Epilogue
These last four months had been the busiest months of Tilly’s life.
Of course, they would’ve been, she reckoned.
Going from one life to another was no simple thing.
She’d done it before, of course—a few times—so it wasn’t new.
And though leaving the life she’d built these last nine years had been hard, everyone was encouraging, especially Isabel.
She’d been the first to congratulate Tilly when she and Rhys had delivered the news of their business partnership later that Christmas Day.
It had also been Isabel’s idea to have the shop ready by the start of the haut ton’s season in April, declaring she would be Tilly’s first client.
It had been an unceasing whirlwind since.
Her gaze lifted and landed on the lord across the shop. By her side every step of the way had been that man standing at the front window display carefully tilting a hat just so on the dress form.
Rhys.
When he’d said he would be her partner in this venture, he’d been entirely serious.
“See how the brim of the hat tips up on the left side?” she called out from where she stood arranging silk poppies in the Venetian-glass vase that had been her Christmas gift from the Duke and Duchess of Arundel.
Upon hearing Tilly’s news, the duchess had proclaimed she would be Tilly’s second client.
Lawks.
Sometimes, she could pinch herself.
Rhys cocked his head, considering the hat. “Aye?”
“Could you tilt it to the right? Give it that saucy angle ladies like.”
“Ah.” He glanced up from his task, silver-gray eyes shining with humor. “Now what, my captain?”
Tilly looked around the shop. How changed it was from the empty, dust-riddled space of four short months ago.
Now, it contained samplings of everything a woman could need to start her journey toward her best style, starting with basic fabric swatches to determine a lady’s most flattering colors for dresses, hats, and even jewels, to the various shapes and styles of hats, to the styles of the gowns themselves.
In turn, Tilly would work with various dressmakers, milliners, jewelers, hosiers, shoemakers, and every other sort of tradesperson related to ladies’ fashion to ensure every woman she worked with walked out into the world her most fashionable self.
It was a different sort of business and held risks, but she believed in it.
And as much belief she had in her talents and skills, that man over there who was now oiling the front door’s squeaky hinges—that man who had brought her dream from the lofty ether of possibility down to earth and into the realm of reality—he believed in them even more.
“Tilly?”
She snapped to. “Aye?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“What’s that?”
“Worrying yourself.” He pointed at her. “That little line has formed between your eyebrows.”
As she rubbed the spot smooth, he crossed the room in a few long strides and wrapped her in his arms in a strong, bearish embrace. He’d taken to doing that at all hours of the day, whenever the mood struck him. It made her feet feel firm on the ground, and she loved it.
In fact, she’d loved spending these last four months with Rhys, day and night.
Oh, the nights with this reformed rake…
The nights were even better than the days when he left the reformed side of himself at the bedchamber door and became his unreformed self between the sheets.
Aye, the nights were even better than the days, as she spent most of them in the new townhouse he’d purchased on Half Moon Street.
“Everything is ready for tomorrow. See?” He spread his arms wide before pointing toward the window display. “That hat is tilted at precisely the correct angle.”
A giggle bubbled up. He always brought out the laughter in her. Yes, these last four months had been the busiest of her life—but they’d also been the happiest.
And all of it was down to Rhys.
She angled her face so she could nuzzle into his neck and kiss it and feel the vibrant, steady throb of his pulse beneath her lips.
How alive was Rhys.
And how she loved him.
By every external measure, tomorrow should be the best day of her life.
But she knew it would only be one of the best days of her life.
So far, the best day had been the day she’d met Rhys.
But tonight, she was hoping to change that.
For she had a question to put to him, and if he said yes, then this day would leap all the way to the top of every other day of her life as the very best.
No day would ever surpass it.
“Rhys?” she asked, the nerves creeping into her voice.
He angled back to meet her eye. He’d detected those nerves. “What is it, my love?”
My love.
He’d taken to calling her that.
And every time—every time—he said those words, they struck a chord within her that filled her with such emotion she was amazed one woman could hold it all.
She inhaled, steadying herself for what she would say, searching for the correct way to begin. But she couldn’t find the correct words, so she began with the truest words, instead. “Ever since I can remember,” she said, “I’ve had this little animal being that lives inside me.”
He blinked. “Oh?”
He hadn’t expected those words.
Well, neither had she.
It wasn’t a perfect beginning, but it was the beginning she had. “And whenever I’ve found myself in a tight spot, that little animal being takes over and tells me to run. Never once was it wrong—until it encountered you.”
“Is that so?” He looked balanced on the edge of amusement to one side and confusion to the other. “And now?”
If she was being honest… “Some days, it still wants me to run.”
Even as a smile twitched about his mouth, his eyes turned serious. “Can’t say I blame it.”
“You see, there’s this other part of me that came to life when I met you.” Oh, the emotion that rushed forward. “A part of me that is only alive because of you. A part of me that lives solely for you.”
“Tilly…”
Sudden tears sprang to her eyes. “And that very much frightens the little animal being inside me.” She exhaled a steadying breath. “I think it always will, Rhys.”
Understanding shone in his silver eyes. And something else, too—acceptance. “That’s all right, my love.”
“But, Rhys?” She had yet more to say. “Me and that little animal being have reached an understanding when it comes to you.”
He waited.
“The part of me that lives solely for you is what makes my life worth living.”
He caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. She swayed into his hand before catching it with her own, staying it. She must say the most important thing of all before she could give over.
“Rhys, I want us to spend our lives together—as partners…as friends…as lovers…as husband and wife.” Those tears that had rushed forward threatened to fall. “I know you’re not going to ask, so I will.” She inhaled and steadied her voice, which wobbled anyway. “Will you marry me?”
He searched her eyes. “We can have all the other stuff without the husband and wife part, you know. I’m yours, whatever way you choose.”
She shook her head. “From the beginning, there was never any choice, remember? It was only ever us.”
“In that case…” He stepped back, separating from her. Then he dropped to one knee and reached into his pocket, his hand emerging holding a…
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Is that a ring?” Gold and green winked up at her. “An emerald ring?”
“Aye.”
Of course.
Wasn’t it an emerald ring that had brought them together?
“Have I yet thanked you for cheating my father’s ring off Sir Felix and rescuing me, Tilly?”
“But you’d already rescued yourself, Rhys.”
His dimples made their appearance. “Ah, but you rescued me from a life without you.”
“But I proposed to you,” she said through laughter that was now flowing like champagne bubbles as he slid the ring onto her finger. “How is it you had a ring ready?”
“Actually, I’ve had it for a while.”
A suspicion formed in her mind. “How long?”
He came to his feet and took her into his arms. “I had it with me on Christmas Day, in case—”
And here was suspicion confirmed… “In case I asked you to marry me then.”
“Aye.”
“And you’ve carried it with you since?”
“Every day,” he muttered against her lips. “Just in case you asked me to marry you.”
He said things like that—romantic things.
In truth, they were the sort of romantic things a rake would say to get where he wanted with a woman.
She liked—loved—that this reformed rake said them, too, to get where he wanted with…
Her.
In his bed—oh, yes…
In his life…
In his heart…
Forever.
The End