The Duke and Duchess exchange glances. Finally, the Duchess stands up and clasps her hands together. “We never liked change. It hasn’t been kind to us, but from the smile on our daughter’s face it seems like this is a change for the better, for her.”
It’s not the unconditional, effusive congratulations of parents-in-law who are over the moon about their daughter’s engagement, but it’s a start.
Sachelle kisses her mother on the cheek, and then she goes to her father. He smiles and pats her hand as he murmurs his congratulations. After a moment, he even gets to his feet and shakes my hand.
I put the license in my pocket and take Sachelle’s hand and draw her out of the room. The snow is still falling as we walk into the back garden. The path is icy and so we take it carefully, but I want to do this out here. Just the two of us.
I turn to her when we’re standing under an arch twisted all over with ivy vines. “I’m not very good at spending money, probably because I’ve never had any. Now, I do, and I might have walked into a shop yesterday and blown quite a lot all at once. I hope you like it.”
Sachelle laughs. “What is it? A giant ruby to put atop your cane?”
I have it ready in my hand as I take her left one, and it glistens in the wintry light. “No. This.”
A diamond engagement ring. The most beautiful one I could find. Sachelle stares at it, her mouth open.
“Will you be my winter bride? Marry me now. Soon. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Wordlessly, she nods, and allows me to slip the ring over her finger. Snow falls on her dark hair and flecks her cheeks.
She turns her face up to mine, her eyes shining. “The first time I met you, I liked you so much. The second time I was angrier with you than I’d been with anyone. And the third time…well, that was a disaster.”
“The third time I fell in love with you.” The third time was at the warehouse, when she knocked me off my feet.
“Don’t be silly, Jakob. You wanted to arrest me.”
“Arrest you with love,” I tease, rubbing my nose against hers.
She laughs and wraps her arms around my neck. “Every time, I thought I was seeing the real you, but I stripped away another layer and then another layer, and now I finally understand the man you are. I love the man you are.”
I kiss my bride as the winter cold whips against our cheeks. My body is healing and so is my head, but my heart will only ever want one thing.
Her.
And I have her.
23
Sachelle
It’s been nearly a month since I’ve been naked with Jakob, and I’m starting to go a little crazy. First, he was gravely injured and in the hospital, barely moving without severe pain. He’s been out and about for nearly two weeks now, and sitting on the sofa with him at Balzac House and trying to concentrate on the menu for our small wedding reception while he’s right here beside me is pure torture.
His hand snakes around my waist and squeezes me. My eyes go guiltily to the door. It’s closed, but ajar. Mum and Dad won’t ever let us be alone with a completely closed door. They seem to be pretending the night I spent with Jakob never happened.
I whimper as he presses kisses to my throat, trying not to combust from sexual frustration.
“Let’s just elope to France,” I whisper. “Now. Just you and me, and then an enormous bed in a hotel tonight.”
The wedding is still five days away and between Jakob’s work schedule and my curfew in the evenings, we haven’t had any time alone together. I’m supposed to set a good example for my sister. She’s told me she’s kissed three different boys since school started and she thinks me having to set a good example is hilarious.
“After the trouble I went through to get our marriage license? You’re staying right here in Paravel, little fox, and everything’s going to be perfect.”
I smile as I remember how he presented Archduke Levanter’s signature to my parents. Mum and Dad have been slowly coming around to the idea of us getting married. I think a personal visit from King Anson telling them how much Jakob means to him helped a lot. Dad is going to walk me down the aisle.
“Did I tell you? Mum’s making me a wedding veil. Do you remember telling me that’s what you wanted me to wear?”
“Of course, I remember,” he murmurs, his voice growing rich and velvety. “I can’t wait to see you in that.”
My lips just skim over his, torturing myself with the idea of more. He sits back against the arm of the sofa and pulls me across his lap so I’m straddling him. I glance at the door again. We shouldn’t be doing this. My parents are somewhere upstairs but could come down at any moment.