‘I think your mother wanted you to have a better life than she had.’
Mari nodded. ‘And I have.’
He entwined his fingers in her small pale ones and lifted her hand to his lips, promising fervently, ‘It’s going to get even better, I promise.’
‘There’s no baby. You don’t have to pretend.’
‘The only thing I’ve pretended is that I didn’t love you, but I do. You’re my heart and soul, Mari.’
She looked up at him, wonder shining in her eyes like stars. ‘You’re not saying this because of the mi...mi...’
He squeezed her hand. ‘Miscarriage.’ He watched her wince and said calmly, ‘We’ll adopt. I’ve been thinking about it and you were right. Why bring a new baby into the world when there are so many children out there that need homes? We could adopt two, three if you like.’
‘But you want a baby?’
He bent and kissed her lips with a tenderness that brought a fresh rush of hot, emotional tears to her eyes. ‘I want you more. For a while back there...’ His voice broke and with a groan he squeezed his eyes closed.
Mari watched, her heart thudding fast in her chest as he struggled for control, able to feel the intensity of his emotions. ‘Seb...?’ She stroked his hand.
At the light touch his eyes opened. ‘Sorry, but...’ He swallowed hard before continuing, ‘You had lost a lot of blood, and I could never... I don’t want to run the risk.’ Fixed on her face now, his dark eyes held a shadow of the fear he had felt as he finished in a throaty whisper, ‘I couldn’t go through that again, Mari.’
She started to weep in earnest, great gulping sobs that shook her. ‘You really love me?’
‘I adore you.’
‘But you were nice and polite to me.’
He burst out laughing. ‘I promise I will never be polite to you again.’
She took his hand and lifted it to her lips, pressing a fervent kiss to his palm before spreading his long fingers around her cheek. ‘I love you, Seb, so very much, but I can’t stay married to you.’
Beneath his confident smile there was a hint of wariness as he asked, ‘Why?’
‘Because you’re a Defoe and your name means a lot to you, you’re proud of it and so you should be and I’m—’
‘You’re stupid,’ he completed lovingly. ‘I am proud. I’m proud of having the most beautiful woman in the universe as my wife.’
‘I love you, Seb.’
‘We have a lifetime to love. Right now you need to sleep.’
Mari struggled to keep her heavy eyes open. ‘I can’t, I want—’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you wake up. I’ll use the time to plan our wedding.’
Her tired eyes opened. ‘We’re already married.’
‘I want to do it right this time... You deserve everything, my darling. A church, the dress, flowers, your foster dad to give you away. They were here, by the way, to see you, and Mark sends his love. Fleur is outside in the waiting room.’
‘How about your parents?’
He shrugged. ‘Why not? What is a wedding without a scandal? Though you do realise that no one will be looking at us with them there?’
Mari gave a watery smile; her eyes filled with tears that slid down her face. ‘That would all be lovely,’ she agreed. ‘But all I really want, Seb, is you.’
He bent and pressed a long loving kiss to her pale lips. ‘You’ve had me from the moment I saw you. I was just slow catching on.’
EPILOGUE
‘LOOK AT YOUR SISTERS.’
Seb lifted his son, Ramon, up to see the babies sleeping side by side in the crib.
The toddler’s eyes were wide.
‘Can I touch?’ he whispered.
Seb nodded, his heart swelling with pride as he watched his son touch a gentle finger to each baby’s nose.
‘They look like Mummy,’ he said wonderingly as he stared at their golden-red curls.
‘They do,’ Seb agreed.
‘Who do I look like, Daddy?’
Seb swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat. It was sometimes hard to believe how lucky he was. The early months of their marriage had been marvellous. After a fairy-tale wedding and extended honeymoon Mari had returned to her job at the school, which had accepted her back with open arms, scandal forgotten, after they realised she was married to the family who funded ten scholarship places.
But in the midst of their happiness, the shadow of the baby they’d lost had hung over them. It had been the arrival of Ramon, who had been one when they had adopted him, that had chased away the shadows, though not the precious memory of the baby they had lost.