by Cheryl Holt
“There’s one little problem with that scenario.”
“What is it?”
To her great consternation, he dropped to a knee and clasped hold of her hand, their palms connecting in a sweet way rather than a raucous one. There was only one reason a man put himself in that position, and she blanched with dismay.
“What are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing, so be silent and listen to me.”
“No. You’re teasing me, and it’s cruel of you to behave like this.”
He scowled. “Why would you imagine I’m teasing?”
“You’re about to propose, but you don’t mean it. You were very blunt that day at my cottage. You are the grand and glorious Jacob Ralston, and I am lowly, inconsequential Joanna James. You’re the biggest snob I’ve ever encountered—except perhaps for your sister. You could never stoop down far enough to wed me.”
His scowl deepened. “Are you finished?”
“I guess.”
“Then be silent and listen for once.” She opened her mouth to offer another remark, and he laid a finger on her lips. “Hush! It’s my turn to talk. You claim you’d wed if you could find a man who adores you. Well, Joanna James, I adore you.”
“Yes, you probably do, but so what?”
“So what?” He grumbled with frustration. “You are so obstinate! I can’t figure out why I’m bothering with you.”
“Neither can I. Your sister revealed how she views me. Your other relatives would feel the same, and they’d never agree to a match between us. Your friends would laugh behind your back, and your acquaintances would insult you to your face. There’s an odd impulse driving you, so you’re not thinking clearly.”
“I am not thinking clearly?”
“No.”
“Would you like to hear another secret Caleb shared with me?”
“Not really.”
“He advises me that—when you last spoke with my father on his ship—you asked him to watch over you.”
Her cheeks heated. “I might have.”
“This is him watching over you. This is him leading me to your side. I will confess that it took me awhile to heed his message.”
“What message is it you assume he’s delivered?”
“He’s telling me that I will never be able to walk away from you. I tried! I told myself it was for the best, but every time I avoid you, it feels as if fetters are strapped to my ankles to draw me back. You are the one who believes in Fate and destiny. Not me. You can’t stand here and declare you don’t belong with me. My father, God rest his soul, will never give me any peace until you accept what he’s arranged for us.”
She started to tremble. All summer, his father’s ghost had been hovering. Libby and Caro had noticed him too. He’d been such a central character in their lives, and it made perfect sense that he’d intervene.
“You imagine your father brought me to you?”
“I’m certain he did.”
Joanna stared down at him, and she was riveted by the blue of his eyes, by the tenderness of his gaze. He was so handsome, so mesmerizing. He kissed her hand, then said, “Joanna James, will you marry me?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse him, but she swallowed down the words. She would love to have him for her very own, but she was so conflicted. It seemed very, very right for them to end up together, but it seemed a complete blunder too. Weren’t they too different?
“I can see your mind whirring,” he said, “as you devise a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t.”
“It’s much more than a thousand.”
“You presume it would be horrid, but what if you’re wrong? What if we wound up blissfully content?”
“You don’t want to wed me!” She practically wailed the comment. “When your sister pointed out how ridiculous a notion it was, you instantly split with me. It kills me to admit she was correct, but she was!”
“My sister married my stable manager so she can be happy, so she can have the life she chooses for a change. Why can’t I have the life I choose?”
“You think that life should be with me?”
“Yes. I absolutely think that.”
Her trembling increased. “Well, it’s a deranged decision. I simply can’t fathom what is spurring you on.”
“I haven’t been clear, but then, I’m not very eloquent. I want you to be my wife—so I can take care of you. I want you to fill my home with your quiet joy and your soothing presence. I want you to fill my days with wonder, excitement, and delight. I want you to constantly surprise me and teach me how to be a better man.”
She was quaking so hard that she could barely remain on her feet. “Would you get up? Please?”
“No. Not until you stop being so stubborn.”
She tried to lift him, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Marry me, Joanna. Say yes. Tell me you will.”
“If I ever considered marrying,” she tentatively ventured, “I would only do it for love. It’s the only way I could convince myself to proceed.”
He raised a brow. “Aren’t you in love with me? Don’t you dare deny it.”
She debated her reply because—once she voiced it aloud—they would be careening down a new road. “Yes, I love you. I love you more than life itself.”
He nodded quite smugly, as if it was the precise response he’d been expecting. “Guess what? I love you even more than that—if it’s possible.”
Finally, he stood, and he dipped in and kissed her. She’d never been able to resist him, and she couldn’t now. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight, feeling as if—should she release him—she might simply float off into the sky.
As their lips parted, he said, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“If I agree, you’d have to let me continue with my healing.” Gad, was she contemplating it? “You’d have to let me birth babies, brew potions, and tend people who are ill. You couldn’t prevent me or wish I was a different type of person. You will never change me, so you’d have to swear you’re prepared for that type of wife—and you’d have to mean it.”
“Why would I seek to change you? You are fascinating, annoying, and remarkable. I’d like you to always be exactly who you are.”
“Clara and Mutt would have to stay with us.”
“That’s not even an issue. In fact, I’d like to adopt Clara. Would you like that?”
“You would? Really?” Who could reject such a dear man? “And . . . you have to reflect on whether you should retire from the navy. I couldn’t wed you, then have you vanish for years at a time. I couldn’t live like that.”
“I’ve come to the same conclusion. I won’t be like my father. I won’t sire children who never see me, who never know me. I should be at home.”
“At Ralston Place? Are you sure? You never liked it in the past.”
“No, not in the past. But I can be content there in the future—because you’ll be there with me.”
“Oh, Jacob . . .”
It was the sweetest thing he could have said. The comment seemed to yank down the walls she’d erected to keep him at bay.
“I never thought I’d marry,” she said.
“I understand that about you.”
“I never thought I’d find someone to wed. I never thought there would be a man who was perfect for me, but it’s you, Jacob. Will you have me?”
“Are you certain? Don’t promise unless you are.”
She gazed at him, her affection wafting out. He would be faithful, loyal, and kind, and he would be hers. He would protect her from the slings and arrows the world would inflict, but—with him by her side—those arrows would bounce off.
“I’m certain,” she vowed. “I can’t bear to be Joanna James another second. I’m ready to be Joanna Ralston.”
&
nbsp; “Mrs. Jacob Ralston . . .” he mused. “I like the sound of that.”
He drew her into his arms again, then he was kissing her like a fiend, the two of them laughing, twirling in circles, growing so wild that they knocked over a table.
The door was flung open, and Clara and Mutt rushed in.
“Are you all right?” Clara asked. “We heard a crash.”
“It was just us being happy,” Joanna said.
“Why are you happy? Is it good news?”
“It’s very good news.”
Jacob told her, “Joanna and I have decided to marry.”
“She said yes?” Clara asked.
“She said yes,” Jacob replied.
Joanna extended her hand, and Clara hurried over. They pulled her close, the three of them huddled together in a hug that went on and on. Mutt trotted over, his tail wagging, and he barked his approval. They pulled him close too, and Joanna smiled, thinking that it was a splendid start to her very own family.
She shut her eyes and glanced toward the heavens, and she sent a message to Jacob’s father.
Thank you for giving him to me.
A clear response popped into her mind: You’re welcome.
She sighed with gladness and hugged everyone a bit tighter.
“Is everyone ready?”
Lady Penny, Libby’s half-sister, asked the question to no one in particular. The church’s vestibule was packed, and Joanna glanced around, trying to count how many were squeezed into the small area, but it was impossible to tabulate them all.
Libby and Luke probably should have wed at the cathedral in London, but they’d decided on the local church at Barrett instead. It held a few dozen people, so invitations had been as valuable as gold nuggets. The individuals who’d received them felt as if they’d won a grand lottery.
The organist was playing a quiet hymn, and they were waiting for Luke to step out to the altar with the vicar. His best man would be Lady Penny’s new husband, Simon Falcon. He was Libby’s cousin, and after the vows were exchanged, he would be Luke’s brother-in-law.
Libby’s sole bridesmaid would be her old friend and costumer, Edwina Fishburn, who’d stood by her side through a life of tribulations.
“Do we remember the order?” Lady Penny inquired.
She was as organized as an army sergeant, and the crowd straightened, and there was a general murmuring of yes. They’d attended the rehearsal the previous day, so they’d practiced their parts and were eager to proceed.
Sandy’s sons, Tim and Tom, were the ushers, with Lady Penny having dug up clothes for them to wear. They dawdled behind her, prepared to leap into action and carry out any command she leveled.
“Clara,” Lady Penny said, “you’ll go down first and toss your flower petals.” Clara beamed with pride and lifted her basket to show it off. “You’ll scoot into the front pew on the left. Be sure there’s room for Joanna and Jacob.”
“Caro and Caleb,” Lady Penny continued, “or should I say, Mr. and Mrs. Ralston? You’re next. Front pew on the right. Joanna and Jacob, you’ll be after them. Front pew on the left.” Lady Penny checked her notes. “I will follow and sit by Caro, so don’t forget to leave some space for me.”
“I won’t,” Caro said.
“Then Fish will go down, and Libby will be the only one remaining.” Lady Penny frowned at her father, Lord Roland. “My lord Father, can you get Libby down to Luke? You won’t faint, will you?”
“I won’t faint,” Lord Roland replied. “I didn’t have the chance to walk you down the aisle, Penny.” Lady Penny had eloped with Simon Falcon, so it was still a sore spot between them. “I’m glad one of my daughters was kind enough to let me have this wonderful honor.”
Libby had met her father at a house party earlier that summer. After it had been revealed that she was his long-lost child, Little Henrietta, they’d had a rocky start to their relationship. But now, they were fully reconciled and as close as a father and daughter could ever be.
Libby rose on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “Father won’t faint. He’s too stalwart to quail with anxiety. Not when I desperately need him to be steady.”
Everyone smiled, and some people dabbed at their eyes.
It had been such a traumatic and dramatic few months for all of them. With it being the twentieth anniversary of the shipwreck, Joanna, Libby, and Caro had been unusually distressed, bombarded by painful memories and recurring nightmares. Then they’d crossed paths with the men of their dreams, but none of their amours had been easily pursued.
Libby had ended up in jail. Caro had run away from her male kin, then she’d been robbed and left penniless on the streets of London. Joanna had had her cottage burned down around her.
Caro and Caleb had wed the prior afternoon, after the rehearsal had concluded. It had been a private ceremony with just Libby, Joanna, Luke, and Jacob as witnesses. In a thrilling turn of events, Jacob had served as Caleb’s best man.
The two brothers had bonded during Caleb’s trip to Ralston Place, and Joanna was certain, in the future, they would be the siblings that family circumstance had prevented them from being in the past.
As to her own wedding, she’d let Jacob pick the time and venue, and he’d chosen to have the banns called at their local church in Ralston village. It meant they’d marry a month hence, with the neighbors and servants joining in the merriment. His chief concern had been the fact that Margaret and Sandy were still in Scotland on their honeymoon, and he didn’t want to proceed without them being able to participate.
Joanna was praying that Margaret wouldn’t be too shocked about what had occurred when she’d been away from home and not present to stop him. Hopefully, now that Margaret had made her own ill-conceived marriage, some of her snobbery would have waned. Joanna was an optimist, and she would embrace the positive expectation that Margaret would become a fond sister.
Mr. Periwinkle bustled up. He appeared jaunty in a new suit he’d purchased for the occasion. Libby had offered to have him sit toward the front of the church during the ceremony, but he’d been aghast at the idea, viewing himself as too lowly a person to be seated with the more important guests.
He was hovering in the background, scribbling copious notes, and jotting down quotes from the spectators. Libby had given him permission to pen whatever articles he liked about the wedding, as well as the days of celebration afterward—if he promised she would always be described as beautiful and extraordinary.
Since the poor man worshiped her, there was no chance he’d write his stories any other way.
“How are you, Miss Joanna?” he inquired. “Are you happy?”
“Must you ask that question, Mr. Periwinkle? Can’t you judge my delightful mood just by looking at me?”
“And how about you, sir?” he said to Jacob. “How does it feel to be marrying one of the Lost Girls?”
“It feels amazing. How would you suppose? I don’t know how I’ll be patient enough to wait an entire month for my own festivities.”
“If your famous father could be here today,” Mr. Periwinkle asked, “what do you imagine he’d say to you?”
Jacob smirked. “I imagine he’d chastise me for taking so long to propose to Joanna. Were you aware that when I met her, I didn’t realize how she was connected to me?”
“Miss Joanna!” Periwinkle exclaimed. “How could you keep the news from him?”
Joanna chuckled. “I didn’t want to tell him all my secrets at once. A woman needs to be a bit mysterious, don’t you think?”
Jacob linked their fingers, and he leaned over and kissed her—right on the mouth. Mr. Periwinkle wandered away, writing furiously in his notebook, no doubt recording that they were so much in love that they’d dare to brazenly kiss. But then, romance was definitely in the air.
The organ volume swelled, and Lady Penny said, “It’s eleve
n o’clock. Let’s get in line.”
As she shifted people around, Joanna pulled away to grab Caro. They went over to Libby who was at the rear of the group. Her father stepped away so they could have a private conversation.
“When we were on our island,” Joanna said, “you were my family. You were my sisters.”
“You were mine too,” Libby said.
“And mine,” Caro added.
“We were the Lost Girls of the Caribbean,” Libby said, “but look at us now! Who could have predicted we would arrive at this wonderful spot together?”
“I always knew we’d find each other again,” Joanna told her. “Fate wouldn’t have been so cruel to kept us separated forever.”
They peered toward the heavens and Libby murmured, “Thank you, Captain Ralston.”
They were convinced Jacob and Caleb’s father had been protecting and guiding them through the arduous summer they’d endured. He’d led them to this perfect moment, where they were united—sisters again—and about to watch Libby march down the aisle.
“You’re the most gorgeous bride who ever lived,” Caro said to Libby.
“Of course she is,” Joanna agreed. “Would we have expected anything else?”
“No,” Caro said.
“My sisters, my best friends,” Libby said, “you’re here to celebrate with me. What better wish could have been granted?”
Libby opened her arms, and Joanna and Caro fell into them. They began to cry; they couldn’t help it, and Lady Penny rushed over and yanked them apart.
“Libby,” she scolded, “I refuse to have you grow so emotional that you’re bawling like a baby. Stop it or your face will be mottled, and the guests will notice.”
They were dabbing at their tears, laughing, weeping. Caleb came and eased Caro away. Jacob came and took Joanna. They moved into the line Lady Penny had arranged. Down by the altar, the vicar appeared, prayer book in hand. Luke followed him out, accompanied by his new brother-in-law, Simon Falcon.
In their wedding finery, the two men were handsome and dashing, and Luke was clearly impatient to get on with the ceremony. He stared to the back of the church, visually willing Libby to hurry so he could become her husband.
