Mariposa laughed, a sound far lighter than he’d heard from her in the first difficult months of their acquaintance. “You did. I, for one, was quite shocked.”
He loved this lighter side of Mariposa, to see her happy enough to smile so freely.
“I suppose Black will have to help me with my Spanish, after all,” he said.
“We will all help you, dearest,” Mariposa said.
“I cannot tell you how grateful I am to see you so happy,” he said.
She looked up into his eyes. “I have my family and yours. And I have you, the finest gentleman in all the world. How could I be anything but happy?”
He wrapped his arms more fully around her. Nothing short of providence could have brought about such a blessed ending to their many misadventures. Theirs would never be a sedate nor boring existence, but they would, indeed, be excessively happy.
Chapter Thirty
The journey from London to Norfolk was not a quick one, but the trip passed quickly for Jason, knowing that Mariposa would be waiting for him at the end of it. He had been away from her for more than a week, despite having been married only three. There had been no avoiding it.
Her mother needed the stability of a permanent home. Seeing them settled at Thornton Manor was a priority. Thus they had obtained a special license allowing their wedding to occur sooner rather than later. They’d had a few precious days for an abbreviated wedding trip, then had returned to Nottinghamshire for Corbin’s wedding. Jason had accompanied Mariposa and her family to Thornton Manor before hying himself to London. In time, he would learn how to best divide his time between Town and the country, but for the moment, they were still sorting it all out.
He moved swiftly through the front entryway, pausing only long enough to give his hat and gloves to the butler. Black had remained in London. He and the footman, Will, had continued Mariposa’s efforts to assist their fellow former soldiers. Jason called upon his own connections throughout Society to find the needed employment opportunities. The work meant a great deal to Mariposa. Absolute joy filled her expression every time she offered hope and a future to these men whom far too many chose to forget. He loved her all the more for her kind and generous heart.
The Thornton estate, while not as expansive as Lampton Park, was vast enough to cause Jason a little difficulty in locating his love. He found her after a time sitting on a wickerwork chair on the back terrace. She wore her hair in a loose chignon and sat with a relaxed and peaceful posture. The rigidity that had filled her when first they’d met, a tension that even her pretense of vacuousness had not kept entirely hidden, had dissipated over the past weeks.
She still had moments, a great many of them, truth be told, when the fear and anxiety and strain of her past settled heavily on her once more. But there were also times when the loneliness and upheaval he’d kept tucked away since his father’s passing resurfaced as rigidity and surliness. They saw each other through their difficult times and came through their struggles stronger and better.
They were not perfect, but they were perfect for each other.
Mariposa called out in Spanish in the very moment her brother ran across the back lawn. He waved back to her, answering in the same language. Tucked in the midst of all the words Jason didn’t know, he recognized his name. In the next instant, Mariposa spun in her chair.
“Jasón!” She leapt up and ran directly to him, throwing herself into his embrace. “You were gone too long, my love.”
“I wholeheartedly agree.” He trailed light kisses along her cheek and jaw. “In time, you will be able to go to London with me, then we will not need to be apart.”
“I know my family has burdened you—”
“Mari,” he gently cut off the all-too-familiar expression of regret. “They are no burden.”
She brushed her fingers along his cheek. “I do love you. I hope that you know that.”
“I know that.” He turned his head enough to kiss her fingers. “Though I have no objection to you reminding me.”
Another shout, this time in a mixture of English and Spanish, echoed up from the grass. Jason felt Mariposa laugh from within the circle of his arms.
“Jean, bless him, is doing all he can to improve Santiago’s English, but the poor boy cannot seem to manage sentences entirely in the less-familiar language.”
Jason turned a little to face the lawn but kept his beloved firmly in his embrace. “I cannot manage more than two words in my less-familiar language, so I certainly cannot fault the boy.”
“And when you do attempt Spanish, you end by confessing your undying love for my abuela.”
He shook his head. “You will never allow me to forget that moment, will you?”
His eyes lighted on a grouping of chairs beneath the expansive branches of one of the estate’s many grand trees. Mrs. Thornton sat there watching her son run to and fro. Jean sat nearby, doing the same.
“How fares your mother? She seemed less burdened when last I saw her.”
“A little, yes. Jean has been an invaluable friend to her, able to speak of Spain as she remembers it and in Spanish, as she is most comfortable.” Mariposa leaned back against him, resting her arms atop his where they wrapped around her middle. “His kindness has brought life back to her eyes.”
“I have said it before, and I will do so again: Jean’s presence on that mail coach was nothing short of a miracle.”
“Oh! You will be so happy to hear this.” Mariposa spun around, enthusiasm filling her expression and tone. “Benny arrived a few days ago.”
While he missed having Mariposa in his arms, Jason took tremendous delight in seeing her eyes dance with happiness.
“Is the gardener upset with me for sending Benny here?” Jason asked.
Mariposa shook her head. “The sweet boy works hard, and he is surprisingly fond of plants and flowers.”
That was precisely the reason Jason had thought Benny would do well as an under-gardener.
“Jean, however, insists that Benny learn to read and write.” Mariposa looked back out to where her brother was climbing a tree. “The two boys have become fast friends. Benny has helped Santiago with his English.”
A London street vendor was offering English lessons? “What precisely has he taught him?”
Mariposa’s brows pulled down. “I do not recognize most of the words.”
Jason held back a laugh. “That is likely for the best.” He spent enough time interacting with the urchins of London, searching for those he could help, to know their language was not always genteel.
Mariposa looked out at her brother once more. “He will make a very. . . unique English gentleman one day. A vast estate, an enviable income, an accent that is somehow both French and Spanish, a sprinkling of impolite words and phrases.”
The laugh he had forced down could not be prevented any longer. “Society may never recover.”
Mariposa smiled up at him. “I am not worried for him. He has you, and you will teach him how to be a fine gentleman.”
Jason took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. He pressed a light, gentle kiss to the back of her hand. “Have I told you that I love you, my Mariposa?”
“You have.”
He stepped closer to her and slipped his free arm around her once more. “I do have a disconcerting tendency to repeat myself.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Je t’aime.” He kissed her forehead, lingering over the gesture. “Te amo.” He kissed her lips. “I love you.”
About the Author
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming award-winning historical romances. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusin
g the reference shelves of her local library. She lives with her husband, kids, and mischievous dog in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain she has never attempted to ski.
Other Books by Sarah M. Eden
The Lancaster Family
Seeking Persephone
Courting Miss Lancaster
The Jonquil Family
The Kiss of a Stranger
Friends and Foes
Drops of Gold
As You Are
Stand-Alone Novels
Glimmer of Hope
An Unlikely Match
For Elise
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