He laughed, sweeping his hair back off his forehead with one hand. ‘He’s more like you.’ Edward kissed her eyelids. ‘Golden eyes...’ he loosed her hair from its bonds at the back of her head, smoothing it over her shoulders ‘...golden hair...’
‘A nasty roar...?’
‘That’s one of the things I love about you.’
‘What else?’
‘Let’s get cleaned up. Then I’ll tell you.’ He backed out of Isaac’s room, pulling her along the hallway. ‘You’ll have to hurry. There’s a lot to get through.’
They showered together, his strong, gentle hands soaping her clean as if they were washing away what had gone before, starting again. Then they made love. As if it were possible to actually create and mould love into the shape and texture that fitted both their hearts, feeling it grow and flourish between them.
Charlotte had wondered whether there could be anything better than the slow, almost silent build of heat that Edward gently nurtured until the fire in him broke loose and roared through them both. Now she knew. When he told her everything that he was feeling her heart spoke back, sharing the warmth, sharing the longing. Body and soul. He made love to her body and her soul.
They lay together, perfect and still, a fine sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Even that seemed to be something shared...his scent covering her skin. She knew that she was never going to be able to wash it off.
‘It’ll be time to go soon.’ He smoothed a strand of hair back from her face. ‘However much I want to see whether next time can be as good as the last.’
‘Hmm... Me, too. Will you stay for something to eat tonight? Isaac would love to have you read a bedtime story for him.’
‘I’d love that, too.’ A thought seemed to occur to him. ‘What did you do with the packet that I put through your letterbox?’
‘The one with your father’s practice logo on it? I thought that came in the post?’
‘No, I left it there.’ He grinned at her. ‘Go and get it.’
* * *
Edward knew that she’d torn the wrappings from the parcel as she walked back up the stairs because he heard her gasp of surprise. She walked back into the bedroom, tears streaming down her face and her mother’s ruby necklace in her hand.
‘Edward. Where did you get this?’
‘Put it on and I’ll tell you.’
Her hand flew to the neck of her silky dressing gown. ‘I’m not really dressed for it.’
‘Then take that off.’
She laughed, jumping onto the bed and handing him the necklace to fasten around her neck. ‘So tell me where you got this.’
‘I had help. You put my father in touch with the guy you sold it to. Luckily he keeps good records, so he was able to forward our letter on to the woman he’d sold it to.’
‘And...she sold it back to you?’
‘Well, I didn’t break into her house and steal it, if that’s what you’re worried about. I told her how much I wanted it, and why, and she sold it to me. And now it’s back where it belongs.’
‘Edward... It must have cost you...’
He silenced her. ‘I wanted to undo what’s been done. Give you some reason to trust.’
Her eyes filled with tears. ‘You’re the only reason I need.’ She clasped her hand to her neck. ‘I love that you’ve done this for me, but I don’t need anything other than you.’
‘You have me.’ He held her close, revelling in the sound of her heart beating beneath the thin fabric of her dressing gown. ‘There’s nothing to stop me from giving you more, is there?’
‘But I have nothing to give you in return.’
‘You and Isaac have already given me everything I’d ever want. More than I ever thought I could have. But there is something you can do for me.’
He wondered whether he should really ask this of her. Charlotte had said she trusted him, and he believed her, but perhaps this wasn’t the time to be testing that out.
‘What is it?’
‘There’s something I have to do tomorrow and I can’t tell you about it. That’ll be the last time you don’t know where I am.’ He watched her intently, looking for any signs of suspicion in her eyes.
She took his hand and laid it over her heart. Then kissed him. The taste of happiness, right there on his lips. ‘I’ll see you on Sunday, then.’
‘You can rely on it. Eleven o’clock.’
* * *
At five to eleven on Sunday morning Isaac jumped down from his perch at the sitting room window and thundered into the hallway. ‘He’s here...’
‘Open the door, then.’ One last look in the mirror at her hair and make-up, and the pretty white top that she’d splashed out on yesterday, and Charlotte hurried downstairs to find Isaac and Edward deep in conversation in the hallway.
His smile, when he caught sight of her, told her everything she needed to know.
‘You look gorgeous.’
‘Thank you. You look pretty gorgeous yourself.’
Edward grinned, pressing on with what was clearly a well-planned preliminary to their afternoon. ‘I’ve just been asking Isaac, as the man of the house...’ he glanced conspiratorially at Isaac ‘...whether it’s all right to kiss you.’
Charlotte could feel the happiness radiating from her. ‘And what did he say?’
‘I said yes. That will be quite all right.’ Isaac seemed to be taking his duties seriously.
‘Good.’ She grinned at Edward and he took a step forward, kissing her lightly on the lips.
‘Is that all?’ Isaac sounded disappointed.
‘You think I should kiss her a bit more?’
‘Yes.’
Edward took the hint. Taking her in his arms, he bent her backwards until she would have slipped over if he hadn’t had her safe in his embrace. He kissed her on the lips until she was dizzy.
‘Better?’ He set her back on her feet.
‘Much,’ Charlotte whispered into his ear.
‘Yes.’ Isaac gave his blessing to the proceedings. ‘Can we go now? I want to fly my kite.’
Edward laughed. ‘That’s all part of the plan.’
They drove to the same spot where they’d flown their kites the last time, carrying their bags up the steep slope to the summit. Laying a rug out on the grass, Edward opened the picnic basket she’d prepared, inspecting its contents.
‘Strawberries?’ He grinned up at her.
‘Yes. And I’ve saved some more for later. When Isaac’s in bed.’ She grinned back at him.
‘That I like the sound of. Come here.’
They sat together in the sun, watching Isaac, who was running around in circles, emulating one of the gliders they’d seen in the sky.
‘I still can’t believe it.’
‘What can’t you believe?’
‘That you’re here. That I love you so much.’ She shifted into the circle of his arms. ‘You and Isaac. I don’t think I could ask for anything more than the both of you.’
‘Shame. You won’t be wanting any of this, then.’ He reached for the cool bag he’d brought and drew a bottle of chilled champagne out of it.
She chuckled. ‘Well, maybe just a glass. But won’t it be a waste? You won’t be able to finish the rest; you’re driving.’
He shrugged. ‘We can finish it when we get home.’
The cork popped out of the neck of the bottle and flew spectacularly through the air. Isaac’s head followed its trajectory and he ran to pick it up, stowing it in his pocket before resuming his imaginary flight up and down on the grass.
Edward turned towards her, handing her a glass, his own only half full. She tipped hers against his, smiling. ‘To today.’
‘And all the others to come.’
‘Yes.’
>
She took a sip, aware that he was watching her intently. ‘This is nice.’
He nodded. Took a sip from his own glass, never taking his eyes off her.
‘What?’
‘You’re so beautiful.’
He made her feel beautiful. She leaned forward and kissed him.
‘I love you, Charlotte. You and Isaac.’ His gaze was still on her, dark and intent. ‘You’ve shown me how to live my life, and I won’t let you down.’
He seemed to have something on his mind. ‘What’s the matter, Edward?’
‘Drink your champagne.’
She lifted the glass, and as she tipped it something solid slid against her lips. Jumping, she emptied the glass onto the grass beside her. ‘What was that?’
Edward started to chuckle, flopping onto his back on the blanket, as she searched in the grass.
‘Don’t laugh—there was something in my drink...’ She searched in the grass to find whatever it was, and then she saw it. Sparkling in the sunlight.
‘That didn’t go quite the way I planned.’ He was still lying on his back, laughing.
‘Did you put this in my glass?’ She leaned over him, holding the ring in front of his nose.
‘Yep. I thought it might be romantic. You know—finding a ring in your glass. But you weren’t looking at what you were drinking.’
‘That’s because I only have eyes for you.’
He chuckled. ‘Clearly.’ He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned in for a kiss. ‘So now that I’ve messed that up completely...’
‘No, you haven’t. You couldn’t have done anything nicer.’
‘Well, will you? Marry me? I meant everything I said, Charlotte. About loving you and looking after you and Isaac...’
‘I know. I love you, too, Edward. And, yes, I’ll marry you.’ She handed him the ring, wanting more than anything for him to slip it onto her finger. ‘Was this what you were doing yesterday?’
‘Mmm-hmm. Do you like it?’
‘It’s perfect.’
She looked at the ring in his hand. Three large diamonds. One for each of them—the family that she’d so wanted. Her heart was going to burst if things got any better.
Isaac skidded to a halt next to Edward and flung himself across his stomach.
‘Ooof. Steady on, mate, I was just having a conversation with your mother.’
‘What about?’
Edward laughed, giving in to the inevitable. Heaving himself upright, taking both her and Isaac with him, he held the ring up for Isaac to see. ‘I’ve asked her to marry me.’
‘Do you love her, then?’
Charlotte smiled. Isaac seemed instinctively to know the only thing that mattered.
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Does she love you back?’
‘Yep. I think she’s crazy, but she loves me.’
Isaac looked from Edward to Charlotte and then back again. ‘Will we come to live with you?’
‘What do you think about that?’
‘Can I have animals on my wall? At your house?’
Edward chuckled. ‘Well, it’ll be our house if you come to live there. And you can definitely have animals on your wall. I’ll paint them for you myself.’
‘Okay.’
Isaac watched as Edward slipped the ring onto her finger. It fitted perfectly.
‘Well, that’s a relief.’
His smile said it all. Charlotte wanted to see that smile for the rest of her life.
‘Are you going to kiss her again?’ Isaac was clearly interested in doing things properly.
‘You know what, mate? I think I just might.’
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460333952
200 HARLEY STREET: THE ENIGMATIC SURGEON
Copyright © 2014 by Annie Claydon
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