Once Upon a Diamond (37 page)

But he was too noble to let her go, and she loved him
too much – too much to let him bear the burden of having a wife he couldn’t
love. “Well, then, I’ll have to return to America as your wife - in name only
of course.”

He let out a string of curses that made Kate cringe. “You
stubborn, obstinate, pig-headed woman.” He stomped toward the door. “Have it
your way then. Give up. Leave. But tell me one thing.”

“What?”
Burning tears filled her throat. He was angry now. Wasn’t that what she wanted?

“Tell me you don’t love me one more time, and then I’ll
believe you. Can you do that, Kate? Can you
honestly
say you don’t love
me? If you can, I’ll leave and never come back.” 

She shifted in her chair. Perhaps in time, Tristan would
truly come to love her, but she couldn’t risk the consequences if it never came
to be. He deserved better.

“I
–
Don’t
–
Love
–
You.” There,
she’d said it. Her heart ripped in two.

“Tristan?” Her stomach turned when the sound of retreating
footsteps answered back.

After a minute, she heard nothing but the eerie whistle
of the wind against the windowpane. “Tristan?” Her throat ached with defeat. Pressing
her lips together, she rose from her chair and fell onto her bed with a sob. He
was gone. Gone forever.

“Oh, Tristan,” she murmured against her pillow. “I do
love you, dearest, dearest, Tristan. So very much. I just want you to be free.”
Tears streaked her face and she gulped huge sobs of grief. “I do love you…I do." 

Standing a foot from the threshold of Kate’s bedchambers,
Tristan secretly continued his watch from the hall, his gaze never leaving his
wife. Minutes passed as the lump grew in his throat.  

At that moment, he loved his wife more than he could
ever think a man could love a woman. His mother’s death and the lady’s
confession had been a shock. He mourned the loss of the woman he had never
really known. But as for his wife, he would never let her go.

Soon, Kate’s whimpers were barely audible, but he heard
them all the same.

“Kate?”

Her head shot up, and she instantly wiped the tears from
her cheeks. “I thought you had gone.”

“I know. That’s something you still haven’t figured out
about me, sweetheart.” 

In three swift strides he was at her side. “I’ll never
leave you. You can talk all you like, but I’ll never let you go again.”

She continued to erase the tears on her face with the
back of her hand. “But you said you would leave and never come back.”

“I said that if you could
honestly
say you didn’t
love me I would. You’re not only stubborn; you’re a stubborn little liar. Like
the time you took Devin’s favorite horse and knocked me down. You lied to me
then, but I learned. You see, I’ll never leave you, Kate. No matter what you
say or do.” 

He
knelt down beside her and held her face in his hands. Her cheeks were wet with
tears and her nose was red from crying.

“Do
you hear what I’m saying, wife? Wherever you go, I shall go. Wherever you live,
I shall live. If you move to the farthest corner of the earth, I shall be with
you.” 

He
pushed back a stray tendril of her cornsilk hair. “I’ll never let you go. Sight
or no sight.”

She sniffed. “Never?” 

He rested his cheek against hers. A lonely tear dripped
down his cheek mingling with hers. “Never, wife. You are my life, sweetheart. And
I love you. I will love you forever. God gave me another chance with you, and I
will
never
let you go again.”

“You love me? You’re not just saying that?”

“I love you.” He brought her hands to his lips. “With
every breath of my life.”

She lifted her head and sniffed back another sob. “I’ve
never h
–
heard anything so wonderful in all my life.”

He slid beside her, slanting his mouth over hers. “I
care not if you’re blind.” He kissed one damp eyelid.

Kate blinked back her tears and tried to speak. “But
–
”

“I care not if you’re fat.” He kissed the other eyelid.

“Tristan.”

“I care not if you’re deaf.” He kissed her ears.

“Tristan!” 

His head shot up, his green eyes glazed over with love. “Yes?”

“I
can see.”

“I
know,” he said calmly.

“Y
–
you
know?” she squeaked.

His
lips twitched. “I stood in the hall yesterday when you poured your own tea. You
did it without feeling the rim of the cup.”

“You
purposely led me on,” she said, half-disgusted.

“Thunderation, woman.” His chest rumbled with laughter. “Led
you on?” 

He grabbed her by the waist. She laughed, falling
against his chest. “I would follow you anywhere, sweetheart. Anywhere at all,
because I love you. Do you understand now?”

She nodded, her eyes stinging with happy tears. “Y-yes.”

“And Matthew’s not the only poet. I know a little
Shakespeare, too.” 

“Shakespeare?” 

His eyes twinkled. “My dear, bonnie Kate. ‘My bounty is
as boundless as the sea, my love as deep, the more I give thee, the more I
have, for both are infinite.’"

She curled her hands around his neck and let out a
strangled sob. “That was beautiful.” 

“Now,” he whispered, his hands moving gently down the slope
of her back, “about this so-called marriage. What do you think about our long
awaited honeymoon?” 

Kate sniffed, and before she could answer, he sprung to
his feet and crossed the room.

“What are you doing?” she asked hesitantly.

Spinning around, he sent her a devilish smile. “A little
privacy is in order.” 

He pulled out a ring of keys and locked the door. “Forgot
to tell you, the honeymoon starts now. In fact, we have the entire house to
ourselves. Your father left for the duke’s. We can tell everyone about your
sight later.” 

He cleared his throat. “Much later. In fact, I’ve even
given the servants the day and night off, all except Perkins.”

“You did not?” she replied with a laugh. A deep feeling
of peace swept through her.

He loved her!

“I certainly did. Whether you could see or not, I was
going to persuade you not to leave,” he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive
manner, “one way or the other.”

His loving gaze said more than words ever could. Indeed,
she had fared much better than anyone on Matthew’s list. She had married for
love. And now, she would never be lonely and she would never be sorry. She
watched in anticipation as her husband stalked toward her.

“I love you.” His velvety voice sent a ripple of pure
joy through her.

“I love you, too.” 

Her admission was a scant whisper, but her husband’s
gaze answered back with an emerald fire, possessing her, engulfing her. When
his lips claimed hers, the kiss was tender and passionate, making her feel more
precious than anything he had ever touched, even the diamond.

“Let me love you, sweetheart. I need you so much.”

Her heart screamed with happiness. He loved her. He
wanted her. He needed her.

He lifted a lock of her hair and caressed it between his
fingers. “You are so very beautiful. You’re mine tonight. And after tonight,
you’ll always be mine. My wife. My love. My life. My perfect diamond.”

He traced his fingertip across her lips. “Hmmm, perhaps
you do have a few stubborn flaws. But unlike diamonds, they can be worked out over
a short period of time.”

She arched a smiling, blond brow. “Stubborn flaws?”

He peeled off his jacket and threw his neckcloth onto a
chair.

“Yes, and I think we can start working on that stubborn
streak right now. We’ll have children.” He climbed in alongside her. “With
blessings from above, we’ll have many children. And love them forever.” 

He nuzzled the hollow of her neck, sending a shiver
through her. Abruptly, he pulled his lips from her skin, tilting his head up to
meet her gaze. “That is, if you want to?”

Kate’s entire being swelled with love. “Want to? Of
course, I want children. I want a pack of little feet to fill this house. I
want laughter and love to bounce off the walls. I want to grow old with you. Share
the good times and the bad.” She bit back a sob and spread her hands over his
chest. “Oh, Tristan, can things ever get better than this?” 

Her husband gave her a smile as old as time. He dropped a
large hand to the groove of her lower back, drawing her close to him. The blood
drummed in her ears. “Better than this?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. “Hell’s
bells, sweetheart, we haven’t even begun.” 

He slanted his lips upon hers in a hungry kiss between
husband and wife, a kiss that told her he loved her forever. She felt the beat
of his heart against her palms. He smelled of soap and sandalwood. The scent
permeated her senses.

Her soul began to sing. Her nerves began to tingle. Her
heart began to pound.

She almost wept from the happiness welling inside her. As
time passed, she offered all she had to Tristan. She heard nothing but the
intoxicating whispers of his heart as he declared his love for her. The air
simmered while the room began to spin, dragging her into a consuming, but
beautiful abyss of tenderness so deep she found herself unable to speak.

In those precious moments, they joined their bodies,
minds, and souls in a love that radiated more priceless facets than any gem on
earth could ever have contained.

Kate knew their love had awakened something deep inside
her that no one could ever take away, a small piece of heaven. She felt safe. She
felt secure. But most of all, she felt loved. This is how God wanted it to be. The
thumping of their hearts beat as one in a spirit-filled passion more precious
than the purest of diamonds. Finally, they were husband and wife.

Later that night, as Tristan sat in bed and watched his
wife sleep, he shifted his gaze toward the storm brewing beyond the mansion
walls. Rain pelted the window as thunder rumbled through the midnight sky. It
was strange, he smiled. The ancient Romans thought diamonds were tears from the
gods. The ancient Greeks thought diamonds were splinters falling from the
stars.

He flashed a gentle smile toward his wife. But he knew
what diamonds were. The rough diamond he’d found that night at the inn had
miraculously become a diamond of the first water. No amount of coin could buy
what lay in his arms or his heart.

He thanked God for Kate’s life. He was truly home.

A loud thump jolted him from his reverie.

Hell and spitfire! He slapped a hand across his eyes. He
had totally forgotten about Mr. Divine in the adjoining room. He peeked through
his fingers to see that not only had the parrot decided to invade his chambers,
a barking Handsome had seized upon the opportunity as well. The beast was chasing
the crazy bird as if he were the English fighting the French at Waterloo.

“Pompous windbag,” the parrot chimed as its feathers
pumped violently in the air. “It’s divine, simply divine.” 

Another bark.

Tristan’s lips fell into a deep scowl. He heard Kate’s giggle
and dropped his hand in surrender. “Home indeed.”

“Enjoying married life?" Kate asked, smiling.

He raised an amused brow as he rolled his wife into his
arms and kissed her. “You have to
–
Oomph!
–
ask?”
The
dog landed on his back, and he tried to catch his breath. “Married life, me
dear Kate? Why, it’s divine,” his voice rose in pitch, “simply divine.”

Kate laughed, throwing her pillow at him and scooting
away.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” His arm shot out, crushing her body
against his.

Handsome barked. The parrot squawked. Kate squealed, and
Tristan groaned as he kissed his wife long and hard.

When he pulled back, he gazed into two tearful eyes. His
heart ached with happiness.

“It’s divine,” he growled softly. “Simply divine.” He
buried his face in her golden hair and sighed. “I love you, wife. My life, my
love, my everything.”

“And I love you. Forever.”

A
bolt of lightning sliced across the sky. For a split second, their faces were
lit: two people in love - a love as pure and brilliant as the most dazzling diamond.

Tristan
smiled. His quest was finished. And another one had just begun…

Epilogue

One Year Later - Lancewood Hall

K
ate
leaned against the door of the nursery and smiled at the conversation circling
around her daughter’s cradle. Her father, brother, and Tristan were hovering
over three-month-old Mary like mother wolves to their cub.

“Tiny
nose like Kate,” Robert said proudly, trying to catch a glimpse of the baby’s
face from every angle as she lay sleeping.

“I
wouldn’t say that,” Matthew said, walking around to the other side of the
cradle, his intense blue gaze attached to the babe. “Our little Mary’s nose is
turned up just slightly.”

He
drew out the word
just
and Tristan’s head jerked up. “What do you mean? She’s
perfect.” 

Matthew
laughed. “Of course, she’s perfect. Beautiful, in fact.”

Tristan’s
expression softened and he dropped his gaze back to his daughter. “Beautiful? She’s
gorgeous. Look at those perfect little hands. And that head of curly blond hair
is magnificent.”

“Magnificent,”
Robert said with a grand smile. “Reminds me of Kate when she was a babe. Mary
will grow up to be just like her.”

The
three men continued to study the baby in silence.

Suddenly,
Matthew frowned and stared at his father. “What do you mean grow up to be
just
like her?”

Robert
puffed out his chest. “Our little Mary will grow up to be the spitting image of
her mother, mark my word.”

Tristan’s
eyes narrowed as he studied his daughter. “Never thought of it that way. Yes, I
can see it now. She should grow up to look just like Kate.”

“No,
no. Not just in looks,” Matthew said, peering at the baby. “It’s that nose, I
tell you. Has that stubborn tilt like Kate’s, but a little more. Confound it. You’re
going to have trouble with this one, Tristan. She’s going to be able to twist
you around her finger like a piece of twine.”

The
baby began to cry and Tristan scooped Mary into his arms. “Nothing wrong with a
father doting on his daughter.” 

The
baby, dressed in soft pink, instantly stopped fussing.

Robert
rubbed a hand across his jaw, watching Tristan hold the babe as he rocked her
in place. “Hmmm, never thought about it.”

Tristan
halted and patted the baby’s bottom as he took in Robert’s frown. “What?”

“The
boys, Tristan. They’ll be coming from miles around to court our little Mary
here. A fine kettle of fish that will be if she’s anything like Kate.”

Tristan’s
face paled as he stared at Mary. “Boys?”

“Hell’s
teeth.” Matthew groaned and threw his hands to his face, sinking into the
nearest chair. “Not boys! Men!”

“Keep
your cursing for the clubs,
Uncle Matthew
,” Tristan hissed, pressing
Mary against his chest and placing a hand protectively over the baby’s ear.

Matthew
turned red. “Sorry.”

Tristan
tucked the baby into the cradle and stood back, frowning. “Devil take it. We
have to have a plan.”

Matthew
and Robert nodded grimly. “A plan,” they said in unison.

“But
any plan will be hard to carry out if we’re in America and Mary’s over here,”
Matthew said, his expression sour.

“Well,
then, you’ll have to spend more time here,” Tristan said, crossing his arms over
his chest.

Robert
stared at the baby and pursed his lips in thought. “No doubt, we will. Mary
will need us. My business gives me the luxury of traveling at a moment’s notice.
We can take turns keeping an eye on her. Have a male family member at the manor
at all times.”

It
took a bit of doing, but Kate swallowed her laugh and entered the room. “And
how is
our
little Mary doing?” 

A
host of fatherly grunts stabbed the air.

Kate’s
gaze narrowed on the gentlemen, then shifted to the baby. “Is she ill?” she
asked calmly.

“No,”
Tristan snapped.

“Then
what’s the matter?” Kate suppressed another smile.

Tristan
clenched his hands. “She’s
–
”

“A
girl,” Robert said solemnly.

“Yes.”
Matthew gave Kate an accusing look. “A girl.”

Kate
leaned over the cradle and smiled, her finger caressing her daughter’s cheeks. “Ah,
yes. A proper English miss must have her Season. Balls, soirees, operas, rides
in the park
–
” 

“Rides
in the park?” Tristan cried, pulling Kate from the baby’s side. “No man will be
riding in the park with my little Mary, is that clear?”

Kate
kissed Tristan on the lips and laughed. “Ah, I see. We know what happens in the
park, but it’s inevitable, my dear. Our little Mary will fall in love with
someone just like her Papa.”

“What
happens in the park?” Matthew asked with a grin.

“Never
mind,” Tristan scowled. “However, I’ve already decided that Edward is in on
guard duty, along with Devin and the duke.”

The
baby yawned and all heads turned her way.

“She
is indeed a beautiful child,” Robert whispered.

Tristan
let out a groan of despair when the baby’s innocent green eyes stared up at him.
Kate smiled at the exchange and picked up the baby, cuddling Mary close to her
breast.

Tristan
cleared his throat. “How, uh, long until she has her first Season?”

Kate
ignored his question. There was only so much a new father could take. “Oh, Tristan,
look, I think she recognizes your voice.”

Tristan
stepped forward and kissed the baby’s forehead. “Why shouldn’t she?” He made a
cooing sound. “I am her Papa after all.”  

Matthew
shook his head. “Look at that. Mary already has him twisted around each of her
pretty little toes.”

A bark sounded in the hall, and all heads lifted as
Handsome bounded into the nursery with the parrot riding on his back.

Perkins burst into the room to retrieve the animals and
stumbled over Matthew who let out a curse, catching the old butler before the
man fell flat on his face.

The baby wailed.

Robert ordered Handsome to halt, which was followed by
another bark. Tristan chased the dog about the room, and
Kate
leaned against the wall with tears of happiness filling her eyes.

She
snapped her fingers. “Handsome, come here, boy.” The dog instantly halted and
scurried over to Kate and the babe.

Tristan
stood on the opposite side of the room, favoring his right leg. “They are both
leaving this house
–
tonight!” he snapped.

“Is
your leg hurting you again?” she asked with concern.

Tristan’s
eyes darkened. “Nothing to do with you. It’s fine.”

Kate
narrowed her eyes as if she didn’t believe him, then she knelt before the two
animals. “Now, Handsome, what say you of our little Mary here?” 

Handsome’s
tail wagged, and he gave a soft bark.

“And
Mr. Divine?” she asked the parrot as it flapped its wings on Handsome’s back. “What
say you about our little Mary?”

“Divine.
Simply divine.” 

The
baby cooed and kicked her feet.

Kate
shifted an amused gaze toward her husband. “Now, what have you to say of Mary’s
friends, my lord?”

Tristan’s
face softened as he strode toward his wife and baby. “Very well, they can
stay.”

Matthew
threw his hands in the air. “It’s hopeless. Your women have you so turned
around you can’t even think straight.”

Kate
giggled. “As long as we’re speaking of balls, I was thinking of pink for her first
Season.” She touched Tristan’s arm. “What say you to that,
Papa
?”

Tristan’s
eyes twinkled, and Kate knew he was recalling her time on two particular horses.
“Pink? Might be just the right color to scare those gentlemen away. But don’t
go showing Mary those horses yet.” 

He
wrapped a hand around Kate’s waist and squeezed. “I still have one good leg
left, and I would like to keep it that way in order to chase Mary’s suitors
back to London.” 

Robert
laughed. “You’re sunk, Tristan. Little Mary looks as pretty in pink as Kate did
when she was a child.”

Tristan
looked up, his lips twisting into a smile. “
Gentlemen,
you must know I would do anything for a bit of pink fluff.” He touched the
baby’s double chin
and chuckled. “
Anything
at all.”

Kate laughed, recalling his words uttered so long ago. “Of
course, my lord, Papa. Anything for
a bit of pink fluff
.” She dropped
her gaze to Mary, and her heart swelled. “Anything at all.”

At
that moment Devin walked into the nursery, his eyes narrowed on the baby. “What’s
this about pink fluff? Is Mary ill?”

Kate locked gazes with Tristan, and they burst out
laughing.

“No.” Tristan’s green eyes sparkled as he caressed
Mary’s cheek. “Little Mary is a diamond of the first water, from the tip of her
golden head to the tip of her sweet little toes.”

The men chuckled. The baby cooed. And Kate relaxed
against her husband. “Do you remember that night I thought you were a
highwayman?”

“Yes?” he answered back, his heart in his eyes.

“Well, you were, you know, a thief. You stole my heart and
nothing,” she pressed her baby close to her cheek, “nothing will ever be the
same again.”   

“I love you.” Tristan’s words were muffled against
Kate’s lips.

Robert cleared his throat and the gentlemen filed out of
the room with Handsome and Mr. Divine leading the pack.

“It’s divine,” the parrot chimed. “Simply divine!” 

“Divine
is an understatement, my feathered-friend,” Robert said, wiping his eyes. “A
downright understatement.” 

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give thee,

The
more I have, for both are infinite.