“I won’t,” she whispered. She wouldn’t ever go there. A mistress never went to the family estate.
“You will, mark my words. You will. But that is something else that I wish to speak to you about, though it is horrible far away. And in the rain, I couldn’t go more than thirty miles without stopping. That’s why I took so long.”
His words were so scattered that she began to fear for his health. Normally, he spoke with clear and direct purpose, but he was rushing his words, and they made little sense.
“Elliott, are you ill? Do you have a fever?” She put her hand to his cheek and felt the wet heat there. Not so much that he seemed feverish, but it was hard to tell. Especially as he grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“Amber, my darling, I cannot—I will not—live without you.” And then he began to sink. His legs must have given out because he dropped down to the floor before her. She cried out in alarm, but he kept sinking, and he was too large for her to hold.
It took her a long moment to realize that he hadn’t collapsed. He was, in fact, on one knee before her. Behind her, she heard men and women gasp in surprise, but she didn’t understand what was happening. What was he doing—
He pulled a ring out of his pocket. It was old, made of heavy gold, and bore the Byrn family crest on it. “I know this is ugly,” he said. “Nothing like the things you make, but it is traditional. It is what every Byrn countess has worn on her wedding day.”
She blinked at it, her thoughts frozen as she stared. She saw the age of the ring and the craftsmanship, which was a ridiculous thing to look at. Not when he was on one knee and holding it out to her. But he had said from the very beginning, over and over, that he could not marry her. So what was he doing now?
“Please, Amber Gohar. Please do me the greatest honor and become my wife.”
Behind her, everyone exclaimed. But Amber just stared at Elliott on his knee before her, ring outstretched. “You cannot mean that,” she whispered. “I have already given you my heart. You don’t need to ruin yourself for me.”
He grabbed her hand. “I am not ruining myself. Amber, you are the making of me. Look.” He pulled back his coat and showed her his waistcoat. It was black, and she stared at it in confusion.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“Oh, blast,” he grumbled. “It’s got colors in it. You can’t see it now, but there’s red in there. I swear!”
Someone obligingly brought a lamp forward, and sure enough, there were threads of dark red in it. “It’s…beautiful?” she said. It wasn’t really. It was wet and wrinkled.
“I’ll get another one. You pick the colors, even if it’s yellow. I’m not partial to yellow, you see, but I will for you. If you say it’s beautiful, I will wear it.” He grabbed her hand again and looked in her eyes. “I love you, Amber. Please say you will be my countess. Please.”
Her breath choked off, and her eyes widened. It was happening. Everything was coming true. Not only did she have a prince, but he was proposing to her on the ugliest night of the year. Soaking wet, shivering with cold, and all because he had to get her the family ring.
“You have swept me off my feet,” she murmured.
“Not yet, I haven’t. But I will if you don’t mind getting wet.”
“I don’t mind,” she said. “I seem to have fallen desperately in love with you.”
He pressed the ring forward. “Then say yes, Amber. Yes, you will marry me.”
“Yes! Of course, yes!” she said as she fumbled to put on the ring. He helped her. And then, just like he’d promised, he swept her up in his arms. And while everyone cheered, he kissed her. Hard and hot, then sweet and happy. They clung to each other, and she pressed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
“Do you know what?” she whispered into his ear.
“What, my heart?”
“We are going to live happily ever after, and it’s going to be wonderful!”
“Yes, my love. Yes, it will.”
“And I’m going to wear my bracelet, Elliott. On my wedding day, I’m going to wear the one with a firebird surrounded in flames.”
“A bird in flight. So long as you always fly back to me.”
She pressed her face to his neck. She hung on to him and kissed his throat, his jaw, and then his mouth. And when they were finished, she whispered her answer. “I’ll always fly back to you. Because I love you.”
“And you’re my happily ever after. The one I didn’t even know I was missing.”
Epilogue
If anyone had told the child Amber how much work was involved in a society wedding, she would likely have created other dreams. But she’d had not one inkling of what was involved until she was up to her neck in plans. Elliott’s entire family was recruited, as was her own. Even Mrs. Dove-Lyon lent a hand to make her and Elliott’s wedding the society event of the year. And though many a stiff-minded matron refused the invitation, many more were bribed into the event.
Every single woman in attendance received a silver pin fashioned by Amber’s hand. The expense was excessive, but the result well worth the effort. Amber’s true identity was not only acknowledged but celebrated, as was her art. And if the ton responded with greed, then the price was accepting Amber into their midst. And they did so with enthusiasm.
The plan was hatched by Elliott’s mother. The expense was born by Amber’s father with an advance from Mrs. Dove-Lyon. And somehow, Elliott got the Prince Regent to make an appearance at the wedding breakfast.
The prince ate a meal with them, and Amber was so overwhelmed that Mrs. Hopkins had to bring her a special cup of tea to get her stomach to settle.
Amber didn’t drink it. Instead, she held her husband’s hand and smiled as he whispered three words into her ear.
“Happily, ever after.”
She laughed. “I thought you were going to say you love me.”
“I do. Always. Forever. I cannot believe you are finally my wife.”
And Amber couldn’t believe that the idea of spending the rest of her life with Elliott was more amazing to her than the fact that the Prince Regent promised to dance with her at the very next opportunity.
So she pressed a kiss to her husband’s cheek and whispered into his ear. “I don’t know what to do,” she said. “It’s terrible.”
He jerked back, his eyes darting about as he searched the room, no doubt, for a dragon to slay. “What has happened? What can I do?”
“I am so happy. I have nothing left to dream about. What can I hope for if everything is exactly as I want?”
“Children? Passage of my next resolution? A truly excellent breakfast buffet?”
“Yes, yes, all of those. But…” How could she put her question into words? It wasn’t even clear in her own head. It wasn’t until she saw her father surreptitiously wiping away a tear that she knew the answer to what she wanted next. “I shall dream of everyone else becoming as happy as I am. Of finding their true love just as we have.”
“I like that dream,” Elliott said as he pressed a kiss to her lips.