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In response to this, Margaret laughed aloud. “It is against the law, John. Please understand, I will go with you, but we must find the proper time. It must be done when it is least suspected.”
John placed his hands on the sides of Margaret’s arms, holding her tight. “All right. We shall not go tonight, but trust that I want nothing more in this world.”
“I feel the same.”
John could not hold back. The relief of finding her in the field was too great. He leaned in and placed his lips upon hers, delighting in the very thing that he had been dreaming of for days. Margaret audibly moaned, causing him to kiss her with increased hunger. Yes, everything that he wanted in this life was within his arms. He could not help but pull away and say, “I have been a wanderer in this life, on and off, but wandering has been all that I have cared for. Since meeting you here, I do not wish to wander again. We shall do this the right way, to ensure that we can be together and never have to flee again.”
Margaret brought a hand to his cheek. “Jane distrusts you because of the need for freedom that is in your breast.” She moved her hand to his chest. “And although I understand why this should be, I do not distrust you in the slightest. I want to be with you and you alone.”
Margaret rested her head upon his chest, and John looked up to the moon, saying a prayer that he could pull her free. Everything that he dreamed of for the future was becoming abundantly clear. He wished for a small home where Margaret could do anything that she liked, and he could delight in her company. He longed for a cozy, calm life where they could enjoy their happiness with one another.
“And what of Darkmoor?” John asked. “I hear that you fled the dinner table.”
“I promised myself that I would be courageous and strong. And so, I could not be seated there any longer and excused myself. When father said that I must remain, he asked me where I wished to honeymoon, and that was all that I could endure. Oh, I would imagine they are seated in his study now, discussing the details of their financial arrangement. It is as though I am invisible.”
“You shall never be invisible to me.”
Margaret pulled her head back and smiled in relief. “I trust that.”
“In fact, you shall be the sole object of my attention.”
“That could become rather exhausting, could it not?” Margaret said with a little smile.
John laughed, delighting in her humor. “Yes, I suppose that it might, but I have no other choice when I am in your company.”
“I do not deserve you,” Margaret said lightly.
John could not stand to hear those words. She deserved him and so much more. In fact, John was the one that felt unworthy. “Do not say that.”
“It is true. You are everything that I have ever wanted in a man.”
“And you are everything that I never expected to find in a woman.”
“I was thinking last night,” Margaret went on. “It might sound strange, and please do not judge me for that.”
“I shall never judge you.”
“But my mother… I feel as though she has brought you to me.”
“In what way?” John asked, intrigued by her statement.
“Well… did you know that she was the one that hired Jane when I was quite young? Perhaps she did not realize it at the time, but she was hiring the girl that would connect me to the man I would love eternally.”
John’s heart was positively soaring. To hear her say those words, only confirming his own love, John had to wonder if maybe she was right. There was a sense of immortal fate to their love, which had burgeoned so quickly. John felt as though he had loved Margaret all his life and that his life really did not begin until he encountered her in the field not too long ago.
“I am speechless. My love for you knows no bounds.”
Margaret gazed towards the ground as though she found what she was about to say embarrassing in some way. “My father mentioned my honeymoon with Darkmoor. And although this filled me with fear and dread, it made me think of how amazing a honeymoon would be with you.”
John knew what she was referring to, and it filled him with awe. Margaret was speaking of matters of the flesh. He took her hand, gazing into her eyes intently. “Trust that when that time comes for us, I shall handle it with the utmost care.”
A flush came to her cheek. “I know that you will, and since I trust you, I shall not be afraid.”
“You would have nothing to fear. And know that… it would be the greatest experience of my life.”
Silence floated between them as they gazed at one another, perhaps each imagining what that extraordinary experience must be like. Oh, John had never desired a woman so desperately in all of his life. It was almost unbearable having her so close. There was so much that he longed to do. John wanted to touch her, caress her, and enjoy the freedom of knowing that she was his—body and soul.
“Margaret,” John admitted. “I long for you desperately.”
