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He reached out, resting his hand against the bedpost. ‘My mother meant everything to my father. He loved her so much. More than he loved us, I think. He couldn’t endure living without her.’ A heavy breath escaped him. ‘I think he was glad when he died, so he could be with her at last.’

She rested her hand upon her abdomen as if to soothe their unborn baby. ‘Is that why you kept pushing me away? Why you aren’t happy about our child?’

He shook his head. ‘I do want our baby. But I’ll admit it terrifies me. Even now, the thought of losing either of you…’ His voice turned to ice. ‘I can’t. I won’t lose you.’

A softness crept within her heart. She thought back to when he’d first learned the news. His face had been frozen with shock, not joy. But before that, he had been trying to mend things between them. The field of daffodils had been breathtaking. And he’d brought her the stems of winter jasmine by way of apology.

Maybe…maybe there was still a way to heal their broken marriage.

A rise of nerves caught within her, mingled with hope. She reached out with her hand. ‘You know I don’t want a marriage in name only, Alaric.’

He took her hand and pulled her closer. ‘What do you want, Charlotte?’

‘Don’t leave me behind again. If you want this marriage to truly work, then I need—’ she paused to catch her breath ‘—I need you to show me that you care for me. More than you ever did for Lenora.’

He exhaled sharply. ‘What I felt for Lenora was nothing compared to what I feel for you.’

His words sliced through her, shattering all the tentative walls she’d put up around her heart. She’d wanted so badly to hear words like this, but she was afraid to speak.

‘I want you,’ he said roughly. ‘And I want our baby.’ His hand came up to her cheek, wiping the tears away. ‘I cannot imagine anything more precious to me—especially a child with your eyes and your smile.’

She rested her hands upon his chest, and he embraced her, kissing her temple, before he spoke again and healed her heart. ‘Because I love you, Charlotte.’

His wife wept in his arms, and Alaric gripped her hard. The thought of her being alone these past few days—and the worry about their child—had only deepened his fears. He’d made so many mistakes. The accident was his fault for taking her up such a steep hillside. And he’d been an utter fool, not telling her the truth about how he felt.

‘I’m not ever letting you go again. And we’re going to break every last one of those ridiculous rules.’

Charlotte had ripped apart his ideas of marriage until now he simply couldn’t imagine living apart from her. She was the sunlight to his darkness, filling his life with beauty and hope.

‘I love you,’ he repeated. ‘And I need to show you how much.’ He hadn’t known feelings like this could exist, and he added, ‘I’m taking you home with me right now.’

She lifted her gaze to his. ‘I left Severn because I thought you didn’t want me any more.’

He kissed her lips, tasting the salt of her tears. ‘I would have torn England apart to find you.’

A sound caught in her throat, and she confessed, ‘I love you, too.’

He captured her mouth, sliding his tongue against hers. ‘When I take you back to our townhouse, we are going to spend an entire day in our bedchamber.’

‘Doing what?’ she murmured against his mouth while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

‘Kissing you everywhere. Every part of your skin.’ His entire body ached for her. ‘I want my mouth and my tongue on you until you’re weak with need.’

Her breathing grew unsteady, and her cheeks flushed. ‘You’re a wicked husband to say such things.’

Alaric kissed her again, threading his hands through her golden hair. He brushed his knuckle against her cheek and added, ‘You can’t take it back, you know. I am keeping you as my wife for always.’

‘Is that a new rule?’ she asked softly.

‘I think it’s the only rule that matters. Don’t you?’

‘I think there’s a better rule,’ she said. ‘One where we agree to love one another for always.’

He edged her delightfully full lower lip with his thumb and bent to kiss her. When he pulled back, he said, ‘I can agree to that rule.’

Chapter Fourteen

Rule 11: We will not fall in love and be together for always.