Slowly, he walked toward her as his mind spun with all that he wanted to say. He didn’t know where to start. And then suddenly he realized it wasn’t words he wanted to give her. He wanted to gather her into his arms. He wanted to worship her face with his hands and lips. He wanted to press her close against him and feel the soft, sweet warmth of her. The intensity of his feelings surprised him even more than finding her in the garden.
Her smile was tentative but warm, and the sight encouraged Marcus, especially after the angry note on which they’d parted.
“Thank you for coming to meet with me, Marcus,” she said quickly. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I—”
He suddenly frowned. “Coming to meet you?” he repeated blankly. “How did you know I was on my way to see you?”
It was Dominique’s turn to look puzzled. “Why, the note, of course. Didn’t Pru give it to you?”
He shook his head. “I haven’t seen Prudence.”
Her expression turned cautious. “Oh. She must have missed you somewhere between your apartment and the castle. I thought—I wrote you a note telling you that I needed to see you. That isn’t why you’re here?”
“No. I—” He thrust the rose toward her while his heart thumped like a foolish teenager on his first date. “Actually, I was on my way up to your suite.”
She accepted the rose, though her expression remained guarded as she continued to study his face.
“Really?”
He swallowed and realized with a start that he was nervous. Something that Marcus Kent had never been before. “Yes. I’ve decided I had to see you. I realized I had to persuade you to marry me, even if it meant begging.”
He might as well have knocked her backward with his hand, Dominique thought. The blow wouldn’t have been any more shocking.
Clutching the stem of the rose, she stared doubtfully at him. “Why would you want to do that, Marcus? You said—”
He ventured closer and his heart sang with hope when she didn’t step back. “Forget everything I’ve said up until now, Dominique. I was wrong. Wrong about myself and my reasons for wanting to marry you.”
Confusion wrinkled her lovely features. “Marcus, please! If you try to tell me that your sense of duty to King Michael isn’t what prompted you to propose, I’ll know you’re lying. It was.”
His expression grave, Marcus nodded. “Yes. At first it was duty and a sense of obligation toward my lost king. But things have changed since then. I’ve changed.”
Dominique’s delicate eyebrows arched with wry skepticism. “I find that very difficult to believe, Marcus. You’re too set in your ways and beliefs. Duty to your king and country has always come first with you. I can’t see that ever changing.”
He took another step closer while the urge to reach out and touch her clawed at him like a wild animal desperate to make an escape. “You make me sound old. Is that how you see me? Too old to be capable of changing?”
She made a scoffing noise. “You’re a young, virile man, Marcus. But as for you being able to change—I just don’t know.”
He couldn’t bear living unless he had her as his wife. That was how much she had changed him. This love he felt for her had made him a different man.
“Dominique, I want to be your husband. I want to be the father of your baby, the father of all the children we’ll hopefully have in the future. Not because I’m duty bound to King Michael or to save you and the baby from scandal.”
He reached for her free hand. Bemused, she gave it to him and he immediately tightened his fingers around hers.
“I love you, Dominique. I don’t know why I haven’t figured that out before. I guess I was too busy trying to fight it,” he said regretfully. “I was so determined not to let myself be hurt again, that I refused to believe my heart could have latched on to you in such a deep and needy way.”
Dominique stared at him, too scared to let herself hope, too doubtful to allow any sort of joy to beam through to her heart.
“Two days ago you accused me of not wanting to marry you because you were a divorced commoner,” she felt the need to remind him.
He groaned with open shame. “I was angry that day, Dominique. You were turning me down and it hurt. I wanted to lash out at you. I was trying to convince myself and you that love needn’t be in our lives. It frustrated me that you were refusing to marry without it.”
Gently, his hands curled over her shoulders and his head bent to rub his cheek against hers. “Forgive me, Dominique,” he whispered with all the desire burning inside him. “Forgive my stupidity and say you’ll marry me.”
Still not quite convinced, she said, “For all you know I don’t love you, Marcus. Would that matter? Would you still want me as your wife?”
He reared his head back and searched her green eyes. “Yes! Because I have enough love for the both of us. I know I can make you happy. And I’ll be a good father to our sons and daughters.”
The tender devotion Dominique saw in his eyes was something she’d never seen before and she suddenly knew he was speaking truly from his heart.
With a cry of happiness, she raised on tiptoe and flung her arms around his neck. “Oh, Marcus, my love. My dear sweet love. I sent that note to you asking you to come to the garden to meet me. My intentions were to tell you how much I love you. I’d thought—hoped—that if I explained how I felt about you, you might have a different outlook on our marriage. But now, I feel like you’ve just handed me a slice of heaven!”
His arms circled her and his head dipped close to hers. “Heaven is having you in my arms, Dominique,” he whispered against her lips. “And I never intend to let you go. I won’t ever let you walk away from me like Liza did.”
She shook her head and tightened her hold on him. “I would never walk away from you, Marcus. I think I knew four years ago that you were the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with and I went away to college wondering how or if I could ever make that happen. But then you married and I thought there was no hope. I let myself get involved with Bryce, thinking he would make me forget all about you. But the moment I came back and saw you that morning at Edenbourg Abbey, I realized my feelings for you had never died.”
Marcus responded by covering her lips with a kiss that lasted until both of them were gasping for air.
“I don’t understand how I could be this lucky,” he murmured against the tender curve of her throat. “You and a baby.”
Dominique smiled with longing as his hand settled over the small mound of her belly. “I’m the lucky one,” she insisted.
“Well, I’m going to be proud to call this little one mine,” he promised. “And he or she will get all my love, just the same as our future children.”
Tears of joy glazed her green eyes. “I can see why my father wanted you by his side. You’re a generous, wonderful man.” She sniffed, then looked up at him as a new concern passed through her mind. “Marcus, I will never forgive myself if any of this ruins your reputation. When people hear that I’m already carrying your child—”
Smiling down at her, he shook his head. “You’re a beautiful woman, Dominique. No one will condemn me for getting you with child. Everybody will think it was impossible for me to keep my hands off you. And it very nearly has been,” he added in a low, sensuous voice.
The smile she returned to him was as intimate as it was promising. “I take that to mean you don’t want a long engagement.”
He chuckled and as he looked down at the face of the woman who would soon be his wife, he felt as if the garden around them was blazing with bright new color and the whole world was a fresh and wonderful place.
“We don’t have time for a long engagement, my darling. We have a baby on the way and the sooner we tell your family, the better.”
Dominique’s eyes widened. “Now?”
With his hand draped around the back of her waist, he turned her toward the castle. “I can’t think of a better time to start our new life together. Can you?”
A new baby. A new life. A love that would last for a lifetime. Yes, Dominique thought gloriously, she could face her family now. She could face anything.
“Right now is perfect,” she agreed.
Inside the castle, Dominique and Marcus decided to go to Josephine’s suite and give the queen their news before anyone else. But on the way they met Edward and Luke headed for the family sitting room.
“Nicholas has been looking for both of you,” Edward said. “I think he has some sort of news about the investigation.”
Dominique and Marcus exchanged surprised glances.
“Do you know if Mother is in her suite?” she asked her uncle.
“Everyone is to meet in the family room,” Edward explained. “Josephine is probably there already.”
“Looks to me like we ought to be calling it the briefing room,” Luke spoke up jokingly.
Edward turned a disapproving frown on his son. Luke immediately cleared his throat and cast an apologetic glance at Dominique and Marcus.
“Sorry,” he said. “The castle has been full of tension this past week, I was only trying to ease it a little.”
Nodding, Marcus graciously accepted Luke Stanbury’s apology, then slipped his arm around Dominique’s shoulders.
“Actually, we have some news of our own we want to announce,” he said as he directed a tender smile down at Dominique. “Shall we go in?”
Dominique was more than ready. She’d loved Marcus for a long time. She was more than ready to shout it to her family and the world.
“Yes,” she answered. “I want to speak with Mother before, well, before any bad news Nicholas might have to say.”
Inside the sitting room, they found the whole family had already gathered and were sitting in various chairs and on couches and settees around the large room.
Queen Josephine had taken her usual place in her favorite wingback chair facing the fireplace. The moment she saw Dominique and Marcus approaching her, a knowing, satisfied smile settled over her face.
“So this is the man you’re going to marry,” she said to her daughter.
Marcus cast a puzzled look at Dominique. “How did she know?”
Dominique blushed while Josephine laughed slyly.
“Mothers just know these things,” the queen told him.
At that moment Dominique felt a close, binding connection to her mother, one that she knew could never be broken. And the realization only added to her happiness.
“What do you think about my choice of husband?” she asked Josephine.
The queen’s pleased smile encompassed her daughter and her soon-to-be son-in-law.
“I couldn’t have handpicked a better one for you,” she said with conviction.
Immediately, Josephine rose to her feet and clapped her hands to draw the attention of everyone else in the room. When she was certain the whole group was listening, she said, “I have a wonderful announcement to make. Marcus and Dominique have just told me they are to be married.”
Hands began to applaud with approval and cries of surprise and joy spread from one end of the room to the other. Isabel and Prudence were the first to rush to her side, and Dominique laughed with joy as they kissed and hugged and congratulated her. Nicholas quickly followed behind them. First kissing his sister, then shaking Marcus’s hand.
“You must be a fast worker,” Nicholas said to him. “Dominique has only been home for a month!”
Marcus cast Dominique a sly glance. “Well, actually, we got together when she was here for Christmas. We…just didn’t say anything to anyone.”
“So when is the wedding to be?” Isabel asked with barely contained excitement. “I hope the engagement is going to be long enough to give us plenty of time to plan a lavish wedding.”
Once again Dominique couldn’t stop a deep blush from spreading over her face and she looked helplessly up at Marcus.
“I’m afraid the wedding plans will have to be made rather quickly,” he answered Isabel. “You see, there’s another announcement we have to make.”
By now, everyone in the room had gathered around them and as Dominique looked at their faces, she felt no shame or regret. Only joy and pride. Marcus loved her. He was the father of her baby. For now and always.
“Marcus and I are expecting a baby,” Dominique said with a happy rush. “In September.”
Like the aftermath of a roaring tornado, the room went instantly quiet. All eyes turned to Queen Josephine. Including Dominique’s, as she waited anxiously for her mother’s response.
“A baby,” Josephine repeated with awesome wonder.
“Yes, Mother. Are you displeased?”
The queen stepped forward and took hold of Dominique’s hands. “My dear daughter, I couldn’t be happier.” She leaned forward and kissed both her cheeks, then smiled through happy tears. “You and Marcus bound together with a child. It’s exactly the way I always knew it should be. The both of you are going to be very happy.”
From the corner of her eye, Dominique could see Marcus glancing down at her. She looked up at him and his eyes were asking her how Josephine had known the two of them belonged together when he’d only just realized it himself.
She smiled at him, while mentally reminding herself to explain to him later about a woman’s intuition. To her mother, she whispered joyously, “Thank you, Mother. I only wish Father was here, too. To share this time with Marcus and I. With all of us.”
The mention of King Michael had Josephine glancing toward her son, who was still beaming with happy disbelief at his younger sister.
“Nicholas, perhaps it’s time we heard your news,” Josephine suggested.
Nicholas glanced at his sister Isabel. “Actually,” he began, “I believe Isabel is the one with the news. So I’ll let her make the announcement.”
The whole family, along with Prudence and Rowena, turned their attention to the older of the two Stanbury daughters.
Isabel smiled fondly at her sister. “My news can’t begin to measure up to Dominique’s wonderful surprise, but it is something I am pleased about.” She focused on her mother, then glanced at the anxious faces around her. “In the past hour I’ve been in contact with Adam Sinclair, my former commanding officer in the Royal Navy. Since he’s highly skilled in military intelligence, I’ve asked him to come to Edenbourg and the Stanbury castle to help us with the ongoing investigation of Father’s disappearance. I’m happy to say he’s agreed and I’m very hopeful he can help us get King Michael back home with us.”
“This is good news,” Marcus exclaimed. “I hope his arrival will be soon.”
“I agree,” Josephine spoke up with a pleased smile. “And I think while we are all gathered here together in the sitting room, we should have a toast for Marcus and Dominique and also for the coming help of Adam Sinclair.”
“Hear! Hear!” Nicholas seconded his mother’s suggestion.
“Shall I tell Gertie to plan a special dinner for tonight, Your Highness?” Prudence asked the queen.
Josephine looked around at her family. There was one missing. But soon there would be a new addition. In her heart, she knew Michael would agree that a Stanbury baby was cause for great celebration.
“Yes, Prudence,” the queen answered. “Please inform Gertie to prepare a feast for tonight.”
Spirits lifted and happy anticipation suddenly buzzed around the room. Amidst the excitement, Marcus bent his head and whispered in Dominique’s ear, “I just now realized I’m going to have the queen as my mother-in-law.”
Dominique’s green eyes twinkled mischievously up at him. “Want to back out?”
He answered with a chuckle. Then bending his head, he kissed her, letting his lips tell her he would always want to be her husband, always love her. As Josephine had said, the two of them were exactly as they should be. Together. From this day forward.
Epilogue
A week later, the great dining hall of Stanbury Castle was aglow with hundreds of flickering candles, fresh f
ragrant blossoms and smiling, joyous faces. Dominique was an angelic vision of beauty in a flowing white silk wedding gown, encrusted with millions of seed pearls. Her golden-brown hair was caught up in a cluster of curls and secured beneath multi-layers of filmy white veil.
The dress was the same her mother had worn when she’d wed King Michael thirty-three years before in Edenbourg Abbey. Along with her mother’s wedding dress, two days ago Nicholas had presented his younger sister with crown jewels acquired from the Chamber of Riches.
The necklace and earrings were fashioned in a combination of pearls and diamonds set in platinum. The dazzling jewels were a perfect frame for Dominique’s beautiful face. Yet their shine couldn’t begin to equal the love and happiness glowing in her eyes. Especially when she looked at her new husband, who’d never yet left her side since the wedding ceremony three hours ago at Edenbourg Abbey.
A huge, festive dinner had already been consumed and the massive tiered wedding cake cut and served. Waiters were scurrying to and fro with loaded trays of champagne while at the far end of the room, a symphony ensemble were tuning their instruments in preparation of the wedding ball.
“Even on such short notice, I can’t remember the last time this dining hall was so full of people,” Dominique remarked to Marcus as he finished the last of his second piece of wedding cake.
He put his empty plate on the table they were standing next to, then curled his arm around the back of Dominique’s waist.
“Edenbourg doesn’t have one of their princesses getting married that often,” he replied. “The whole country is celebrating.”
She smiled up at him. “No one seems to have disapproved of our marriage. Even the tabloids have been kind, so far.”
Marcus chuckled. “That’s because none of them want to face the wrath of the queen.”
His comment caused Dominique to gaze across the room to where her mother was chatting with a longtime friend of the family. Josephine was dressed in a long formal gown of deep blue. Her brown hair was fashioned in a smooth, elaborate twist at the back of her head. Rubies glittered at her ears and throat and wrist. If King Michael had been at her side, she would have looked perfect.
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