Destined to Last - By Alissa Johnson Page 0,118
that man, so…” She trailed off, sniffled once more and eyed him a little curiously. “You weren’t, by any chance, a pirate at some point in your colorful past?”
“A pirate?” he repeated, caught between bewilderment at the non sequitur, a relief so great it threatened to overwhelm him, and a joy so sharp he wondered he was able to feel anything else at all.
She’d forgiven him. She’d offered to forgive him for everything.
“The image does suit you rather well,” she explained.
“No.” He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Pirating is one sin I cannot claim.”
“Pity.” She wiped the remaining dampness from her cheeks and smiled. “I imagine it would be quite exciting to be married to a pirate, even a former one.”
“How do you feel about being married to the current head of the War Department, instead?”
Slowly, she lowered the handkerchief. “Well, er, William Fletcher is a very nice man, but—”
“I meant me, sweetheart,” he explained on a small laugh. “William is retiring. He wants to name me as his successor.”
A smile bloomed on her face. “A nice and very wise man.”
“You may change your mind about that once I tell you his role in our…” He recalled William’s disgust for the number of times he had been forced to relate the story of his deathbed promise to the late Duke of Rockeforte. “No…no, I do believe I shall let him tell you the details of our mission together. I’m done with talking for the moment.”
And with that proclamation, he bent his head to Kate’s. As their lips met, he thought that this, this was the kiss he should have given her from the start. There was no purpose beyond feeling, no thought given to who had the upper hand. It wasn’t a test or a lesson or a frantic bid to ease a pain or battle back fear. It was simply love—given, received, and destined to last forever.
Epilogue
Kate struggled, almost successfully, not to squirm in her seat. It was terribly difficult to remain still and wait patiently as a small crowd filed in to take their seats in the theater. But it wasn’t the many curious eyes glancing in her direction that made her anxious, nor that some of those glances also held a distinct air of disapproval along with the curiosity. It was excitement that made her reach out and take Hunter’s hand in an effort to steady herself.
Brushing his thumb across her wrist, he turned to her, his dark eyes filled with concern, with pride, and with love. “Nervous, darling?”
“Excited.”
“And happy?”
“Yes.” She grinned and looked out over the audience from their box. “Oh, yes.”
Because curious, disapproving or both, the people had come. They’d come to hear the premiere of Lady Kate Hunter’s first symphony.
She couldn’t quite believe it. Even now, after months to prepare herself, she couldn’t quite fathom that she was only minutes away from hearing her greatest musical endeavor performed in front of an audience.
Mr. Lucero, owner of the theater had been surprised, and notably hesitant after learning the symphony brought to him for consideration had been composed by a woman, but in the end he’d announced that the “unfortunate gender of the composer” would not deter him from bringing a masterpiece to light.
The “unfortunate gender” bit she could have done without, but “a masterpiece” quite made up for it. Having her dream come true more than made up for it.
Having another dream come true, she corrected.
As the chandeliers were raised, Kate looked about her, her heart swelling with happiness. There were Sophie and Alex, and Mirabelle and Whit, Evie and McAlistair, Mrs. Summers with her Mr. Fletcher. Lizzy was in attendance, and still blushing at the eyes Hunter’s footman had been making at her earlier. Even her mother had a new suitor, the inestimable Lord Brentworth.
And here was she, Lady Katherine Hunter, with the prince of her dreams.
INTERACT WITH DORCHESTER ONLINE!
Want to learn more about your favorite books and authors?
Want to talk with other readers that like to read the same books as you?
Want to see up-to-the-minute Dorchester news?
VISIT DORCHESTER AT:
DorchesterPub.com
Twitter.com/DorchesterPub
Facebook.com (Search Pages)
DISCUSS DORCHESTER'S NOVELS AT:
Dorchester Forums at DorchesterPub.com
GoodReads.com
LibraryThing.com
Myspace.com/books
Shelfari.com
WeRead.com
CRITICS ARE CHARMED BY ALISSA JOHNSON!
A CHRISTMAS BALL
“Three charming authors invite you to the Hartwell House holiday ball, where just about anything can happen—and does!—to the delight of readers who enjoy short, light, delicious love stories that encourage them to feel the pleasure of the season.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I thoroughly enjoyed each of these wonderful Regency romance stories. Each author has penned a tale that you will find yourself wishing were longer…each of these fine authors have more than done their job in this fantastic anthology.”
—Night Owl Romance
McALISTAIR’S FORTUNE
“Johnson delights while touching hearts as she puts an unlikely pair of engaging characters into a witty plot and a lively adventure.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Ms. Johnson brings together a spirited and original heroine determined to pave her own path and a hero who provides the adventure of a lifetime while contending with their differences in social station and his past. It’s an engaging romance that will send readers to Ms. Johnson’s backlist for other exciting reads.”
—Fresh Fiction
TEMPTING FATE
“Johnson follows her debut with a delightful spin-off. Her rapier wit and comedic timing lure readers into a romance that proves laughter is best shared with those you love.”
—RT Book Reviews
“She had me hooked from the beginning. Her voice is just terrific…”
—The Good, the Bad, and the Unread
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT
“[A] triumph of wit and passion.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Quite enjoyable…lively and fun.”
—The Good, the Bad, and the Unread
“As Luck Would Have It is a tale written with a wicked web of intrigue. The author has created a delicious combination of luscious ingredients, a pleasure for all, leaving the reader fervently looking forward to Ms. Johnson’s next romance.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“A seductive debut filled with rapier-sharp repartee, passion and espionage.”
—RITA Award–winning author Sophia Nash
“Brimming with humor and tenderness, Johnson’s debut is a joyous book from a bright new star.”
—Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews
Other Leisure books by Alissa Johnson:
A CHRISTMAS BALL (Anthology)
McALISTAIR’S FORTUNE
TEMPTING FATE
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT
Copyright
A LEISURE BOOK®
April 2010
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2010 by Alissa Johnson
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0839-2
The name “Leisure Books” and the stylized “L” with design are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Visit us online at www.dorchesterpub.com.