She nodded, feeling tears spring into her eyes. “You were close to your father? It must be hard, not having him to guide you in life any longer.”
He nodded. “I greatly admired and esteemed him. I did look up to him. He was a good viscount, honourable and just, and the world is a darker place for his loss.” He hesitated. “But I do believe that I have finally accepted that he is gone, and what I now must do, and be. You have shown me the way, Lavinia. You have shown me that I need to mature and accept who I truly am.”
She felt surprise at his words. “I have aided you?”
“Of course,” he said, his eyes aglow. “It was a silly prank, pretending to be a commoner. You showed me that. And with it, you gave me the strength to be who I am.” He paused. “I hope that your thoughts have turned kindly to me, once again. I pray that they have, and that I will be given the opportunity to show you that I will never lie to you again.”
She felt a painful lump in her throat. He was gazing at her so ardently, and he still gently held her hand. She took a deep breath, trying to swallow the lump, so that she could speak again.
“What of Lord Livingston?” he asked quietly. “Walter told me, that he arrived at your house, just as he was leaving. I was afraid that he might be proposing …”
She took a deep breath.
“It is true,” she said eventually. “He did put an offer in for my hand. But I could not accept it, although he is a good man, and it pained me to disappoint him …”
She saw his eyes burn with a sudden, new light. The light of hope.
She took another deep breath. “My thoughts have changed so very much, towards you. I no longer believe that you are a man of poor character, as I did.” She hesitated. “I know that you are who you truly say you are …”
“And your feelings?” he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers for a minute. “You once told me that you loved Samuel Hunter. He is still here, Lavinia. He has never left. Do you feel the same way about him that you once did?”
She gasped, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I still love him. Yes, I still love you, and I would love you whatever name that you went under. Commoner or nobleman, it is you that I love and shall always love …”
He muttered underneath his breath, lifting her hand to his lips, and kissing it fervently. The next minute, he was down on one knee, gazing up at her.
“Lavinia,” he said, his voice like a caress. “Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
She nodded, the tears finally spilling over. “Yes. Oh, yes, I will become your wife, Samuel.”
He pressed his lips against her hand again, overcome for a moment. Then he gazed up at her, his face solemn, even though his eyes were alight with joy.
“I am overwhelmed,” he said in a shaking voice. “I never believed that this would happen. I was resigned to spending my life without you, unhappy and lonely. I believed that it was my just punishment for what I had done. But you have just made me the happiest man in the world.”
She could not stop the tears. “And I am the happiest woman.”
“My love,” he whispered, standing up slowly. “I promise that I will never lie to you again. I promise that I will endeavour to make you happy for the rest of our days together.”
She nodded through her tears. “And I promise to always give you the benefit of the doubt, and to keep working on my own prejudices.”
They gazed at each other for a moment, lost in each other’s eyes. And then, very slowly, he leaned over, kissing her lightly on her lips.
It took her breath away. The feel of his lips on her own. The promise of what was between them. The promise that would soon be fulfilled.
She did not care that they were standing on a path, in public, as people milled around them. She did not care about anything but the feel of his lips on her own. She was finally home, at long last. She had finally found her home, with him.
He broke away, staring at her ardently.
“Lavinia,” he whispered. “She who must be loved.”
***
Eventually, they strolled into the inn, arm in arm. Sophie was sitting at a table with Walter. They were talking intently, but as soon as they saw them, they stopped, gazing at them expectantly. Lavinia could see that neither quite knew what to say.
But the next minute, Sophie was standing, running towards her. Her eyes were aglow.
“Oh, my dearest sister,” she cried. “Can I be the first to offer congratulations?”
Lavinia laughed joyfully. “How did you know? Is my face so transparent?”
Walter was standing, now, hovering at the edges, a look of expectant hope on his face. Samuel laughed, too.
“I have asked Lavinia to be my wife,” he said, his voice bursting with pride. “And I am over the moon to say that she has accepted me!”
“Oh, well done,” said Walter, holding out his hand to Samuel. “My sincere congratulations, to you both! I knew that you were meant to be together!”
Samuel grinned, shaking his friend’s hand. Sophie embraced Lavinia, drawing her to the side.
“I am so happy for you, little swan,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Seeing you like this … well, it almost surpasses my own joy, or at the least matches it …”
Lavinia gripped her sister’s hand. “If it was not for you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to come here,” she said slowly. “You were the one that accompanied me, spurring me on, even when you were a little fearful yourself …”
Sophie laughed faintly. “It is true, I was doubtful, when the butler told us where the viscount was residing for the season,” she said. “I was a little fearful of venturing into this area.” She paused, gazing around. “But now that I am here, it is not so bad! Sometimes, it is good to do things you normally would not. To push yourself, just a little.”
Lavinia laughed. “You have changed so much, Sophie! I never envisioned you sitting in this tavern. To think, you were the one who insisted that we must marry for status and wealth, and look at you now!”
Sophie blushed. “Yes, well, that is all behind me now, is it not? I have had a most delightful conversation with my fiancé.” Her eyes glowed again. “Apparently, your new fiancé has offered mine a house with land, near his own, in Nottinghamshire. We shall be neighbours, Liv! We can see each other all the time if we so desire!”
Lavinia glanced at Samuel, who had sat down with Walter, chatting animatedly. Feeling her gaze, he looked at her, smiling joyously. A secret smile, meant just for the two of them.
He had offered to purchase a house and land for his friend and his new wife. A house which meant that she could see her sister regularly. And he had done it all out of the goodness of his heart.
He is such a generous man, she thought, almost overwhelmed. This is the real Viscount Pemberton. This is the man who I fell in love with. He has always been here.
She took a deep breath. She was the luckiest woman in the world. But it almost floored her to think how close she had been to throwing her chance away.
***
They all strolled out to the waiting carriage to take their leave. Sophie and Walter walked a little ahead, arm in arm. Lavinia saw them chatting excitedly, no doubt about their new house, and what they would do with it, once they were man and wife.
Samuel pulled her away, just before they got to the carriage, staring down at her intently.
“My love,” he said, his voice caressing her. “With your approval, I will call my own carriage and follow you directly to your home, to formally ask for your hand.” He hesitated. “Your father will receive me well?”
Lavinia laughed. “He will be surprised, just as he was when Walter arrived, but I will inform him straight away, so at least he will have a little prior knowledge.”
He took a deep breath. “I am nervous. I cannot deny it. What if he refuses me?”
Lavinia laughed again. “He will not refuse you! Do not even think on it!”
Sophie was climbing into the carriage. “Come along, Liv! Mama will be vexed that we have been so long as it is, and you do not want to delay what is going to happen today, do you?”
Lavinia laughed. “I am coming, dearest.” She turned back to Samuel, almost shyly. “Well, it is farewell, for now ….”
“Only for a short time,” he said, his eyes glowing. “Soon, we shall be together forever. I cannot wait, my love.”
“Nor can I,” she whispered, her eyes raking over his face.
He helped her into the carriage. The next minute, the coachman cracked the whip, and they were away.
She leaned out the window, watching him. He was standing there, waving a hand, with Walter at his side.
And then suddenly, he was running alongside the carriage as if he could not bear for it to go. She laughed, so full of joy that she could barely contain it.
People stopped and stared at the tall red-haired man, running with abandon. The wind whipped his hat off his head, and the next minute, his hair was streaming back, a mass of golden red curls, his green eyes alight with exertion.
Suddenly, she was reminded of the first time that she had ever laid eyes on him, at the Duke of Hamilton’s ball. Laughing with abandon, amongst all those pretentious people, who were so self-conscious and proper they did not know how to relax and have a good time.
She had thought that he was like that because he was a commoner. But it was just him. People were people, at the end of the day. There were good and bad amongst all the social classes.
She laughed, putting her hand out the window, as if to touch him.
The carriage rounded the corner, and suddenly, he was gone.
She sat back in the seat. She would only have to wait a little while this time to see him again. She could barely wait.
Epilogue
Lavinia gazed over at her sister, in the centre of the long table, seated next to her new husband.
With eyes aglow, she watched as Walter St Clair picked up Sophie’s hand, raising it to his lips. Their eyes met, and he leaned over, whispering something into her ear. Her sister smiled, blushing, before someone came over, interrupting them. The newly married husband and wife leapt apart, their eyes almost dazed, as if they had forgotten where they were entirely.
“Penny for your thoughts,” said a deep voice, at her elbow.
Lavinia jumped a little, turning to Samuel. “You know what I was thinking, dearest,” she said, a slight smile playing around her lips. “I was looking at them and thinking how happy I am, that they found each other, against the odds.”
Samuel nodded, picking up her left hand, staring down at the gold ring shining on the wedding finger. “I still cannot believe that we found each other, either, my love. Against the odds, and all that followed.” He paused. “You have made me the happiest man in the world, since you became my wife.”
Lavinia’s smile widened. “I still cannot quite believe that I am your wife,” she replied, following his gaze to the new wedding ring. “I have to pinch myself, every day, that this has really happened. That we are allowed to spend every waking moment with each other if we so desire.”
“And every other moment, as well,” he said, his green eyes warm, and his voice husky.
Lavinia blushed deeply. They had only been married a very short while, not even a month.
Her thoughts turned to the day that he had come to the house, to propose. He had been so quick that she had barely had time to warn her father. But Lord Beaumont had been pleased as punch and had even been waiting with her at the window for the viscount to arrive.
“Two marriage proposals in a week,” he had teased her. “Who would have thought my baby girl would be so popular in her first season?” He had paused significantly. “I am so happy that this proposal is the one that you desire, my dear.”
Afterwards, Samuel had torn out of her father’s study, seeking her out. She had met him at the top of the stairs.
“He said yes,” he had whispered, picking her up, and twirling her around. “You are to become my wife!”
Two short months later, they had wed, in the same church that Sophie and Walter had just taken their vows. It was still so vivid in her mind. Stepping out of the carriage and walking up the aisle towards him.
His gasp of joy when he had turned around to witness her. Their wedding breakfast, full of conversation and laughter. Constantly touching each other, as they sat side by side, as if to affirm that it wasn’t a dream – that it was reality.
It had been a joyous period of discovery, settling into her new home, in Nottinghamshire, and getting to know Samuel’s mother and all the servants at Hillgate Manor.
But the most exciting discovery was each other. Every day, she knew more about him. Every day, their connection deepened, as if it was sediment, settling into the earth.
He had taken her riding, amongst the vast lands around the manor, where they had picnicked alone in the woods. They had gone on carriage rides to neighbouring villages, taking afternoon tea in quaint tearooms. And every evening, they sat across from each other, dining on fine food and sipping fine wine, talking about anything and everything underneath the sun.
It seemed that they would never run out of things to say to each other. And at night, when they were truly alone, they spoke another language entirely, one that was a revelation to her, and equally full of promise.
She was the Viscountess Pemberton, now. A title she had never sought and would have laughed at only a few short months ago. She had never envisioned that her life would pan out this way. But she had learnt, very quickly, to be open to everything that might happen, lest it be snatched away at the very last minute.
She quivered inside, for a moment, thinking how very close she had been to letting the possibility of life with this great man go. It almost didn’t bear thinking about.
And now, she was witnessing her sister, about to embark on her own matrimonial adventure.
Sophie and Walter had exchanged their vows in the tiny village church, near Hillgate Manor, where his father had once been pastor, only an hour ago. And now, they were enjoying their wedding breakfast before going to their newly purchased home, Carew House, only ten miles from Hillgate Manor.
She smiled as her mother sat down next to them, fanning herself vigorously. Mama was slightly overdressed for the extremely warm day that it had turned out to be. Lavinia observed tiny beads of sweat on her brow, and her cheeks were pink. She sighed dramatically, picking up a glass of water, gulping it.
“Well,” she said, when she was done, putting the glass down. “It has turned out rather well, has it not?”
“It has, Lady Beaumont,” agreed Samuel, smiling warmly at his new mother-in-law. “I think that everything has gone exceedingly well. The service proceeded without a hitch, and the breakfast is superlative, thanks to Mrs Emmett.”
Lady Beaumont nodded. “Yes. I was talking to your dear mother, Samuel, about the cook at Hillgate Manor. Apparently, she has been with you for years, and is the talk of the district for her talent in the culinary arts. I wish that I could pinch her and take her back to Jonty Hall with us. Our cook needs to be put out to pasture, I think.”
Samuel laughed. “I do not think Mrs Emmett would take kindly to that, Lady Beaumont! She is a Nottinghamshire native, through and through, and has never travelled outside the district. It would be like going to another country, for her to visit the Cotswolds, and she could never settle anywhere else.”
Falling for the Mysterious Viscount: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 28
