It was more—so very much more—than she had ever dared hope or pray for during this month of not seeing or hearing from him. Her father truly was a ‘wily old fox’.
She looked up at him with her own love for him shining brightly in her eyes. ‘I believe I have loved you since that first night too, Christian,’ she admitted huskily. ‘I—’
‘You love me?’ He pounced eagerly, his hands tightening painfully about hers. ‘You love me, Lisette?’
‘Of course I love you, you silly man.’ She reached up to curve her hand lovingly about the hardness of his cheek. ‘I love you very much, and of course I will marry you, Christian Algernon Augustus Seaton.’
Christian gave a shout of exultant laughter as he swept her up into his arms and began to kiss her with a thoroughness that took her breath away.
He loved.
And he was loved.
By his outrageous, his darling, his wonderfully unorthodox Lisette.
He asked for no greater happiness than that.
Epilogue
Six weeks later, St George’s Church,
Hanover Square
‘Do stop fidgeting with your necktie, Christian; you are starting to make me feel nervous too!’
Christian gave Worthing a baleful glance as the two of them sat at the front of the church awaiting Lisette’s arrival. His beautiful Lisette. Shortly to become his wife, his duchess and his companion for the rest of their lives together.
‘I seem to remember you being in just such a state on the day you married my sister Julianna,’ he drawled mockingly.
‘Yes. Well.’ Marcus turned to give his wife an affectionate smile. She sat on the pew just behind them, next to a heavily veiled Helene Rousseau, here today to witness her daughter’s wedding.
Julianna had given birth three weeks early to Worthing’s son and heir, Peter Matthew Joshua Timothy Wilding. That young man had been left at home with his wet nurse today, but the three would be united following the wedding breakfast.
Christian was amazed at how quickly his brother-in-law had taken to fatherhood, young Peter with his parents constantly when they did not have other commitments.
All of the Dangerous Dukes were present in the church today, along with their wives.
Zachary Black, the Duke of Hawkesmere, and his lovely duchess Georgianna, their baby son also at home with his nanny.
Darian Hunter, the Duke of Wolfingham, along with his beautiful duchess Mariah, their first child due to arrive on Christmas Day.
Rufus Drake, the Duke of Northamptonshire, and his mischievous duchess Anna. Those two had recently learned that their family was also to increase in the spring.
Griffin Stone, the Duke of Rotherham; often too serious in the past, Griffin had at last found true happiness with his duchess Bea. And, from the look of Bea’s glow today, Christian would not be at all surprised if the two of them very shortly shared news of their own increasing family.
All of them were here—all of the women having become fast friends, all of the gentlemen having survived their years as agents for the Crown, before just as happily retiring from that endeavour now they had become married men. Some of them were battle-scarred, admittedly, but they had survived and without exception had found their true, their real happiness in the women they loved and who loved them in return.
As Christian had with Lisette.
Which was why he was becoming more and more agitated as the seconds ticked by after the appointed time of twelve o’clock for their wedding ceremony to begin. Where was she—?
Ah.
Christian breathed a sigh of relief as the organ music began to play in announcement of his bride’s arrival, he and Worthing both standing as the Vicar moved into his place at the altar.
It was too much to expect Christian not to turn and look at the woman he loved and who had consented to become his wife, his duchess.
Lisette walked slowly, gracefully on her proudly beaming father’s arm, a vision in white, the smile upon her lips only for Christian. The love glowing in her eyes only for him.