A True Gentleman (Regency Love Book 2)
Page 29
Two more weeks and Graham would return. And yet there were several more before her mourning period was complete, freeing them to pursue a public courtship. Though it was no time compared to the previous months, it still felt too long.
Sitting at the table, Tabby stared at herself in the mirror and frowned at what she found there. Wrinkles that did not belong on so young a face, and a wariness in her eye that she did not like. Some of it could be blamed on her mourning clothes for the dark colors had quite a sickening effect on Tabby’s complexion, but it was more than that. It was the physical manifestations of a life spent waiting.
Waiting for a child. Waiting for her husband to change. Waiting for the sadness to ebb. What was she waiting for now? Her heart had told her long ago where it lay, yet she had not moved forward in her life. Graham had made his intentions clear, yet they were waiting for something as inconsequential as a mourning period. They were waiting on the opinions of others.
Tabby glared at her mourning dress. Though she did not revel in Joshua’s demise, she did not mourn it either. He was at peace, and she had come to her own; clinging to a tradition seemed a silly thing when she was ready to move forward with her life.
Stepping over to her wardrobe, she retrieved the first dress she found that did not require assistance and released herself from the dark, drab dress she had been wearing. Looking at herself once again, it was as though she were a new person. It was more than the light blue color that highlighted the rich brown hues in her eyes. It was a lightness in her soul, and a determination to not wait another day for her life to be all that she wished.
***
Eyes fixed on the passing scenery, Graham watched the landscape as it grew familiar. Knowing that Avebury Park was so close made the time pass even slower while he sat like an anxious child awaiting the arrival of a gift.
He was free.
Though the term would not be finished for another fortnight, Graham’s commitment to the academy was fulfilled. It had taken precisely twenty-five minutes for him to pack after it was announced that his presence was no longer necessary. It had taken a further thirty before he had procured a carriage. Of course, all that hurrying had been for naught as it had taken two days to make the journey despite Graham’s best efforts to get the coachman to drive through the night. And now that he was minutes from seeing her, it was impossible to sit still.
Graham imagined their reunion. Seeing Tabby and sweeping her into his arms and a passionate embrace. Of course, it was naught but a fancy for he would do no such thing. Reining in his wild imaginings, Graham reminded himself of the truth of his situation. Tabby needed time. They were free to properly court now and could fully explore their future together.
Grasping that thought, Graham reminded himself again that he needed to be careful. Cautious. Tabby had been through a terrible ordeal, and it would not do to run roughshod over her and hurry her to the altar. As much as he wished otherwise, he would give her all the time she needed.
But all other thoughts fled his mind as he saw Avebury Park drawing closer; he loved the place and was grateful for a happy harbor in which to plot out his future—with Tabby and Phillip. His face broke into a grin at that, but he steeled himself as the carriage rolled to a halt at the front door. He was liable to frighten poor Tabby if he was too forward. They had time, and Graham could be patient.
Stepping out of the carriage, he took the front steps two at a time and greeted Jennings, who had pulled the door open in anticipation. But when as he was about to ask after his sister and her guests, Graham stopped at the sight of the breathtaking beauty standing at the top of the stairs.
He had hardly enough time to acknowledge her presence before she rushed down the stairs and threw herself into his arms. Graham stumbled back a step, but he kept them upright as she clutched him.
“You are home,” she said with a contented sigh, and Graham caught the scent of lilacs in her hair.
“As you see,” he whispered, his voice growing rough. “Am I…” Graham cleared his throat. “Shall I take this as a sign that I have been missed?”
“Terribly,” she whispered.
Tabby leaned away to look him in the eyes, and Graham lost his voice at the sight of her. There was never a man more smitten with a woman than he, and he was eternally grateful to see the sentiment reflected in her gaze. Gone was the trepidation and worry. In her eyes, Graham saw the Tabby he had longed to see.
“Are you…” He faltered, clearing his throat. Graham cast a nervous glance around and found that the servants had abandoned their posts, leaving the pair without an audience. “Does this mean you have had enough time?”
A grin tugged at her lips, stretching into a full smile. “I am tired of waiting,” she whispered. “Tired of holding onto the past. I love you, Graham Ashbrook, and I cannot stand the thought of waiting any longer to be your wife.”
And that was all Graham needed to hear. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers, feeling the weight of past worries and fears fall free from them. This was his love. His future wife. The woman he would spend his life with. The mother of his children. His heart and soul.
*
Tabby was making a spectacle of herself, but she could not find the will to care. Her path to this moment had been a rough and rocky one, but it was impossible to feel anything but gratitude at the pure felicity she felt in Graham’s embrace. All the highs and lows of the past few years culminated in this moment, and Tabby poured every ounce of love and gratitude she had for this wonderful man into their kiss.
Yet no matter how much she wished to make him feel how profoundly humbled she was to claim him as her own, Tabby knew it to be impossible.
Here was everything of which her young heart had dreamt. A gentleman her father would have been proud to call his son-in-law. Her closest friend and confidant. The loving father her dear boy deserved. He was so much more than a mere partner in her life, and Tabby had no idea how she would ever convey how much he meant to her.
Luckily, she had the rest of her life to try.
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About the Author
Born and raised in Anchorage, M.A. Nichols is a lifelong Alaskan with a love of the outdoors. As a child she despised reading but through the love and persistence of her mother was taught the error of her ways and has had a deep, abiding relationship with it ever since.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in landscape management from Brigham Young University and a master's in landscape architecture from Utah State University, neither of which has anything to do with why she became a writer but is a fun little tidbit nonetheless. And no, she doesn't have any idea what type of plant you should put in that shady spot out by your deck. She's not that kind of landscape architect. Stop asking.
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