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EPILOGUE
Rhys ran his fingers through Elizabeth’s hair as she slept on his chest. It had been a fortnight since Faraday was caught, and he had already been tried for the kidnapping of a Marchioness and sentenced to spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Rhys’ shoulder was healing well, and he barely felt any pain when he moved his arm, but he was still being careful. When Elizabeth stirred, he smiled and looked down at her lovely face.
“Did you sleep?” she asked groggily, and he nodded, tugging her closer with his good arm.
“Mayton confessed something to me yesterday,” he told her, and she propped herself up on one elbow to look down at him.
“What is it?”
“He told the gossip sheets about us to force us to marry,” Rhys remembered how his cousin had looked entirely remorseless as he confessed, and how Rhys had pretended to be shocked while instead, he was grateful.
“He did not!” Elizabeth gasped.
“Oh, he did. You see, he fell in love with Irene and also saw that we wanted each other. He decided to play with our fates.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I suppose he told you that he and Irene had been sneaking about the whole time just as we were.”
“Yes, he did.” Rhys grinned.
“Did you thank him?”
Rhys shook his head. “I threatened to demand satisfaction for his interference in my life.”
“Rhys!” she poked his good arm.
“I truly did. I need him to learn to not interfere.” He turned his head and kissed her nose. “But I am happy he pushed me when I needed to be pushed although I think we would have married whether that news sheet was published or not.”
“Why do you say that?”
Rhys sighed happily. “It has always been you. I denied it, but after your visit here, I knew I could not marry anyone else. I was in love with you then but too foolish to see it.”
Her soft palm caressed his cheek. “Am I the Marchioness you want?”
“You are both the Marchioness I want and need. Elizabeth, you are my match in every way. I am mad and impossible sometimes, but you draw out my humanity. You have vanquished my loneliness and made me whole.” He could feel his throat closing. “As I have told you a hundred times now, you will never know how much I love you.”
She laid her head back in his chest and wrapped an arm around him. “Rhys, thank you.”
“Always.”
* * *
Irene, Miles, and Joseph left for Gloucestershire that afternoon while William left in the morning after making a good recovery. Now, Elizabeth was in the drawing room with Stella and Brutus when the Dowager walked in.
Elizabeth had not seen the Dowager much since the day she came to the dining room to confront Elizabeth about being Myers, and she almost thought the Dowager was purposefully avoiding her.
“May I have a moment alone with you?” the Dowager asked, sounding polite which bewildered Elizabeth. She nodded while Stella excused them. The Dowager sat and smiled ruefully. “I want to beg your pardon. My treatment of you was unfair, and I dearly regret it. I now see that you are just the woman this family needs.”
“I…I forgive you, My Lady,” Elizabeth said. She wanted to begin anew after everything that happened. The news of her being Myers was still a shock to Society, but Elizabeth had already planned what she would do regarding it.
“Please call me Sandra.” She smiled joyfully now. “Rhys has never allowed himself to love anyone besides his cousin until you. I am happy you are his wife.”
“Thank you, Sandra.”
As if he knew they were making peace, Brutus climbed onto the sofa the Dowager was on and rested his head on her lap.
Later at night as Elizabeth slipped beneath the covers, Rhys walked into the room with her lost reticule and stood at the foot of the bed. Elizabeth immediately sat up.
