“Yes.”
His grin widened. “I don’t mind at all, just as long as they don’t come visit you after we’re married. I’d hate to have them interrupt something.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Laughing, she threw her arms around him and gave him the hug she’d been wanting to since hearing he was dead. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and brought comfort to her. Knowing her mother and Sebastian were alive made everything in Felicia’s life perfect at the moment.
Bash kissed her briefly on the lips before pulling back. “We’ll have a lot of time for this later. Let’s get your mother out and I’ll contact Officer Rossi about the accidental death.”
She wiped her moist eyes and nodded. “That sounds like a great plan we can do together.”
“As long as we’re together, we can accomplish anything.”
Felicia couldn’t agree more.
THE FOLLOWING WEEK was hectic. Felicia made sure her mother had the best doctors Capri – or the surrounding towns – could provide, and thankfully, it wasn’t long before her mother was on the road to recovery. Sebastian assisted Officer Rossi with Mortimer’s burial. Once the evil man’s agents heard of his death, they all surfaced and introduced themselves to Felicia. All of them were grateful for their freedom now that Mortimer was dead.
Felicia still couldn’t trust her staff, so she dismissed them all and hired others to replace them – hiring Mortimer’s former agents to fill their spots.
She had cuddled and kissed Sebastian so much in one week, most of society thought they had already married. Felicia laughed and told them no, but she waited patiently for Bash to ask her the right way. Hopefully, he wouldn’t keep her waiting very much longer.
One afternoon, she strolled outside near her flower garden. The temperature was warm, and the sun rose high in a cloudless sky. Her heart was full of love, and her mind was also full, but with concerns.
She really wanted to return to England to live, but unless she sold her estate, she had no money. Thankfully, her mother wanted to return to England, as well. Felicia hadn’t spoken to Sebastian about it, but she was confident that he wouldn’t resist.
Felicia knelt by her flowers and snapped off the dead leaves and yanked the weeds out of the dirt. Her mind was lost in plans for her future that she didn’t see the four people who had stood by her, until one of them cleared his throat.
She gasped and turned. Her grandmother, Aunt Abigail, Louisa, and her father all stood together, each one smiling lovingly at her.
“Oh, you’re here... and you’re all together,” she said happily. She brushed off the dirt from her gloved hands and stood. “Before you say anything, I want to let you all know how sorry I am.” She looked at her father. “I was angry and mourning the loss of someone I loved when I spoke to you last. I didn’t mean what I said, because I realize now just how much you all have helped me throughout my life. Thank you.”
Her father nodded. “I’m very proud of you, daughter. It has been such a privilege to be your guardian angel, and I’m going to miss it.”
Confusion filled her. “What are you talking about?”
Her grandmother stepped closer. “My dear, you have proven to us that you don’t need guardian angels any longer. Your mother is in your life, and you have met a wonderful man who loves you and wants to marry you. Those will be your guardian angels from here on out.”
Sadness weighed heavily in her chest. “Really? This will be the last time I get to talk to you?”
They all murmured the word yes.
Felicia sighed. “Then let me tell you how much I love each one of you. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me.”
“We love you...”
Their voices faded as well as their appearance, until she was staring into thin air. She didn’t know how to feel. She’d miss them, but she was happy that they were going to leave her alone so that she could live a normal life with Sebastian.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel outlining the path through the flowers, and she snapped her attention toward her unexpected visitor. Sebastian smiled widely as he came toward her.
“Am I interrupting anything?” he wondered.
“No, why?”
He stopped in front of her and took hold of her gloved hands. “Because I heard you talking with your spirits.”
She shook her head. “They are gone now.” She glanced over her shoulder to where they’d been a few moments ago. “They are gone... forever.”
“Forever?”
She cuddled against him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “Yes. They were telling me goodbye and that they don’t need to be my guardian angels any longer.”
“Why?”
“Because I have you and Mother.” She lifted her head and looked up at him.
He grinned. “Yes, you do.”
He pulled away slightly and removed her gloves before taking her left hand in his. He kissed her knuckles.
“And since I’ll be your guardian angel, I thought I should apply for the position the right way.”
She chuckled. “The right way?”
He knelt on one knee as he stared into her eyes. “Felicia, will you become my wife and promise to love and cherish me for as long as we both shall live?”
Her heartbeat quickened as her grin widened. “Actually no.”
His eyebrows creased together. “No?”
“I don’t want to love you and be your wife just while we are alive, but I want us to be together even after we are dead. Then we can be guardian angels to our children.”
The tense muscles in his face relaxed as he nodded. “I like that idea.”
“Good, because I won’t take anything less.”
He laughed. “Neither will I.”
BASH TOOK HER IN HIS arms again, giving her the kind of kiss he’d been thinking about ever since he thought he’d drowned in the ocean. Watching Felicia from afar, he realized how much she had loved him. She was devastated when she thought he was dead. But not telling her the truth was necessary for Mortimer to believe in their farce.
Thankfully, Officer Rossi had found Sebastian and saved him from drowning. Of course, Sebastian begged the officer not to tell Felicia. Seeing her suffer in such a way was the hardest thing Sebastian ever had to do.
He moved his mouth over hers, passionately. The tender way she responded had his heart hammering with excitement and pure happiness. He caressed her back, pulling her even closer to his body, but soon, he wanted more. Now was a very bad time for wanting to do that with her.
Sebastian ended the kiss and pulled back, smiling. “I cannot wait until we are married.”
“We share the same thoughts, my wonderful man.”
His heart lightened, hearing such an endearment from her. A few years ago, he never thought he’d be this happy, and with the woman who’d broken his heart.
Hand-in-hand, they strolled back toward the house.
“Bash? What would you think if I told you I wanted to move back to England?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You really have to ask?”
“I suppose not. I think you would love to be back home, as well.”
“My dear, lovely Felicia. I would love being wherever you want to live.”
“Splendid. Then I’ll need to sell the estate as soon as possible.”
“I’ll talk to my friend, Officer Rossi, and see if he knows someone who is looking.”
“And of course, there is just one more matter I’ll need to settle before we leave.”
He looked down at her. “What is that, my love?”
“You’ll see.”
Her grin was mischievous as she hurried ahead of him and into the house. He laughed and chased after her. When they reached the sitting room, she closed the door before moving to the bookshelf. Sitting on the top shelf was a box wrapped with decorative paper and tied with a bow. She handed him the box and smiled.
“This is for you.”
His heart melted. “My dear, you didn’t need to buy me a g
ift. I have you, which is everything I ever wanted.”
“This specific gift you’re going to think differently about, I assure you.”
Feeling like a child at Christmas, he ripped open the paper and opened the box. Resting in a square of purple velvet material, was a topaz diamond ring.
Surprise shook through him as he lifted the ring out of the box to study it closer. He’d never seen the ring up close, but he was told what to look for to make sure it was genuine. The markings underneath the ring were there. He gasped and swung his gaze to her. “Where did you find this?”
“For the longest time, Mortimer kept telling me that I knew where the ring was. One of my spirit guides told me I knew where it was. Even you believed I was the thief. Although I didn’t steal the ring, it was under my nose this whole time.” She shook her head as her gaze dropped to the ring. “I don’t know why I never suspected before, but the person who had stolen this ring – and probably had accomplished other thefts in England – was no other than my poor, deceased husband.”
Sebastian stared at her in amazement. “Incredible! I had been told it was a woman.”
She shrugged. “Well, that woman married him – me – but it was Edwin all along. He’d kept it in this jewelry box which he’d wanted buried with him. Because the box wouldn’t fit, I had nailed it closed and hung it in his bedchamber.”
Sebastian stepped closer to Felicia and took her in his arms. “When did you realize he had the ring?”
“Not until I read back through some old notes I’d taken when I was working on the case back in England. Then I realized the man’s description fit Edwin perfectly. Then suddenly, I pictured his jewelry box, and I knew.”
“You are a remarkable woman, Felicia Adler.”
She laughed. “No, I was just very lucky... or unlucky. Depends on how you want to look at it.”
He held the ring up to the sun’s rays streaming through the window. The diamond sparkled.
“The queen will be very pleased when we bring this back to her.”
“Indeed, she will be.”
“Unless...” Why he allowed his mind to wander, he didn’t know.
“Unless, what?”
Chuckling, he took the ring and placed it on the finger where he’d soon put her wedding ring. “Unless you want to use this as your wedding ring. After all, it was this very ring that brought us back together.”
“Oh, Bash.” She stroked the side of his face lovingly. “That is a very thoughtful sentiment. However, with so many greedy people looking for it, I’d think if we kept this ring, it would only invite danger into our lives. I don’t know about you, but I want a normal – peaceful and relaxing – life after we’re married.”
He nodded and kissed her briefly on the lips. “You amaze me yet, again. I must agree with you. I’ve had enough danger in my life and I don’t wish for any more of it. Being normal with you is the only thing I want.”
“I love you, Sebastian.”
“And I love you, Felicia.”
She stared at the ring on her finger for a few seconds longer. “It does look good there. So maybe we can leave it there for a few more hours before we hide it again.”
Laughing, he pulled her closer. “Is there any doubt why I love you so much?”
“Because we think so much alike?”
“Exactly.”
She studied his face with a tilted head. “Then what am I thinking now?”
Desire lit her eyes, stirring excitement inside of him. “Let me take you back to the sofa and I’ll show you what you’re thinking.”
As he cuddled with Felicia on the furniture, he knew his life would be perfect from now on. He’d found love and he was never going to let it go. Being married to Felicia would be a daily dose of love and laughter.
What could be better than that?
THE END
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Other books in this series:
Madison’s Gift (book #1)
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Katrina’s Sight (book #2)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07695ZBPZ
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The Sweetest Touch - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007QH286Y
The Sweetest Love - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSADZEC
The Sweetest Secret - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBQIAQS
Sweet Memories - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077FNKST1
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Marie Higgins is an award-winning, best-selling author of clean romance novels that melt your heart and have you falling in love over and over again. Since 2010, she’s published over 50 heartwarming, on-the-edge-of-your-set romance. She’s broadened her readership by writing mystery/suspense, humor, time-travel, paranormal, along with her love for historical romances. Her readers have dubbed her “Queen of Tease” because of all her twists and unexpected endings.
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Felicia's Spirits Page 19