As Belle snatched it up out of his reach, Daltrey cradled his wrist in his other hand. “You broke it,” he cried in an agonized tone.
Kit stared at him in contempt “I’ll do more than that.” And with a powerful roundhouse punch, he hit the bastard full in the face.
Daltrey went down for the count and lay there, insensible, on the rug.
Shooting his cuffs, Kit said, “I apologize, Belle. My emotions got away from me.”
“Oh, no, that was wonderful,” Belle exclaimed with wide eyes. “You were wonderful.”
“Not I,” Kit said. “You father is the true savior here.” Kit stood and leaned over to shake the man’s hand. “Sir, I can’t thank you enough.”
For the first time, the masterful Irishman appeared a little uncomfortable. Kit suspected he was more at ease dealing with villains like Daltrey than receiving praise and gratitude.
“’Twas nothing,” Sullivan said with a dismissive wave. “I did it for the town.” But he glanced down at Daltrey’s inert body with a look of complete satisfaction.
“But how did you know?” Kit hadn’t even suspected any of this.
Sullivan shrugged. “When ye wouldn’t explain why ye left England, I had a feelin’ something wasn’t quite right. Then when I learned the two of ye were from the same area, warning bells sounded, so I did a little investigatin’.”
“And I’m very glad you did,” Kit assured him fervently. No more blackmail, no more need to pinch pennies, to constantly check over his shoulder to see if Daltrey was watching. It was like a miracle.
“So, did ye ever find an investment to yer liking?”
“Yes, I did. I had some funds set aside that Daltrey didn’t know about and decided to invest in General Palmer’s railroad.”
“Ah, a good choice. I should have thought of that meself.”
Kit grinned. “Well, no one can think of everything—not even you. Though I am very grateful for what you have done. Please, if there is ever anything I can do for you, you have only to ask.”
“Well, there is one thing . . .” Sullivan said. Taken aback that Sullivan had jumped on his offer so quickly. Kit could do nothing but say, “Name it, sir, and it is yours.”
Sullivan smiled at him. “All I want is for ye to tell me daughter how ye really feel about her.” Then, clapping Kit on the shoulder, Sullivan called a footman to help him drag Daltrey’s limp form out of the room.
When they had left, Kit glanced at Belle, who looked suddenly self-conscious.
“That’s not necessary,” she murmured. “I know how you feel about me.” Then she smiled brightly, saying, “I’m so happy for you. Now you can finally go home.”
He was happy, too. Happy that she trusted him, believed in him. Not even his own family would do so. Only Belle—and her father—had believed in him. It was a powerful force, that belief in a person. “No, I won’t go home,” he said softly. His home was here, with these marvelous people.
“Why not?” she asked, and hope lit in her eyes. All his doubts fell away when he saw the expression in her eyes. He knew then that staying here was the right thing to do, the only thing to do. She might have kept one small secret from him, but she had shown she trusted him in the ways that really mattered.
“There are too many things here that are important to me now,” he said. “My investment, my friends, my heart, and most important . . . you.”
Belle inhaled sharply, and for a moment he thought she would forget to breathe. “M-me?” she repeated breathlessly. “Why would you stay for me?”
“Because I love you,” he said simply. As happiness lit her face, he added, “For the last time, will you marry me?”
Belle threw herself into his arms. “Yes, yes!”
They kissed, and Kit allowed himself to feel joy at last.
Belle pulled away and gave him a little shake. “That’s all I was waiting for,” she said with a little frown. “To know you loved me. What took you so long?”
Smiling down at her, he raised her hand and kissed it. He would no longer hold anything back. “Because my family never believed in my innocence and never trusted in me to do what was right, trust became all important to me. And when you wouldn’t tell me what man you were trying to attract, I was afraid I would never earn your trust. I—I couldn’t live with that.”
“But—”
He hushed her with another kiss. “It’s not important now. After you championed me in front of your father and Daltrey, I can see you do trust me.”
She slapped him in the arm. “Of course I do, silly. I always have.”
“Well, not quite always,” Kit said. Though he wasn’t going to quibble about it now.
“But the reason I didn’t tell you who I was trying to attract is because it was you all along. Why else would I insist on spending so much time with you . . . and your lessons?”
Kit suddenly felt like a dolt. For weeks, he hadn’t dared to hope, though he had prided himself on being quite an expert on reading Belle. But it was quite evident she was telling the truth. She did trust him—she had all along.
He shook his head at his own obtuseness. No matter—he would have a whole lifetime now to perfect his reading of Belle.
Belle sighed happily. “I can’t believe it—my wish did come true.”
“What wish?”
“When we went to the Garden of the Gods, Mama wanted us to wish for husbands in front of the Three Graces monument where Papa proposed to her. But after you called me homely, I wished for beauty instead.”
“And you are beautiful,” he said.
She shook her head with a smile. “That’s not the wish I’m talking about. Though I made that wish out loud, I held a secret wish in my heart . . . I wished for you.”
He kissed her again. “I was a fool,” he said. “You could never be homely. In fact, you are the most beautiful person I know . . . both inside and out.”
And he would be happy to prove it to her for the rest of their lives together.
Epilogue
“Well,” Euphrosyne said with a smile. “You must be ecstatic now, Aglaia.”
Aglaia beamed and couldn’t help but preen a little. “Yes—they finally got together. It was difficult since I had to be so careful, but I finally did it.”
“And did an excellent job as well,” Thalia assured her graciously. “You should be proud of yourself.”
“I am very pleased,” Aglaia said. “Especially since I managed to grant all three of her wishes.” She smiled at Thalia. “My job is done. Now it’s your turn.”
Thalia’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, and I can’t wait to get started on Charisma. . . .”
Epilogue
“Well,” Euphrosyne said with a smile. “You must be ecstatic now, Aglaia.”
Aglaia beamed and couldn’t help but preen a little. “Yes—they finally got together. It was difficult since I had to be so careful, but I finally did it.”
“And did an excellent job as well,” Thalia assured her graciously. “You should be proud of yourself.”
“I am very pleased,” Aglaia said. “Especially since I managed to grant all three of her wishes.” She smiled at Thalia. “My job is done. Now it’s your turn.”
Thalia’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, and I can’t wait to get started on Charisma. . . ‘”
Dear Reader,
This series came about when several of us got together to brainstorm a series based on a monument in the Garden of the Gods. The rock formation known as the Three Graces (yes, it really exists) seemed perfect for our purposes, so we wrote the stories based on it, speculating that the “real” Three Graces might just be listening when three special heroines make wishes at their feet.
If you enjoyed this book and Belle’s search for true beauty, I hope you’ll return to Little London to learn what happens to the other Sullivan sisters when the Three Graces grant Charisma’s wish in A Touch of Charm by Karen Fox and help Grace find happiness in Falling For Grace by Yvonne Jocks.
Pam McCutcheon
Thanks to Karen Fox and Yvonne Jocks for letting me play with their characters; to Mo Webster for giving me feedback on the manuscript at the last minute; to Angel Smits, Laura Hayden, Donnell Bell, Jude Willhoff and Sharon Silva for ongoing feedback and support; and to Linda Kruger for spearheading the effort. Couldn’t have done it without you guys!
About the Author
* * *
Pam McCutcheon is the award-winning author of romance novels ranging from fantasy, futuristic, paranormal and time travel to contemporary romantic comedy. She also has two nonfiction how-to books for writers in print, has published fantasy short stories as Pamela Luzier in various anthologies, and writes the Demon Underground New Adult urban fantasy series under the name Parker Blue.
After many years of working for the military as enlisted, officer and civil service successively, she left her industrial engineering position to pursue her first love—a career in publishing. She can be found in beautiful Colorado Springs with her rescue dogs or on the Internet.
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