Regency Romance: An Intriguing Invitation (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) (85 page)

''Do you still want her?''

''Yes, oh Lord, yes. I want her more than anything in the world.''

''Then you'd better go inside and tell her.''

William entered the room and stood next to the bed. Megan was asleep, her hair trailing on the pillow. There were flowers on the bedside table and a small toy bear tucked under the sheets next to her. William didn't want to wake her. He pulled up a chair and sat down, his hand on hers.

Megan opened her eyes eight hours later. When she did, the first thing she saw was William's head on the bed next to her. At some
point,
he'd fallen asleep and fallen forward, his head on the bed, the rest of him still in the chair. When she saw
him,
she put out a hand and felt his hair. She wondered why he was there. Surely he wasn't cruel enough to mount a bedside vigil and then go back to his fiancee. Or perhaps he was. He'd been cruel enough to let her read about his forthcoming marriage in the newspaper.

He felt a rustle on top of his head and woke up. He jerked his head up suddenly and saw Megan, awake.

''How are you feeling?'' he
said gently
.

''Sorry,'' she said. ''I shouldn't have done what I did.''

''It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you get well again.''

''Yes, I suppose so. Why are you here?'' she asked.

''I'm here to say sorry to you and to tell you that I love you and want you to marry me.''

''Why do you suddenly want to marry me when only a few days ago I read you were to marry another woman?''

He sighed and didn't
know
where to start his explanation. ''After you told me who you
really
were, I went to speak to Francis, my brother, the Duke. Sorry, the late Duke.''

''What? Is he dead.''

William pulled a face to force the tears back. ''Yes, he died yesterday. It was a tragic accident. He fell.''

''Oh you poor boy,'' Megan said. ''Go to his wife and comfort her. What are you doing here?''

''I cannot leave you. I wasn't strong enough to stand up to my brother. He didn't want me to marry you because you're from the middle
class,
and I simply let you go, just to please him.''

''No, a lot of it is my fault, William, we live in a time when classes are not allowed to mix. I understand.''

''But you tried to kill yourself and our baby. Why?''

''Because I couldn't bear to live without you. I couldn't bear to look at a child that every day reminded me of you. I couldn't, I sorry.'' She began to weep.

He took her hand and pressed it to his cheek. ''I'm here for you. I will never leave you
again
if you'll have me. Please?''

''And the other woman?''

''I will take care of that.''

''We have both been unkind to each other. Very unkind, but I would like to spend the rest of my life with you and our child.''

*****

When Megan was well
enough,
she went to live with her father until William made arrangements for his
brother’s
funeral. She moved in with William and had a
boy
, an heir to the Dukedom.

Jeffrey got his place among the
aristocracy;
his money saved Hamilton Hall and the estate.

Fred and Mary married and had six children. Jeffrey rewarded Fred for his loyalty and made him quay
foreman
, which meant in later years he had a much easier job.

*****

THE END

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