Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,83

you were listening and had any doubt whatsoever that I didn’t love you to a distraction, I’d have bellowed my love for you so loud the shingles would have rattled loose.”

“That’s where I am at fault,” she said weakly.

Simon opened his mouth to argue, and Rae pressed her fingers against his parted lips.

“I should have known and been more confident that you loved me, but when they mentioned the timing, I allowed doubts to creep in and I’m sorry.” She pulled her hand from his lips and blinked her red-rimmed eyes. “Can you please forgive me for doubting you?”

“Can you know and believe now and forever that I—” he kissed her forehead— “love—” he dropped a kiss on the edge of her nose— “you,” he said before covering her lips with his.

Rae wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressing against his. “I think I can manage that,” she murmured against his lips.

“Think?” He pulled back. “Perhaps I should take you upstairs for a more proper demonstration.”

“Yes, I think a proper demonstration might help.”

“Might?” He scoffed. “After we’re done tonight there won’t be any room left for doubt,” he said, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her upstairs to do exactly as he promised.

And he did.

Epilogue

August

“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Rae asked not for the first time since they'd left London before the sun came up.

“When we get there,” Simon said once again.

“Hmmm.” Rae straddled him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She leaned forward and kissed him. “Perhaps I can think of a way to get you to spill your secrets.”

“Minx,” he murmured between kisses. “My lips are sealed.”

“Are they now?” She closed the gap between them again and licked the seam of his lips, parting them.

Simon cupped her face and returned her kiss.

“Now that we know there’s not wax holding your lips together, you can divulge our destination whenever you’d like.”

“That’ll be when we arrive,” he said with a smug smile.

Rae repositioned herself on his lap and rested her head against his chest. “And when shall that be?”

“In an hour or three.”

She wanted to groan. Anticipation would be the death of her. It hadn’t helped that Simon had fixed the curtains to be tied in a way that didn’t allow her to see anything except what little the sconces could light the inside of the carriage.

Abruptly, the carriage halted. Rae frowned. “Why has he stopped? Doesn’t he know I’m a bundle of nerves back here?”

Simon laughed and set her on the seat beside him. “I’ll check. You wait here.”

Rae snorted. That wasn’t likely.

“I mean it, Rae. Stay here or—”

Just then, the door to the carriage flew open, revealing a harried coachman and a large estate.

Rae blinked. “Briar Creek?”

“Sprawling out before us,” Simon confirmed.

“Yes, I can see that,” she said, allowing him to help her descend the carriage. “But why are we here?”

He grinned at her. “To get married.”

“We’re already married,” she pointed out, more confused now than before.

Simon placed his hand on the small of her back and led her up the front steps and then wrenched open the door. “Not in front of our friends and family.”

Rae stood frozen staring at the tableau in front of her.

To her left stood Juliet and Drake, who held her newborn son, his smile brighter than the moon at night. The pair was flanked by their twins and the three older girls. To their right stood Walter and a giddy-looking Katherine. To her right was a grinning Giles and Rae’s newest and dearest friend Lucy. Beside Lucy stood her son Seth, dressed in a smart suit of clothing that was attracting the attention of all the girls in the room, including both Dara and Jane who stood so close to him, she doubted air could pass between their bodies. Peter, Joseph, Samuel, Jacob, and Lucas fidgeted in a little cluster. She squinted, noticing how they were each poking and jabbing each other with their elbows. Beside them, stood her parents, beaming. Rounding out the semicircle of family were Brooke and Andrew, just as they’d once promised her they’d be.

“Simon,” she breathed, her mind racing to make sense of what was going on. “This wasn’t necessary.” But it was very touching and she appreciated that he had gone through so much effort as to even make sure her entire family had been included.

“I think it was.” He reached for her hands and turned her to face him, their audience be damned. “You know I