AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “Everything is such a mess. My mum’s probably dead or being tortured by Naomi. Your mum’s dead because of my mum. My dad helped William and hid this awful secret to protect us. I watched Philippe and William die today. I don’t even know Philippe and I despised William, but I …”
Tristan held her as she cried. It was a mess. He’d shot Philippe and felt regret for taking his life, but he’d protected Jennifer. He didn’t know how to make things right about her mum and dad. It would take time.
“I’m sorry …” he began.
“No,” she snapped. “Don’t you apologize. You protected me and saved my dad.” She shook her head, her dark eyes bright with tears. “How are you and your dad both so incredible? He simply forgave my dad. For all that pain. All that time hiding and lying. You were joking with my dad when you should despise him for being part of the queen’s death, for being so weak and allowing William to manipulate him.”
“Oh, Jenn.” He escorted her to the couches and sat down, wrapping her up and holding her close. “Love. It’s going to take some time to heal, truly forgive, and put it behind us. But despising your dad won’t bring my mum back. I wish it had been different, but William was insanely brilliant in all his manipulations. Your dad was trying to stop his schemes and protect you and your mum.”
“Why couldn’t he have found a different path?” she asked in a small voice.
“I don’t know. But there’s no way to change it now, just to learn from it and heal and move forward. I don’t want to know how I’d react if you and our children were in a similar situation.”
She blinked up at him. “Our children?”
Just her looking at him like that healed so much of his pain. They could get past this. Together. A fire burned inside his chest as her dark gaze consumed him. He wanted children with her. He wanted her. All of her. “Yes, ma’am. Our children.” He slid her legs over his lap and pulled her closer.
“Oh my, Mr. Crown Prince, what huge plans you have.”
He smiled. “All the better to plan our future with, my dear.”
She returned his smile, but it quickly faltered. “You think your dad truly forgives mine? I’m afraid the king will come to his senses and throw him into prison.”
“All of us have suffered long enough with my mum’s death and the uncertainty of how she died hanging over us. Making your dad suffer any longer when he’s already obviously been through pain, guilt, and to purgatory and back is not in my dad’s nature.” Henry would probably have to step down. Tristan didn’t know how it would all play out, but his dad wouldn’t be vindictive about it.
“Thank you.” She studied him and whispered, “And you don’t think how your mum died will cast a pall over our relationship? Cause a rift between us?”
“Jenn, you know how you see me deeply? You see past the crown prince, and you hardly noticed my scars?”
She nodded, but her eyes questioned how this related.
“I see you. I know you. You aren’t your father or the choices he’s made. You are the woman I love.”
“I love you.” She leaned up and softly kissed him. Tristan returned the kiss, and soon she was clinging to him and kissing him desperately.
The pain and the regrets and everything else would work out. They loved each other, and true love could overcome anything.
Chapter Fifteen
Jennifer startled awake. She was cuddled against Tristan on the couch, and they must’ve slept for a while, as it was dark outside the cottage windows.
Maybe they shouldn’t have fallen asleep but they hadn’t slept well the past two nights, and today had been insanely stressful and emotionally grueling. She was surprised no one had come into the cottage or called them. That probably meant there’d been no progress in finding her mum. Her stomach knotted with worry. She cuddled into Tristan, loving the reassurance and strength he gave her. He was benevolent, forgiving, and loved her completely. He could heal the shock and pain of what they’d all been through. Would he really put that gorgeous diamond ring back on her finger? They’d of course talked about marriage throughout the years but with all her travel and missions and his heavy demands they hadn’t ever settled on a date. She was more than ready to take that step with him now.
She felt a cool breeze and glanced up. The patio door was slightly ajar. Was that what had woken her? The back patio had a small stretch of grass that led down to the lake. It was awful to imagine her mum sneaking out those doors to confront Queen Anne, shoving her friend into the icy lake, and inadvertently killing her. She shivered.
Tristan stirred, then straightened. In the murky dark, she couldn’t see his glorious blue eyes, but she could make out his facial shape and features. She knew him so well and loved every bit of him, scars and all.
“Hey, beautiful. Did you rest?”
“No,” she teased. “I just watched you drool and listened to you snore for hours.”
He laughed. “Very attractive drool and snoring, I’m sure.”
“Very,” she agreed drily. The patio door creaked open wider with a chilly breeze.
Tristan moved quickly. He lifted her off his lap and onto the next cushion, then stood and hurried to the door. He latched it and twisted the lock, then armed the security on the wall.
“I thought I’d armed that earlier,” he muttered, drawing out his sidearm.
