She trailed her hand tenderly across his bare chest, sending desire flooding through his entire body. “It meant a lot to me that you wanted to wait until tonight before we made love again. I know it would have made no difference, that no one would have known if you’d snuck into my room at Brookhaven again. But the fact that you didn’t, that you treated me as though I was one of those innocent society ladies... it made me feel loved and respected,” she whispered.
“It nearly killed me,” he admitted with a hoarse laugh. “I’ve wanted you so desperately, Fiona. There were nights when it was torturous to let you go with a mere kiss, but I do love you. I do respect you.”
“It was hard for me as well.” She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, and he was shocked to see a sheen of tears in hers. “I never thought I’d know what desire felt like, but whenever you’re near me, all I want to do is touch you. You’re so beautiful, Morgan.”
