Chapter Thirty-Seven
M alcolm swallowed liquid from a spoon lifted to his lips. Salty and warm. They served chicken broth in heaven? He forced his eyes open to see if his angel was still with him. Then he sighed in relief. Adeline.
“Drink a little more, love.”
He opened his mouth automatically and swallowed more broth. It soothed his parched throat. He was still so tired. His stomach clenched. Strange. Shouldn’t he have left behind his pain on the earthly plane? He swallowed once more when the spoon nudged his lips. His eyelids felt so heavy.
When he opened his eyes again the light had changed. A soft glow filled the room he lay in. His throat still felt parched, but his mind was clear. He stretched and then turned onto his side. That was when he saw Adeline. She slept beside him, her arm curled up under the pillow and her wild curls spread over her shoulders. He reached out and lifted a strand of her hair, running the silky strand through his fingers. If this was heaven, he was eternally grateful she had waited for him.
Then her eyes popped open. She didn’t have her spectacles on. Why would she need them in heaven? The whiskey depths of her eyes were filled with relief.
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Is this heaven?” he asked.
“No.” Her lip quirked up in a wry smile. “You are at Hartwick House.”
“But you are dead. Are you haunting me?”
Her eyes widened. “Dead? What do you mean?”
Not dead .
Adeline took his hand and placed it over her heart. It beat steady under his palm. He sat up abruptly and immediately regretted it when his head swam, and tiny bursts of light filled his vision.
Adeline sat up as well.
Her hand grasped his arm. “Go slow. You were severely dehydrated when we found you in that cell. Why were you refusing to eat and drink?”
His vision cleared, as did his mind. He grabbed Adeline around the waist and tumbled them back to the mattress. “You’re alive.” He kissed her lips, soft and warm, and knew this wasn’t a fevered dream. Frantically, he kissed along her jaw and up to her temple, breathing in her scent. She was real, and alive.
Adeline grasped his head and pulled it back so he had to look at her. “Malcolm, why did you think I was dead?”
“Your father came to see me in my cell. He wanted to know where the artifacts were. He told me he had lured you out of Hartwick House by sending a note that your mother was ill and that he had poisoned your tea. He claimed it had been so simple to get rid of you.”
Adeline’s hands slipped down to cup his cheeks. “All lies. I have been here at Hartwick House the whole time. Just like I promised you. Why would you believe him?”
Malcolm flipped onto his back next to her and stared at the dark blue canopy above them.
His practical Adeline would think him ridiculous. “I thought, because I loved you so much, that I was the reason for your death.” He shut his eyes. “Everyone I love dies.”
Adeline climbed on top of him. Her legs straddled his hips, and her palms lay flat on his chest. “You sweet, foolish man. Don’t you see? It is because of your love that I am finally able to envision my future lived to its fullest. That I will no longer only exist in the circumstances subscribed to me but grab hold of all the things that I want. And I want you most of all.”
Overwhelmed, he grabbed hold of one of her hands and pressed a kiss to the palm.
Adeline scooted up and off of him. “Sit up. I cannot do this with you lying down.”
“Do what?” Malcolm pushed himself to sit against the headboard. He looked down and found he was still in his filthy uniform. “How long have I been here?”
“Just the afternoon. We rescued you this morning, and I have been feeding you little bits of broth all day.” Her fingers ran over his temples and down over the thick stubble across his jaw.
The furrow he loved appeared between her brows as she frowned at his lack of grooming.
“I am still angry with you for not eating and drinking.”
He would take her anger any day. He wanted all her emotions, all of her time; he was never leaving her again. Except maybe to take a bath.
“Malcolm, I have spent my whole life being quiet, being no trouble to the people around me, being invisible.” She placed her hand over his heart. “When you came into my life, for the first time, I felt seen. I admit I was confused by your compliments, your kisses, and your attention. But now, I don’t think I could live without all of it, without you. I do believe that we are fated to be a pair. You are my North Star, my home. Will you marry me, Malcolm?”
“Yes.” He pulled her onto his lap. “God, yes. But I warn you that I will be the most possessive of husbands. I will want to spend all my time with you. I will want to make love to you constantly. I want to live at Bridestone and have a large family. Are you up for the six children the fortune-teller portended?”
Adeline laughed and nodded enthusiastically. She threw her arms around his neck, and he sank into her kiss. He couldn’t fathom how he was so damn lucky that fate sent him this amazing, clever, forthright woman to love. But he planned to do his damnedest to love her the way she deserved to be loved, with his whole heart, mind, and body.
“Yes, but first, maybe let’s get you a bath.”