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The maid who had followed her in instantly hurried back out of the room and arrived momentarily with a silken lead to wrap around the dog’s neck. The maid held out the other end to Matilda but the woman quickly gestured Amy forward and said, “Perhaps you might do the honours?”
“Oh, yes, of course!” Amy said, grabbing the lead with delight. In an instant she was off out of the door, and all Watson could do was watch, wondering what Matilda intended.
“Shall we?” she suggested, gesturing after Amy. Watson struggled to speak past the lump in his throat and instead nodded, gesturing for Matilda to take the lead.
All was silent for several moments as they head down the garden path in the direction of an open field up ahead. Quickly, Watson found he could not take the silence anymore.
“Matilda, I have come to apologise for my utter idiocy,” he admitted, blurting the words that had been on his mind for the last several days. “I have treated you terribly since you arrived at Thistledown Manor and I ought to have been more truthful with you. I never should have allowed you to leave.”
Though they walked at a distance, Watson felt her tense at his side. Though she said nothing, it was clear she had taken his words on board.
“I was a total fool and it has taken your leaving to make me realise that I need you in my life, Matilda,” he continued, hoping she would believe him. “Not only that but Amy needs you too.”
He heard her sharp inhale at that.
“I do not wish to get in the way of your future,” Matilda said, her voice little more than a whisper. Unable to bear the thought that she believed herself to be an inconvenience, Watson grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her to a halt.
“You could do no such thing,” he assured her, shaking his head even as he continued to hold onto her hand. “I have spoken to Amy and she has expressed her wish for you to become her mother.”
Matilda looked absolutely gob smacked at that. Her could feel her hand beginning to tremble in his. “But I…” she began to protest, looking dumbfounded but Watson could not bring himself to allow her to stop him.
“And I, Matilda, wish for you to be my wife,” he admitted and with his free hand he pulled out the ring box he had kept concealed in his breastpocket. Dropping down onto one knee, struggling to ignore the loose shingle that pinched into his skin, he flicked open the box to reveal a large topaz ring that had reminded him of the little golden flecks in her hazel eyes, and asked, “Miss Matilda Percival, will you do the honour of becoming my wife?”
“Watson, I…I do not know what to say,” Matilda gasped, “I never expected this. I am just a governess.”
“And I may be a duke but deep down I am just a man asking the woman that he loves to marry him,” Watson said, feeling as though he had never said truer words, “I do not care what the Ton or anybody else thinks. What do their opinions matter in what makes my life happiest?”
Tears started to stream down Matilda’s face and for a moment Watson feared she might reject him. Then, her smile broke so brilliantly that it made his heart swell even before he heard her say, “Yes, Watson, I will marry you.”
Sliding the ring onto her finger, Watson discarded the box on the floor and flew to his feet to pull her into his arms. Spinning her with excitement, her feet off the ground, he stopped and allowed her to slide down the full length of his body until their lips found each other. Though the kiss was only brief, it was passionate and caused Watson’s head to spin. For several moments, they remained there with their foreheads pressed together as if they could not quite get close enough. Matilda rested her palms against his chest and he felt as though she were feeling for his heart beating.
Reaching up, he gripped her hand and pulled it further over his heart as he told her, “My heart beats for you, Matilda.”
With one final kiss, Watson heard the yapping of Cheddar as he hurried back up the path toward them, almost dragging Amy with him.
“Amy, darling, come here!” Watson called even though she was already well on her way to them. “We have great news to share!”
Yet as she approached, Amy’s gaze seemed to fall directly on Matilda’s hand on her father’s chest, right where the ring was sitting nestled on the governess’ wedding ring finger.
“Oh, what a joyous day!” Amy exclaimed, throwing herself at them and wrapping her arms around them as if she could squeeze them both in a tight bear hug at the very same time. “I feel as though I have waited a lifetime for this.”
Both Watson and Matilda chuckled at the young girl’s sudden maturity. Rolling his eyes, Watson sighed. “I think it is time we head home. We have a wedding to plan.”
Epilogue
One Month Later
Though their wedding day was small and rushed, it was more than Matilda ever could have hoped for. In fact, she had never truly realised how much she wanted to be married until the Duke had proposed.
Though it was no grand affair as her mother had always insisted she ought to have, both of her parents seemed mighty happy. And she could not blame them, after all, she was marrying a duke.
The day went by in a rush of white silk and satin, with all of their nearest and dearest attending in order to give them well wishes. The wider expanse of the ton did not attend and although Matilda was slightly saddened that Watson had not decided to invite them, she was pleased that she could continue to be herself just a little while longer before she was thrown into the life of being a duchess.
By the evening, Lady Amy looked exhausted but she still insisted, “I thought that there was more dancing at weddings.”
Glancing at her new husband, the man she had been unable to stop herself from kissing all day long, Matilda grabbed hold of his hand and her new daughter’s and dragged them both out into the centre of the drawing room where the small party had retired to have one final drink for the evening.
“Papa, would you do me the honour of playing something for us?” Matilda suggested and although her middle-aged father looked about ready to retire for bed, he still got up and did as she asked, seating himself at the pianoforte to play a joyous song.
