The Lyon’s Legacy (The Lyon’s Den Connected World)

Chapter Twenty-Four

“F ather, I cleaned it as best as I could.” Herbert walked into John’s study with a solemn look that John immediately knew meant he had been engaged in some mischief.

“I told you to keep it for someone special. It belonged to your grandmother, and you should give it to a woman you love.” Then he saw Laura appear from behind the doorframe. “But only when you grow older and are ready. Do you understand?”

Laura turned beet red.

But Herbert came closer. “This belongs to you, Father. I was wrong to try to keep it from you.”

“No, you were not. A ring like this is a symbol. I was amiss not to explain that it makes up a part of our fortune, and that includes you, of course.

“I should go,” Laura whispered.

“You are always welcome here, Laura. Please understand my disapproval; it is merely that you are both very young and should give yourselves the chance to grow up. If you still feel in the future as you do now, you shall have my blessing indeed.”

“Thank you, milord.” The poor girl was so red and wrung her hands that John thought it best to spare her any more wisdom.

“So are you, Father,” Herbert said when Laura gave him a nod and disappeared into the hall. She already knew her way well around the castle.

“Am what?”

“You are young and have a heart full of love to give. I shan’t be the one to stop you.”

“Shouldn’t,” John cringed when he heard himself correct his son.

“You should ask her to marry you and give her this ring.” Herbert gave a nod in the same way Marianne used to when she indicated that she was ready.

John swallowed hard, but he could have sworn that his eyes were most likely growing red-rimmed. “We have other rings, you know. There’s a sapphire in the vault—”

“No, this is for Melissa. When I’m all grown up, I’ll come to ask you which ring I may give Laura.”

John bit his lip. He certainly didn’t want to cry in front of his son. He hadn’t even when Marianne had died.

“It’s a family affair, like you said.” John rubbed his eyes before a tear could spill. “Let’s do this together, shall we?”

Melissa sat in her bedchamber at Starcliff Castle, the soft glow of the firelight casting a warm hue across the room. She absently stroked the velvet cushion on her lap, lost in thought. The echoes of her recent argument with John still lingered in her mind, making her chest tighten with regret and uncertainty even though they’d reconciled. Apologies could mend but not erase what had been said.

Angus, her little gray kitten, padded into the room, his tiny paws barely making a sound on the polished wooden floor. Melissa smiled softly at the sight of him, her heart lifting slightly. Angus had been her constant companion, a source of comfort and amusement in the tumultuous waters of her emotions.

The kitten leaped onto the bed, approaching with a determined air. “What is it, my sweet fluff ball?” Melissa murmured, reaching out to scratch him behind the ears. Angus began to paw at his neck, and Melissa noticed a small ribbon tied around it. Her brow furrowed as she leaned closer, thinking it was perhaps a new bandage. Herbert often worried over the smallest things, the kitten, and she wondered if he had tended to Angus without her noticing.

But then, something glinted in the firelight. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized it wasn’t a bandage. It was a ruby ring, secured with a white silken ribbon around Angus’s neck. Her heart began to race, and she gently untied the ribbon, carefully holding the ring between her fingers as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

“John?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

At that moment, John stepped out from the shadows of the doorway, his face a mixture of hope and apprehension. Next to him was Herbert, looking as if he’d spilled the milk. Then he left.

John hesitated at the threshold, his usually confident demeanor replaced with a rare vulnerability. “Melissa,” he began, his voice soft but steady. “I know we quarreled, and I can only hope you will forgive me. I thought perhaps Angus might soften your heart toward me.”

Tears welled in Melissa’s eyes as she looked at him, the sincerity and humility in his expression piercing through her defenses. She stood, clutching the ring to her chest as if it could anchor her racing emotions.

“John,” she said, taking a step toward him. “You have my heart, always. There is nothing to forgive.”

Relief washed over his features, and he closed the distance between them in two quick strides. Taking her hand in his, he knelt before her, his eyes never leaving hers. “Melissa, you are the light of my life. From the moment I met you, I knew there was no future for me without you in my life. But only you had the bravery to make it happen, and I was too stupid and proud to see it. I love you with every fiber of my being. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

The room seemed to hold its breath as Melissa gazed down at him, her heart full to bursting. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “Yes, John, I will marry you.”

A radiant smile spread across John’s face as he slipped the ring onto her finger. He rose, pulling her into his arms, and they shared a kiss that sealed their promise to each other. In that moment, all doubts and fears melted away, leaving only the pure, unshakable certainty of their love.

Angus meowed softly, reminding them of his presence, and they both laughed, the sound echoing joyfully through the chamber. Melissa held John close, feeling the warmth of his love envelop her, and she knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together as one.