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Lady Augusta had been right. Gabe and her daughters were not back in time for supper. Sophie tried not to be annoyed by that, but she was annoyed just the same. Ever since they’d arrived at Fairhaven, he’d been quite successful at abandoning her, and it was a pattern she meant to put an end to when she saw him next.
“We’ll keep the turnovers warm in the oven,” Lady Augusta said, not sounding even close to being as annoyed as Sophie was.
But then a loud clatter came from the front of the cottage, followed by stampeding feet and joyous expulsions.
“What in the world?” she began and started for the threshold, but stopped in her tracks when Gabe and his nieces appeared in the open doorway.
The three of them were covered in mud, from the tips of their toes, to most of their clothing, even their faces were streaked with dirt. But you’d never know it from the enormous smiles the three of them wore. And a glint sparkled in Gabe’s eye as he made a direct path toward her.
Sophie took a step backward. “Don’t you even think about touching me, Gabriel Prideaux.”
But he was gaining on her.
“You are covered in—”
He pulled her against him and kissed her. Hard.
So in for a penny…
Sophie’s eyes fluttered closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck as his settled around her waist, holding her to him.
When he finally lifted his head, it took Sophie a second to catch her breath. “You are covered in mud,” she said softly, not making any sort of effort to extricate herself from his hold.
“We aresaved, Sophie,” he replied just as softly.
“Saved?” she echoed a bit louder. What in the world was he talking about?
“You are covered in dirt, both of you,” Lady Augusta complained to her daughters. “And you haven’t had supp—”
“Don’t be cross with them,” Gabe begged, looking briefly away from Sophie to his sister. “Your daughters are quite the heroes of the day.” Then he met Sophie’s gaze once more and pressed his lips to hers for another quick kiss. “Ismérie found a silver deposit.” He grinned at her like he had when they were younger, before they were pulled apart, before the weight of the world had come crashing down upon his shoulders. “And there’s a lot of it in the ground if the number of stones we’ve found are any indication.”
“Silver?” she asked. Was he serious?
“We are saved,” he repeated. “I’ll send word to Mr. Hill in the morning about finding a mining company and—”
“We’re saved,” she echoed and her heart lifted more than a little at the news.
And then Gabe kissed her once more for good measure.
Supper was a joyous affair, even with everyone covered in mud and even with the mincemeat turnovers being less than warm. Laughter permeated the air, celebratory wine was flowing, and Sophie was right at Gabe’s side, where she should have always been.
What an incredible day, what an incredible journey! Finding a sister and nieces he didn’t know existed. Learning that he was and always had been a legal heir to Northwold. Discovering that a potentially sizable vein of silver was buried beneath Fairhaven lands.
He glanced at Sophie, opposite him at the table, and his heart expanded in his chest. She truly was his lucky charm. Everything in his life had turned around once they found each other again. Dear God, he loved her. He’d always loved her. And he’d somehow been lucky enough that she loved him – even if he’d been the penniless bastard of a dishonorable blackguard, even then she’d loved him. And now he’d be able to give her everything she deserved.
Gabe helped Aurelie and Ismérie clear the dishes from the table and then everyone cleaned themselves up to some extent before gathering once more in Fairhaven’s sitting room. Sophie snuggled beside him on the settee and they watched Ismérie count the rocks they’d brought back with them while Aurelie quietly read an old worn out tome by the lamp in the corner of the room, and Augusta darned a pair of stockings. His family. He was surrounded by hisfamily, and he hadn’t enjoyed that feeling since well before his mother died when he was just a boy.
He brushed his fingers along Sophie’s side and when she tipped her face up toward him, he couldn’t help but smile. “I’d like for them to come with us to Hampton Hall when we leave.”
And her blue eyes twinkled just so. “How did you know I was thinking that?”
Had she been? It was a wonder. Gabe shook his head. “We’re in tune with each other.”
“Must be it,” she agreed, her eyes crinkling at the edges as she grinned. Then she said softly, “I asked your sister today if they wanted to remain at Fairhaven.”
“And?” he asked, glancing briefly toward Augusta who was paying them no attention at all.
“She enjoys the solitude and seemed a bit timid about going anywhere else—”
