Fraser looked at her, ‘I adored you as my special friend. I needed you. I had to know you’d always be there when I knocked on your door. It was so selfish. I should have admitted that I was in love with you.’
‘But the love doesn’t cancel out the friendship, we’ll still have that, won’t we?’
‘Yes, darling, we will.’
She smiled. ‘So is your offer still on the table? Both of us under one roof? No daddy days and mummy days, just one family together…?’
‘That was a terrible proposal. Let me make you a better one…please. It would make me feel a lot better.’
‘OK.’ She expelled a gentle laugh. ‘Anything to make you happy.’
Fraser enclosed her hands in his, looked into her eyes and said, ‘I want to make the commitment, the vows, the promises… Will you meet me somewhere? Perhaps on a sunny beach, a snowy day in church, a fabulous hotel in the mountains, a spring day standing in a sea of daffodils… Will you do that, my love? Will you marry me?’
Claudia looked at him through misted eyes and answered, ‘Yes…to both of your proposals.’
They sealed the bargain with a lingering, loving, warm kiss. Then Fraser smiled and said, ‘I really do love you.’
Tears spilled from Claudia’s eyes and her mouth trembled as she asked, ‘All around the ranch and back?’
‘All around the ranch and back,’ he confirmed. ‘So, about this one roof we’re going to share.’
‘What about it?’ Claudia said as she brushed her tears away.
‘We need a house. One with a nice garden, with flowers, Justin will like that.’ His eyes were alight as he said, ‘And we’ll need a cat.’
Claudia suddenly laughed at the way he talked of flowers and a cat, and the way, after so much worry and conflict, they were able to dream like any other couple. ‘Yes,’ she agreed, ‘we must have a cat.’
‘We also need a bit of land,’ Fraser said.
‘Why?’
‘For the horse.’
Claudia’s brow puckered. ‘Horse?’
Fraser smiled. ‘A man can’t marry a girl who can ride like a Texas Ranger unless he’s going to buy her a horse.’
Chapter Thirty-Three
The July sunshine flooded through the drawing room windows at Larchwood. The round tables, previously immaculately laid with shining cutlery, sparkling glasses and crisp, skilfully folded napkins were now in disarray with empty coffee cups and glasses. The candles were burnt down.
Fraser kissed Claudia’s face and whispered, ‘I love you,’ very privately in her ear. He had no idea whether she was nervous or not, there had been no signs of it on her face or in her mannerisms since his first sight of her in church. She walked tall, looked relaxed and confident dressed in her beautiful gown, designed by Lizzy. Eliot was the nervous one as he escorted the lovely bride, but honoured to be the one chosen to give her away.
Fraser stood up to make his speech. He cleared his throat and began. He told the guests about that frosty day in the park, when he first saw that girl with Peter Pan hair. When they sat and leaned against a tree and discussed the theory of daffodils.
‘I’ll never stop thanking her for our beautiful son.’ Emotion snatched at his voice, and he paused to clear his throat again. ‘What an incredible journey it’s been for me to get to know Claudia. The time she spoke Russian to Yuri. And when she danced the tango at a party, Grace called her an Argentinian gypsy. The time I found her in the sugar room, boiling heather she’d gathered from the brow to dye some yarn. But those of you who saw the finished tapestry would know that she was absolutely right. And now I’m proud to say that a few days ago, Claudia received an offer for her book.’ He paused and allowed the guest to applaud, some cheered. ‘Her dream to give her great-grandaunt a voice, after all these years, burned brightly. Her determination was inspiring.’ He took a small envelope from his pocket and eased a folded note from it. ‘I have permission to read something to you. It’s one of Alyona’s letters, from Richard. He wrote it when he was staying in London, in 1921. It’s always been Claudia’s favourite. It celebrates a man’s deep and unconditional love for a woman… as I celebrate mine today.’ He reverently unfolded the letter and read it out.
’My Dearest Alyona,
What a delight your sweet letter was tonight, forwarded to me from the Geological Society. It was not there when I went to dinner. After waiting 15 minutes for a table, I went to the desk, and there was your letter alone in its glory – but it filled such a gap, such a want, such a desire, and gave me great joy. Oh how your words do go home deep down into my very heart and soul. I could not wait for the end of the letter, so I ran to the telephone, and in some 20 minutes came your voice. Oh how I was delighted. It is late, but I would not wish to retire without writing a word to you. What hopes rise bright in my mind as I think of you! Is it right? Why not? You have been in my mind every moment since I met you, since it was revealed to my eyes, to my mind, to my heart and soul a personality for which I have so longed to know and find and appreciate. It is all as a dream of sweet reality.
Good night – au revoir – à bientôt.
Richard.’
THE END
Alyona's Voice Page 26