Chapter 18 #2
She put her hand up to stop him. “I already have a family. Luke and Rachel, along with the rest of the Becketts, have embraced me completely into their family. They have loved and protected me, allowing me to become who I was meant to be.”
“And who is that?” Betsey asked gently.
Emma smiled at her grandmother. “Anything I want to be.” She turned to look back at Simeon. “I’m ready to depart.”
“Must you?” her grandmother inquired.
“I must,” she replied, “but I hope to see you at my engagement ball.”
Betsey’s gaze grew determined. “We’ll be there.”
“No, we…” her grandfather started to say.
“Stop!” Betsey exclaimed, rising. “You will not run Emma off like you did to our Helena. I won’t let you.” She pointed at Emma. “She is our only remaining grandchild, and I refuse to lose her again.”
Her grandfather’s eyes softened a bit, but they were still hard. “Perhaps we could start over,” he proposed, “assuming she will marry the earl…”
“No! She will marry who she wants, and you will accept that,” her grandmother declared, pointing at him. “I won’t lose my granddaughter.” Her eyes filled with tears.
At the sight of his wife’s tears, Alymer moved to embrace her, whispering something in her ear. He turned to address Emma. “Please forgive a stubborn, old fool,” he said in a tight voice.
Emma almost frowned at his forced apology, but she couldn’t help but notice her grandmother was staring at her with pleading eyes. If her grandfather could meet her halfway, then she was willing to, as well.
“I accept your apology, Grandfather.”
He extended his hand out to Simeon. “We shall attend your engagement ball.”
“Thank you, sir,” Simeon replied, shaking his hand. “That makes us very happy.”
Her grandfather gave her a curt nod. “Until the ball.”
“Or you are welcome to call tomorrow,” Betsey suggested in a hopeful tone.
Emma smiled at her grandmother. “I would love to.”
“That pleases me greatly, Emma,” Betsey replied with a relieved sigh.
“It is time to depart,” Simeon reminded her softly. “We must ready ourselves for the theatre tonight.”
“Before you go,” her grandmother said as she stepped forward and embraced her. “I’m so happy that you’re here, my dear Emma. Thank you for your willingness to forgive,” she whispered into her hair. Once she stepped back, Simeon placed his hand on her elbow and led her from the drawing room.
Once they were situated in the carriage, Simeon asked, “Did you get the answers you were hoping for?”
“I did,” she affirmed. “My family kept me away from my grandfather to protect me. He planned to marry me off without even discussing it.”
Mrs. Morton interjected, “I couldn’t help overhearing that he was marrying you off to an earl. Most women of the ton would be pleased by that arrangement.”
“You’ll find that I am not like most women of the ton,” Emma asserted.
“For which I am grateful,” Simeon added, kissing her on top of her head.
She tilted her face to look up at him. “Besides, I am much more interested in marrying a Bow Street Runner than an earl.”
Simeon stood in the posh entry hall of the Duke of Remington’s townhouse.
He was in full dress and was waiting for Emma’s arrival for their engagement ball.
He had offered to escort her personally to the ball, but Downshire huffed a firm refusal, stating that it was not appropriate for an engaged couple to spend so much time together.
For the past week, he had spent every moment he could with Emma.
They had gone on carriage rides through Hyde Park, toured Grange Gardens, and even spent evenings at the theatre.
Unfortunately, no invitations had been forthcoming for balls or social gatherings for Emma, but he, along with members of the Beckett family, had already devised a plan to help with that.
He had no doubt that after tonight, the ton would accept Emma for the beautiful, unique woman that she was.
The main door was opened, revealing Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Maddix. Previously, his breath would have hitched at Martha’s beauty, but he now realized that it paled in comparison to Emma’s.
He tilted his head respectfully. “Mr. and Mrs. Maddix, what a pleasure to see you again.”
“Mrs. Maddix?” Martha repeated. “When did you stop calling me Martha?”
Reaching out, Emmett placed a hand on his shoulder. “You took a bullet for me, Simeon. We are past formalities between us.”
“Understood.” He smiled.
Turning to address her husband, Martha asked, “Would you mind giving me and Simeon a moment alone, dear?”
“Of course,” Emmett replied. “It will give me a chance to get a drink before this blasted affair.”
Laughing, Martha teased, “I fear that Luke is starting to rub off on you.” She turned to face Simeon to explain. “Emmett and Luke have become rather close, living on neighboring estates.”
“Or it could be that I prefer to see my godson, Matthew, and Luke is always loitering about,” Emmett joked. “Speaking of Luke, has he arrived?”
“Not yet, but Benedict and Jonathon are in the duke’s study.”
With a lingering glance at Martha, Emmett said, “Don’t be long, my love.”
As her husband walked away, Simeon questioned, “Are you happy?”
“Blissfully, so,” she replied. “And you?”
“I am so happy that my heart might burst with joy,” he answered honestly.
She smiled. “I am so pleased to hear that.”
“For so many years, I thought I had been searching for you, but I realized that my heart had been searching for someone entirely different.”
“You were searching for Emma,” Martha said knowingly.
He nodded. “I was.” He shifted his gaze over her shoulder, then admitted, “After you married Emmett, I spiraled out of control. I was filled with hate and despair, but Emma changed all that.”
Martha’s eyes grew reflective. “When you find true love, that’s what happens. The love removes all doubts and fears, allowing you to be free from the burdens of your past.”
“It’s true,” he remarked. “I’m finally returning to the man I was before I lost you that fateful day.”
“I’m glad, especially since that was a good version of you,” Martha commented, smoothing out her blue gown. “Has she met your family yet?”
Glancing in the direction of the ballroom, he responded, “She’ll meet them tonight.”
“They’ll love her.”
“I know. How could they not?”
Martha grew silent as she watched him for a moment. “Our once-merged paths have veered away from each other, and we’ve discovered far greater happiness than we ever thought possible when we started on our journey.”
He smiled. “Well said, Martha.”
“Well, it would be best if I join my husband in the study before the ball starts,” Martha said. “I wouldn’t want him to have all the fun without me, now would I?”
Simeon watched Martha walk down the hall, and he knew without a doubt that Martha was his past, and Emma was his future.
The main doors opened again, and Emma entered with Lord and Lady Downshire. His breath hitched at the mere sight of Emma dressed in a white gown with a pink ribbon around her waist. Her hair was piled high on her head and brown curls framed her face. Good heavens, she is stunning, he thought.
“Wentworth, you need a hobby!” Downshire exclaimed. “I fear you might smother Emma with all your unwanted attention.”
“It’s not unwanted,” Emma remarked with a coy smile. “In fact, I find I’m constantly encouraging him.”
“I will personally acquire a special license, and we will get you married tomorrow,” Downshire suggested.
“We shall not,” Rachel stated. “Emma and I have been planning the wedding luncheon for over a week now and invitations have been sent out.”
“I need a drink,” Downshire mumbled as he continued to walk down the hall.
“Poor Luke. He doesn’t know quite what to do with Emma being in love,” Rachel teased. She followed her husband with a light laugh.
Without waiting another moment, Simeon reached for Emma’s hand and started leading her towards the gardens in the back of the townhouse.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
He grinned as he opened the door. “I wanted a moment alone before your guardian comes looking for us, and quite possibly challenges me to a duel for absconding with you.”
“I doubt he’d do that,” she replied, her eyes full of mirth. “More likely, he will demand that we marry in the morning by special license.”
He pulled her against him. “I find that I am in favor of that.”
“As am I,” she murmured before their lips met.
After a few moments, Simeon broke the kiss and reached into the pocket of his jacket. “I have something for you.”
“Another gift?” Emma asked with an uplifted brow. “I daresay you’re spoiling me.”
He pulled out a diamond bracelet and held it up. “I saw this in a shop, and I thought of you.”
Emma smiled as she fingered the matching diamond necklace around her neck. “I’m beginning to suspect you think of me often when you visit shops.”
“It’s true,” he agreed, placing the bracelet around her wrist. “I think of little else.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Emma declared, “I wish you would stop buying me jewelry. I don’t need fancy jewels or clothes. I just want a place in your heart like you have in mine.”
“You already own my heart.” Simeon kissed her firmly on the lips, then added, “I love you.”
“And I love you.”
Resting his forehead on hers, he spoke softly. “Before you came into my life, I was a shell of the man I once was. But you changed me. With you, I’m free to live again.”
“Careful,” Emma teased, “it almost sounds like you believe in fairy tales.”
“I admit that I am becoming a believer in happily ever afters.” He smirked. “And the night is still young.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You’re up to something.”
“You shall find out soon enough,” he said mysteriously, stepping back and reaching for her hand.
As he led her into the crowded ballroom, the Duke of Wellington was announced at the far end of the room.
Emma stopped and turned to him in surprise. “The Duke of Wellington is at my ball?”
“Our ball,” he corrected. “And, yes.”
“How did you arrange that?”