A Secret Surrender - Darcy Burke Page 0,99

laboring lungs.

He held her fast, drawing her against him. “I’m not letting you go, not unless you really want me to. Yes, I do mean it. Selina, Sybila, Lady Gresham, whoever the hell you are, marry me.”

Selina stared into his eyes and saw something she’d never imagined—a future and happiness. The tears she’d shed the other day returned, but these were from joy. “Yes. And I know precisely who I am finally. Who I want to be.” She smiled up at him. “Yours.”

Harry kissed her, infusing her with a strength and wonder that filled her with emotion until it overflowed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him fiercely.

After several minutes, Harry broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “My family will be unbearable when I tell them.”

“They’ll be ecstatic.”

“Unbearably ecstatic, yes.” He kissed her cheek. “Will you promise to protect me from them?”

“I will do anything you ask for the rest of our lives. You’ve given me a gift I never expected and that I’m still not sure I deserve.”

He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. “Don’t say that. Ever. You deserve this. We deserve each other.” He kissed her hard and fast. “Now, if you don’t mind, I am exhausted and need to go to bed.”

Selina unwound her hands from his neck. “Of course. I’ll walk you out.”

“Out or up?” He arched an auburn brow at her.

“Oh! You want to stay?”

“I definitely don’t want to leave.”

“Then stay.” She stood on her toes and kissed him, her lips lingering on his. “Forever.”

Harry swept her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

Epilogue

Just two days later, Harry escorted his betrothed into the library at his parents’ house. He hadn’t told them why he’d wanted to have a family dinner, and his mother hadn’t pressed. She’d just been delighted to have him come since he’d missed Thursday. Then he’d asked her to make sure everyone was there, and she’d become incessant in demanding why.

He still hadn’t told her.

And so when he entered the library with Selina on his arm, followed by Rafe and Beatrix, his mother’s jaw had promptly dropped to the floor. Then she’d burst into tears.

“Good heavens, pull yourself together,” Father said, patting her back.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” Mother managed between sobs.

Rachel went to stand with her and rubbed her arm. She narrowed her eyes at Harry. “It better, or this will be a terrible jest.”

“Not even I would do that,” Harry said with affront. “That you would think that says more about you than it does me.” He waggled his brows at his sister.

Rachel snorted. “That is accurate.”

Mother sniffed as Father gave her a handkerchief and she dabbed her eyes. “Please, don’t keep me in suspense.”

Harry guided Selina to the side and gestured to her siblings. Rather, her sibling and not-sibling, not that anyone would know Beatrix wasn’t their sister. Unless her father—the bloody Duke of Ramsgate—identified her as his bastard daughter. In that case, all the secrets would be out. Harry had learned a great deal about his astonishing new family to be in the past two days.

“Father, Mother, everyone, allow me to present Selina’s brother, Mr. Raphael Bowles. You already know their half sister, Miss Whitford. And of course, Rachel, you and Nathaniel have already met Mr. Bowles.” They decided on making that clear since Rafe’s surname was different from Beatrix’s. Part of Harry felt uncomfortable participating in their falsehood, but he also knew why it was necessary. They very much wanted to leave their past behind and start anew. In the end, he thought that was the best path, and he’d vowed to support them.

Imogen’s gaze flicked from Harry to Selina and back to Harry again. “Did you just call her Selina?”

“I did. It is not uncommon to refer to your betrothed by her given name.”

Mother’s sobs started anew, and all three of his sisters gasped in unison. This was followed by Rachel practically shouting, “I knew it!”

Jeremy, late as usual, strolled into the library. “Knew what?”

“Harry is marrying Lady Gresham,” Delia said, beaming from the settee.

“Bollocks.”

Mother threw a glare at her eldest child. “That is not an appropriate response!”

“It is if I’m to be the only one unwed. Now I shall bear the full brunt of your machinations.” He looked over at Harry. “Congratulations. I suppose.”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh and was glad when Selina did too. Soon, everyone joined in. Except Rafe. He smiled, but he didn’t laugh. Though Harry hadn’t