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The man tucked the pistol into his pocket and released her daughter. Annalise flew across the room and jumped into Natalie’s arms. She hugged her so tightly that her daughter complained. “Mama, you’re hurting me.”
“I’m so sorry, darling. Are you well?” She ran her hand over her small face and brushed back the hair from her forehead.
“I am now,” Annalise said. Natalie buried her face against her daughter’s neck, smelling the wonderful little girl smell.
“Enough of this,” Miss Walsh said. She looked at Alex, smiling brightly. “Aren’t you going to kiss the bride?”
“Certainly,” he said. He walked over to Natalie and kissed her soundly on the lips.
* * *
Natalie tasted so good,and he would never get enough of her. He reached over and kissed Annalise on the forehead.
“Oh, so I see how you want it to be,” Mildred said. “You will have your Mrs. Shaw as a mistress, and I will have my lover. Indeed, a happy marriage this will be.”
His arms wrapped around Natalie and Annalise, holding them against his body, Alex said, “Um, just one point I need to make, Miss Walsh.”
“No,” she smirked, “I amLady St. John.”
Alex and Natalie looked at each other and grinned, then kissed once more. “I’m afraid not,Miss Walsh. You see, Natalie and I were married last night.” He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles right where the gold band sat.
Mildred’s jaw dropped in a most comical way. “That’s not possible.” She looked over at the man taking the vestments off and putting them on a chair and waved at him. “He performed a marriage ceremony just now. I saw the special license, and I’m holding the marriage certificate.” She stabbed the paper with her index finger. “With our names on it.”
“I’m afraid not, Miss Walsh,” Police Officer Clarence Wayman said as he straightened up. “First, the special license is fake, as is the marriage certificate. Second, any marriage performed today would be invalid anyway because his lordship is already married. Third, I am not a vicar. And lastly, by authority of the Crown, I hereby place the two of you under arrest for kidnapping, child endangerment, and blackmail.”
With that, the officer pulled handcuffs out of his pockets. When Gerard attempted to bolt, Wayman nodded at Mitchell, who opened the door to allow the other two police officers into the room.
After a great deal of swearing, crying, pleading, and blaming each other, the two were taken from the house under police custody.
Annalise turned in her mother’s arms and, with both her little hands, cupped Natalie’s cheeks. “Does that mean Lord St. John is now my Papa?”
Alex took Annalise out of Natalie’s arms. She fit perfectly. “Yes, poppet, that’s precisely what that means.”
“And we will live here?”
“Yes, we will. I also have a few other houses in the country that I think you will like very much.”
“Do they have horses?”
“Yes, they do.”
“Can I have a pony for my own?”
“Yes, you may.”
“Can I have a puppy?”
“Yes, you may.”
“Can I go to school instead of having a governess?”
“No!” Both Alex and Natalie said together.
* * *
“Of coursewe’re going to celebrate your wedding,” Rayne said as she hugged Natalie. She leaned back and looked her in the eye. “Do you think we would allow you to escape all these well wishes?”
Unbeknownst to either her or Alex, Rayne had managed to gather their friends and put together a beautiful wedding breakfast at the Sterling Townhouse. Alex, Natalie, and Annalise had arrived to supervise the packing of their things to be moved to her new home.
