Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) (26 page)

Win couldn’t remember being as happy as she was right
now. Lying next to Alex with her head nestled on his chest. Their night of
lovemaking was replaying in her mind. He’d awakened her twice in the night –
and she’d awakened him once – to revel in each other. She had no idea
lovemaking could be this pleasurable.

As she lay there half-awake she wondered what he would
think if she woke him with a kiss. She knew she must return to her room before
she was discovered, but one more time wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

She raised her head to look at him, only to find him
smiling back at her. “Good morning,” he said.

“It is a very good morning.”

The moment was unfortunately interrupted by an urgent
knock at the door. They both looked at it with alarm.

There was another knock, then a frantic whisper from
the other side of the door. “Mr. Lewis?” asked Rose from the hall. “Mr. Lewis,
I regret disturbing you, but is Win there, by any chance?”

Win could all but see Rose’s blush from the other side
of the door. How did her sister know she was there? And why was she coming to
them so early in the morning? Was something wrong?

Win and Alex quickly donned their dressing gowns.

“Do you want me to answer?” Alex asked Win quietly. “You
could hide in the dressing room.”

“I cannot lie to Rose. She apparently knows I’m not
in my bedchamber. She might as well know the truth, since we’re to be married,
anyway. Unless…you haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

“Of course not,” he said, as he kissed her. “And I’m
quite relieved you haven’t, either. Perhaps you should answer the door and I’ll
remain back here.”

“Excellent idea,” said Win, as she pulled her dressing
gown closed. But it wasn’t until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror
that she realized how wanton she looked. Her hair was loose and looked like it
had been styled by rats. Her skin had a glow she’d never seen before. And she
couldn’t keep the smile from her face. It was a good sign that Alex couldn’t,
either. She wasn’t certain her younger sister should be a witness to this. But
then, if Rose had come looking for her in Alex’s room, Win supposed there was
no use pretending she’d only been there to borrow a book.

Win opened the door to find a fully-dressed Rose and a
hallway full of light. “What time is it?”

“Half past eleven,” said Rose, as she entered the
room, then pulled the door shut behind her. She looked up to see Alex and
quickly looked away again, blushing profusely.

“It can’t be that late,” said Win in a panic. “It’s
still dark in here.”

“Yes, well, I expect that illusion owes a great deal
to the quality of Rosalind’s curtains. Colin took it upon himself to go to
your room at eleven of the clock, only to find you weren’t there. Ava and I
tried to convince him you were only out for a walk. But then he, Nick and
James became so concerned for your safety that they were about to go out and search
for you.”

“Oh, dear!” This wasn’t the way she wanted her
brothers to find out about her betrothal. “Do they know where I am?”

Rose looked most uncomfortable. “I’m afraid they do.
When they realized Jane had purposely not checked on Mr. Lewis this morning, they
put two and two together and now they’re waiting in the formal sitting room on
the first floor to speak to Mr. Lewis. Oh, Win, I’m so sorry about this.”

“Nonsense,” said Win, as she squeezed her sister’s
hand. “I just regret that my actions have placed you in this awkward
position. You shouldn’t have to see your future brother-in-law in conditions
such as this.”

“Future brother-in-law!” said Rose with a grin as she
hugged her sister. “I knew it!” Then she turned to Alex. “I am so happy you’re
joining the family, disreputable lot though we are.”

“I’m excited by the prospect,” he said. “Though it
remains to be seen whether your brothers will allow me the pleasure.”

“Oh, they will,” said Rose. “They love Win too much
to deny her happiness.” Then with another hug for Win and a curtsy for Alex,
she left.

Win turned to her dear future husband. “Are you ready
for this?”

“It depends. Is the formal sitting room where his
grace keeps his extra pistols? I could be in trouble if it is.”

“Nonsense,” she said as she kissed him. “We’ll get
dressed and face them together.”

“But it will still be me they want to shoot.”

*

Alex couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this
nervous. Perhaps the first time he’d tried a case. But that was different.
He was very good at his profession – his former profession – and excellent
preparation was the best way to keep nerves at bay.

There was no preparation for this. For facing his
beloved’s formidable brothers. He didn’t think they’d actually shoot him.
Though he wasn’t ruling out a mill in the Lynwood gardens. He would allow
each of them two hits, though he had a feeling James could pack a punch,
courtesy of his time spent on back-breaking labor in America.

But his biggest worry wasn’t violence. He feared
losing Win. For even though he’d helped free her of charges, at the end of the
day he was naught but a bastard and they were the sons of an earl. He’d
learned at an early age that the
ton
liked to keep itself insular. Outsiders
were never truly welcome.

He felt better having Win on his arm as Heskiss led
them to the formal sitting room. The butler had been most solicitous as they’d
come downstairs, not betraying for an instant whether he knew about their
activities of the previous night. But having grown up in a nobleman’s home,
Alex knew very well there was little that occurred upstairs which escaped the
notice of those belowstairs.

But at least all the Lynwood House staff had been
trained well. He detected no smirks or knowing looks. Just the earnest desire
to be of service.

Heskiss announced them, then bowed out of the sitting
room, closing the door as he went. Alex had been expecting an audience with
the three brothers. But he was surprised to see the countess, Miss Wallace and
Rose joining them. The three women were smiling broadly. The three brothers
looked decidedly grim.

“The two of you must be famished,” said the countess.
And it was only then that Alex noticed the plates of food on the sideboard.
“Please help yourself. Heskiss said if you wanted anything else, you need only
ring.”

“This isn’t a dinner party,” grumbled her husband.

“They both had a very difficult day yesterday,” said
Lady Ridgeway. “They could have been killed. It is only natural that they
might be a bit peckish today.”

“I should say so,” said Rose. “When I think how brave
the two of them were, I come close to swooning.”

Lord James snorted his disbelief. “I hardly think
anything could make you swoon, Rose. But go ahead and make excuses for them.”

“Well,” said Miss Wallace quietly. “I would just like
to point out the obvious before this goes any further. You and I have been
living as husband and wife when everyone knows very well we are not.”

“But you and I are betrothed. And had we gone back to
Wiltshire, we would have arranged to have the banns called.”

“Perhaps Rose should leave,” said Nick. “This isn’t a
suitable conversation for a young, unmarried lady.”

Alex didn’t know the Emerson family well, but even he
knew the Earl of Layton had just made a mistake.

“I am not about to be exiled from this room,” said
Rose. “I’m not that young. And Win is my sister. I have a vested interest in
her happiness. We all do. I won’t allow my three brothers to bully her or Mr.
Lewis.”

Colin snorted. “The only bullying that happens in
this family tends to come from the females. What exactly do you think we’re
going to do to Mr. Lewis? He did save her from hanging.”

“And I love him,” said Win, finding her voice.
“During those years with Pierce I didn’t think it would be possible to ever trust
a man again. When I talked to widows I thought how lovely it would be to never
have to take another husband. But I don’t feel that way now. Far from it. I
look forward to being Mrs. Alexander Lewis. I want all of you to support my
marriage. But I’m determined to go through with it, no matter what. As long
as he’ll have me.”

“Oh, really?” asked Colin in a neutral tone. “Mr.
Lewis, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Alex hated talking about his feelings for Win with
anyone. They were too personal, too raw. But he had no choice. “I do not
deserve your sister. And I don’t say that just because of my illegitimacy. No
one deserves your sister. She is kind, honorable and loyal. She has retained
those qualities even after years of being used so cruelly. I love your
sister. I always will. And it would be my honor to spend the rest of my life
making her feel safe, loved and cherished. However, I am ashamed to say that
as of right now, I have no way to support her. You should deny my suit since, other
than my savings, I shall have to depend on your charity until I can find honest
work.”

“Sharing with family is never charity,” said Colin.

“But I am not family.”

“You certainly will be if you marry Win,” said Nick.
“And you shouldn’t start off by arguing with her brothers.”

“You and Win love each other,” said Rose. “That’s all
that matters.”

“See, this is the real reason Rose shouldn’t have been
here for this conversation,” said Colin. “She’s all but sending them off on
their wedding trip and we haven’t had a chance to address the events of last
night out in the garden like men should.”

“You cannot have a mill in the garden of a duke!” said
the countess. “It simply isn’t done.”

“The Kellingtons had many a fight outside,” said
Nick. “They’ll understand.”

“Or perhaps we can skip the mill and see if there’s
anything else that needs to be discussed,” said Win.

“Do any of you have questions for me?” asked Alex.

“I do,” said Miss Wallace. “Are you prepared to be
peppered with questions from two young girls who’ll want to know everything
about you?”

“That is an excellent question,” said Ava.

And one that caught Alex completely off-guard. He’d
been prepared for questions about his background, character and prospects. But
little girls? “Unfortunately, I have very little experience with children.
How can I learn? I wouldn’t want to say the wrong thing.”

“I’m quite sure you won’t,” said Rose. “And you’ll
certainly get enough experience talking to them on the way back to Wiltshire.
Anna is rather shy, but I’m quite certain Letty will keep you entertained.”

“We should make sure Letty doesn’t plague him with
questions,” Colin said to his wife. “Also, Alex – I’m taking the liberty of
calling you by your Christian name in lieu of fighting you outside – you should
be warned that life at the dower house isn’t exactly luxurious. We have only
the two servants, so we help them out as much as we can. The food is good and
we’re never hungry, but it’s not what you were used to in a great house. James
is going to work as the steward to get the home farm running again and I’m
trying to earn a living as an author, which seems to pay slightly less than street
sweeper. Rose rented the manor house to some ghastly Americans last year,
which helped tremendously. However, you, sir, are marrying into a poor and
disreputable family. It shows a remarkable lack of good judgment on your
part. But we shan’t hold it against you since Win is in love with you.”

Win slipped her hand into Alex’s. “So we have your
blessing?” she said, looking at each member of her family.

“Of course,” said Colin. “Anything to make you happy,
love.”

They each fell upon Win with hugs and tears from the
ladies. The men all shook Alex’s hand, while the ladies kissed his cheek.
Heskiss magically appeared with champagne.

Alex couldn’t believe his great good fortune. In the
midst of losing the profession he’d worked so hard to attain, he’d found the
love of his life and a family.

He was the most fortunate man in the world.

The whirlwind started with the arrival of Lord and
Lady Riverton, along with their son Robert. The Kellingtons had just begun
their own celebration with the Emersons when Heskiss announced them. Lizzie
addressed the room at large. “Marcus and I stopped at the archbishop’s office
to obtain two special licenses. They’ll need to be filled out, of course. But
I figured we should get a start on things.”

“That is an excellent idea,” said Rosalind. “I’ve
already been through the hothouse to see which blooms would be good for the
ceremony, though I’ll need Irene and Win to make the actual selection, of
course.”

“But, a special license?” asked Irene. “How can this
be possible?”

“When your husband is a marquess and your brother a duke
it’s not all that difficult,” said Lizzie. “I hope you’ll excuse my
interference, but my good sisters have been keeping me informed of all the
developments. And since it’s so hard to travel with the babies, we knew the
weddings had to be here. I hope you didn’t have your hearts set on Wiltshire.
But we would all like to share the day with you.”

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude, my lady,” said
Alex. “But I’m afraid I cannot begin to repay the amount for the license.”

Lizzie smiled at him. “Please, Mr. Lewis, allow us to
do this as a gift. Our two families are joined in friendship.”

“I would feel most hurt if you didn’t accept,” added
Rosalind.

“No one hurts my duchess,” said her husband with the
final word on the subject. “When shall we have the ceremony?”

So it was with that pronouncement that the ladies,
aided by Heskiss and Stemple, set about making preparations for a double
wedding to take place the very next morning. Rosalind, Lizzie and Vanessa
worked on preparing the house, while the others worked on the wedding gowns.
Over Win’s mild objections, they also decided to jettison her black wardrobe.
Lizzie and Jane each donated beautiful gowns for the ceremony, claiming they
wouldn’t be able to wear them after giving birth. Win rather doubted their
excuse, but was grateful for their generosity.

While the ladies were thusly employed, the men mostly
drank and talked of horse racing.

Win was disappointed not to spend the night before her
wedding with Alex, but she and Rose stayed up talking and planning for the
future.

“Tell me, love, do you wish to marry Nate?” Win and
Rose were lying next to each other, curled up under the covers as they used to
do as girls seeking refuge from a violent father.

“Oh, Win, I do not know what I want from him. I love
him, yes. In fact, I fear I might not ever love another. But I don’t want to
marry him if he doesn’t love me. It would be quite intolerable. And there is
that rakish portion of his personality.”

“True,” said Win, carefully. “But as I look back on
recent events, I have to wonder if there aren’t two very different sides to
Grayson. The one he shows to the world and the one we witnessed. While I
wouldn’t recommend rushing into an understanding with the man, I believe you
should keep an open mind. Who knows what the future will bring?”

“I know your future,” said Rose with a sweet smile.
“Living happily with Alex and all your babies.”

Win couldn’t suppress her answering grin. “I’m not
sure I’m ready for ‘all my babies,’ but I certainly look forward to starting
down that road.”

“Win! That was delightfully wicked. And, selfishly,
I’m glad you and Alex will be staying at the dower house. Though, I believe
this will be the last night I get to spend with you.”

“Love, nothing will ever come between us again. And
who knows? There may be nights when Alex has to make do on his own. Because,
dearest, you mean the world to me.”

“As you do to me.”

*

The day of the wedding was hectic, though the ladies
enjoyed themselves as they helped Win and Irene get ready. Letty, Anna and
Violet were to be part of the wedding party, so they busied themselves adjusting
ribbons and practicing their walk.

James had asked Irene if she wanted to invite her
father and grandmother to the wedding. But she had emphatically refused. If
they couldn’t open their hearts to Anna, she had no desire to see them. He’d
spent the night before their wedding showing his appreciation for her decision over
and over again.

Rosalind entered the suite where the ladies were in
the final stages of getting ready.

“You both are beautiful,” she said. “Your respective
grooms are quite handsome and, from the looks of it, quite nervous.”

“You don’t think Alex is going to back out, do you?”
asked Win.

“Of course not! I believe they’re both wondering what
they did to deserve such wonderful wives. My advice is to keep them
wondering. Everyone is assembled downstairs, except for Colin and Liam, who
are waiting to escort the brides. And I am about to cry, though the ceremony
hasn’t even begun.”

A quarter of an hour later, Mariah began playing the
harp to the few assembled guests in the ballroom. Grayson was there, as well
as Mr. Olson, Sergeant Fisk and his wife, and the veterans who’d helped them.
The men had been astonished to receive invitations, but had readily accepted.
It had been a few days of great change for them. Grayson and Olson had asked
for Lizzie and Melanie’s help in getting the men hired as security guards for
the charity the ladies ran for former prostitutes. The men were now living at
the house.

It was amazing
,
thought Win as she passed them, how a person’s life could change so much for
the better, especially when it had been grim for so long.

“I’ve never seen you look happier,” said Colin, who
was escorting Win to her waiting groom.

“I have my family and a new husband. I cannot imagine
why I’d be anything but happy.”

“Good. Because if he makes you unhappy, he’ll answer
to us.”

“You don’t have anything to fear,” said Win.

“I know. And that’s the best part.” He kissed her,
then let her join hands with her groom.

The ceremony was lovely, though Win remembered little
of it later. But there was a touching moment when Irene leaned down to Anna.

“I, Irene Marie Wallace, pledge to be a devoted mother
to you. I will feed you and teach you and tend to any skinned knees. I’ll
read to you and listen to you and sit with you when you’re sick.”

“You already did that,” said Anna, with a smile.

“But I will do it again if there’s ever a need. I’ll
play with you and comfort you. But mostly, I will love you now and forever.”

Anna and Irene hugged as everyone in the room
pretended not to cry.

Win spent her time looking at her groom and wishing
they were alone. Not that she didn’t love everyone there. But she wanted to
savor the intimacy of the moment. Those weren’t just words they were saying.
They were vows of the heart and soul.

Finally, the ceremony was over and it was time for the
kiss. She’d thought it would be embarrassing to kiss Alex in front of her
family, but when it came down to it, it was just life as it was supposed to be.

“Thank you, Win,” he said. “For saving me.”

“You’re the one who saved me from the gallows, sir.”

“And you’re the one who saved me from a hollow life.”

The rest of the day passed as a blur. Their wedding
night was shorter than Win would have liked since they were leaving for
Wiltshire early the next day. But, thankfully, there was a lifetime of nights
ahead.

The farewell between the two families was filled with
gratitude and well wishes among the adults, and tears among the children.

“Letty,” said Colin, pulling his crying sister close.
“Why don’t you invite Violet and her family to visit us?”

“Can I?” she asked, suddenly much happier.

“Of course.”

“Violet, will you and your family come visit us in
Wilshire?”

Violet turned to her parents with a squeal. “May we?
Please?”

“Of course,” said her papa.

“When?”

“Why don’t we allow the Emersons the chance to go home
first before we immediately chase after them?”

Her mama said, “In the meantime, you can write letters.”

Violet and Letty both cheered, but Anna said
plaintively, “I can’t write.”

Irene put her arm around the girl. “I’m certain Letty
will read you the letters and help you write your own to Violet.”

“Yes, I will,” promised Letty.

“And Violet,” said Jane. “This will give you the
chance to improve your penmanship.”

“Letty and Anna, you won’t mind if I don’t have good
penmanship, will you?” asked the girl.

“Of course not!” said Letty.

“Of course not!” said Anna.

“I think perhaps everyone should practice their
penmanship,” said Ava.

None of the girls were all that enthusiastic about the
idea, but after more hugs and tears, the Emersons finally set off for Wiltshire
in two of Nick’s coaches and one supplied by Grayson, who was on his way home
for a visit.

Win and Alex were making the trip with Grayson. Win
asked Rose to accompany them in the spacious carriage. She wanted to see the
two of them together for herself. It was only at the last minute that Stemple
squeezed into the compartment, sitting next to Grayson. Stemple’s bemused wife
sat next to her husband.

James, Irene, Anna and Letty were in the second coach,
leaving Ava, Colin and Nick in the last one.

“Are you happy to be going home, dearest?” Ava asked
her husband.

“I never thought I’d be this happy to go back to that
estate. But, yes, I’m quite happy.” He kissed his wife, as Nick tactfully
turned to look out the window.

“Have you thought any more about finding a wife?”
Colin asked his brother when he’d finished kissing his wife – for now.

“It’s going to be hard to do that when I don’t know if
I’ll still be an earl a month from now.”

“The right lady won’t care about a title,” said Ava.

“I guess I’ll soon find out.”

“Can you stay with us when we get home?” asked Colin.

“Only for a day or so. If Simon is successful in
divesting me, I want the estate to be in as good a shape as possible, so I can
protect as many people as I can. But I may have to move in with you later, if
you have the room. And I’m only half in jest.”

“I’m completely serious when I say we’ll always have
room for you, brother.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Colin sat back with his wife in his arms. His finances
were still precarious. But his life had never been better.

He realized with some clarity that this was now the
life of an Emerson. And it wasn’t half bad.