His eyelids dragged open. “Anything you want, my love.”
Lily found her feet and shifted to the bed, balancing her backside along the edge by his upper arm so she could lean over him. She set one hand just above the covers onto his skin, fingers curling along the middle indentation of his chest. “I only want one thing, Garek. But it is selfish.”
He smiled. “I like that your list is so short, as I will not be moving well for a while. What is it?”
“To marry you. Now. The clergyman is downstairs, waiting.”
“No.”
Lily’s head snapped back, stung. “What?”
He grabbed her forearm before she could move away. “No. Do not even let your mind skirt into darkness, Lily. It is a ‘no’ because I want to stand at our wedding, hold you. Not marry you as an invalid in a bed.”
Lily groaned. “No. No pride, Garek. Do you want me as your wife?”
“Yes.” His hand came up, fingers trailing along her face from her temple to her chin. “Since the night I met you, Lils. Since before I even knew you existed and fate lost me in those woods to find you.”
She smiled, her palm capturing the back of his hand and clasping his hold to her cheek. “Then we are to marry now. I refuse to spend another minute without you as my husband. I understand these are short weddings, so you only need to stay awake and say ‘I do.’”
Garek’s eyes went upward, a beaten man. When they drifted back down to Lily, the green flecks within the hazel glowed, a small smile edging his mouth. “I may be proud, Lils, but I also would be crazy not to give you the world. And I am not a crazy man.”
Her smile widened so far she could hardly speak. “I will go fetch the clergyman and Bree and Sebastian. They have been keeping him captive for us.” She set his hand down onto his chest, getting up from the bed.
“Wait.”
Already halfway to the door, Lily spun back to Garek.
“Send the earl in first—he can at least help me with the courtesy of a proper shirt.”
Fifteen minutes later, Lily opened the door to the bedroom with Brianna and the clergyman trailing her.
Her slippered feet slowed to a stop.
Garek stood at the foot of the bed, proper trousers, crisp white linen shirt and a dark jacket draped over his shoulders.
Sebastian stood next to him, watching him carefully with his hands hovering at the ready to grab Garek should he start to fail.
“You should not be standing, Garek.”
His left cheek rose in a smile. “And you will not be marrying me while I am bound to a bed. You said this was short?”
Lily scampered into the room, waving her hand over her shoulder to the clergyman and Brianna. “Let us hurry this then. I do not want my husband to over exert himself.”
Lily sidled next to Garek’s open side as his half smile broke wide at her words. He grabbed her hand as he leaned down, his mouth brushing her ear. “I like the ribbon in your hair, Lils.”
Her eyes went up to him, smirking. “I went through your pockets.”
“It is perfect, Lils.”
His hand tightened around hers, solid, strong but gentle, just as he truly was. Had always been. A grip that promised he was never going to let her go.
She nodded as her smile softened, a complete sense of belonging, of raw happiness flooding her chest.
“As is this, my love.”
{ Epilogue }
One hand on the linen wrap around his wrist, Lily looked up, wiping the last fat droplet of a tear from the cherub cheek. “Tell me you will take more care in the future, Robby. And on the horse, truly? Was that necessary?”
The little boy wiggled on the wooden chair, shrugging. “Sylvia said it would be a good idea. She said we could learn about fire. How high we had to drop the flame from for it to go out. The horse was the tallest thing near us.”
Lily’s head tilted, her blue eyes in full scold. Garek ducked his face, hiding a smile from her as he slid his surgical wallet into his black bag. Experiments.
“And does Sylvia usually have ideas that do not result in injury?” Lily asked.
The boy shook his head.
“So the next time Sylvia has a fine idea you would like to experiment with, you will wait to ask Lady Southfork? Or if you are afraid to ask an adult you can always ask Thomas.” Lily tied off the linen and stood, rumpling the blond curls on his head. “Dr. Harrison and I will be gone from London for a month, and we will not be available to keep the lot of you mended and upright. So you will need to be extra careful. Promise me.”
“Yes, m’lady.”
“And you will keep Sylvia out of trouble?”
“I will try.”
“Good. A hug?” The boy wrapped his arms around Lily’s skirts and she squeezed his shoulders. “Off you go. We must be on our way.”
“Thank you m’lord.” The little boy threw the words to Garek as he scampered from the study in the Southfork’s London orphanage.
Stepping behind his wife, Garek slid his hand along Lily’s belly, his fingertips wide along the bump that had just started to harden within the last few days. “I expected him to ask you to sing to him again. I do believe that boy injures himself just so you will tend to him.”
Lily chuckled. “Possibly so. That one is a scamp. At least your hospital is open now, so I can worry less about all of them while we are away.” Her fingers tightened over his knuckles. “Did this delay us too long? I still need a few minutes to speak with Reanna as she had a letter for me to bring to Wynne.”
“No. Even if we lose a few days in travel, we should still be to Notlund in plenty of time for the birth.” Garek bent, setting his lips onto the irresistible spot on Lily’s neck just below her earlobe. “I did not get a chance to tell you before we were requested here, that word came this morning from the duke. Wynne is still doing well, walking about, not bedridden yet from the weight of the babe on her belly. And Brianna and Luhaunt arrived at Notlund yesterday from the stud farm they were visiting on the continent.”
Lily spun in his hold, wrapping her hands around his neck. “Good. I had hoped they would be back in time for the birth as well.” Her blue eyes went serious. “You will miss the children while we are away?”
“Yes.” Garek nodded. “This, working with the children, it is so different. Not to be surrounded by death constantly. I know Lord and Lady Southfork have said time and again how lucky they are to have us nearby for the children, but I am the lucky one.”
Lily smiled up at him. “I think you are speaking of me, my husband.”
“You are happy, my love?”
“Yes. Happy. At peace. With you. With our life.” Her hand dropped between them, rubbing her belly as her voice cracked. “With this one. Happiness that hurts my heart it is so profound. And you?”
Garek smiled, his throat collapsing as his hands cupped his wife’s face. He had no words that could cut through the pride, the joy that swelled his chest.
He nodded.
True since the moment he had met her, her happiness was his happiness.
And her voice still possessed the power. The power to take him to heaven and back.
~ Author’s Note ~
Thank you so much for taking this latest trip back in time with me!
Two special notes about the Marquess of Fortune. 1. If you haven’t already read Brianna’s story, and want to know exactly how she travelled from bitter patient screwing up her sister’s life, to bettering herself and happily in love, check out Earl of Destiny. 2. The Last Rose of Summer is the song Lily sang in Chapter 6, and you can see it in its entirety here.
Word of mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you liked reading Marquess of Fortune, please consider leaving a brief review—even if it is only a line or two, it is an enormous help. I truly appreciate the reader’s words and thank you so much!
Be sure to sign up for news of my next releases at www.KJJackson.com (email addresses are precious, so out of respect, you’ll only hear fro
m me when I actually have real news).
As always, I love to connect with my readers, you can reach me at:
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More of my Books
Historical Romance
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my other historical romances—each is a stand-alone story and they can be read in any order (here they are in order of publication):
Stone Devil Duke, Hold Your Breath, currently free!
Unmasking the Marquess, Hold Your Breath
My Captain, My Earl, Hold Your Breath
Worth of a Duke, Lords of Fate
Earl of Destiny, Lords of Fate
Paranormal Romance
Flame Moon #1, currently free!
Triple Infinity, Flame Moon #2
Flux Flame, Flame Moon #3
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Flame Moon
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Triple Infinity
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Lastly…
Thank you for allowing my stories into your life and time—it is an honor!
~ K.J. Jackson
Marquess of Fortune: A Lords of Fate Novel Page 25
