by Wolf, Bree
Chapter Thirty-Three
Together
Something tickled her nose.
Even lost in a warm, wonderful dream, Becca noticed that slight irritation. Her eyes pinched shut, but as her mind began to return from the deep recesses of sleep, she felt disturbingly bright light tickling her lids.
Still, it was not light that tickled her nose, was it?
Her eyes began to flutter, slowly allowing for more brightness. At first, it felt blinding, almost painful. But then slowly, the bright blotches morphed into images and she found herself staring at a long stalk of grass, softly swaying in the morning breeze.
Her nose twitched in irritation, and Becca moved to lift a hand…
…but found herself wrapped in a warm embrace, Zach’s head only a hair’s breadth away from hers, his arms slung around her, holding her tightly against him.
Becca smiled as the memories of the previous night returned.
She remembered how she’d gone to Lord Tedious’ house in order to retrieve Zach’s ring. She remembered his anger when she’d refused his suit. She remembered Zach coming to her aid yet again.
Snuggling closer into his embrace, Becca watched as the morning light traveled over his face, accentuating his chestnut brown hair, now wild and disheveled as it stuck out in all directions. She remembered how they’d mounted their horses and ridden north. They’d pushed on far into the night until she’d barely been able to keep her eyes open.
“We could stop at an inn,” Zach had suggested, and although she hadn’t been able to see the smirk on his face, Becca had known from the tone of his voice that he’d had an alternative at the ready.
And what an alternative he’d offered her!
Sighing, Becca glanced at their grazing horses tied to a nearby tree before her eyes drifted over the softly glowing embers of their campfire. Zach had shown her how to prepare the ground, what kindling to use and how to stack it. Then he had guided her hands in lighting the first spark and explained how it would catch and grow.
Becca had been exhausted, and yet, she’d reveled in the moment so unlike any she’d ever been granted. Zach, too, had seemed utterly pleased to share all he’d learned on his adventures traveling the world with someone who understood how priceless this freedom was.
Once the fire was lit, Becca had found that Zach had indeed come very prepared for he’d not only brought a cloak and boots for her, but another set of clothing as well as blankets, food, water and anything one might need for living outdoors.
It made her wonder what plan he was following for clearly he wanted it to be a surprise. Becca could barely contain her curiosity! Still, she loved the excitement, the possibilities, the not knowing. It was its own little adventure.
“Do you want to change first?” Zach had asked her when he had pulled some bread and cheese from one of the saddle bags. “You look cold.”
Becca had nodded as her dress had been made for sitting in a parlor, not for traveling the countryside. However, when she’d opened the bag, she’d been surprised to find not a riding habit or the like, but a simple shirt, a pair of breeches, stockings and a jacket.
Grinning, Zach had come to sit beside her. “I was thinking skirts would only get in the way.”
Her gaze had found his then, and she had seen the promise this gesture represented in his brilliantly blue eyes. “I love you,” Rebecca had told him then, the words flying from her lips without thought.
Zach had pulled her into his arms, holding her in a way he had never before. “I love you as well,” he’d whispered and, suddenly, life was different.
The last bit of distance – something that ought to exist between a man and a woman, who shared no connection of blood or matrimony – fell away. Rebecca had never known anything like it. All of a sudden, it was as though she’d known Zach forever. She knew every corner of his heart, saw in the spark that came to his eyes what thoughts occupied his mind and understood the small subtleties in his manner.
One look into his eyes told her that he felt the same.
After changing, Rebecca had returned to the fire and sat down beside Zach, accepting his offer of food. Together, they’d enjoyed the peacefulness of the night until fatigue had closed their eyes. Snuggled in his warm embrace, Rebecca had finally fallen asleep, wondering if life could truly be this wonderful or if she’d perhaps hit her head and was hallucinating.
Could one be this happy?
“I can hear the cogs in your head turning,” Zach mumbled beside her, his eyes still closed despite the morning sun. “What are you worrying about?”
Rebecca laughed. “I was wondering if this was a dream.”
He reached out a hand and pinched her arm.
Rebecca howled in mock pain, then slapped his shoulder as more laughter spilled from her mouth.
“Does this feel real?” he asked, pushing himself up onto his elbow, his blue eyes finally meeting hers. “For it feels awfully real to me.”
Nodding, Rebecca hugged him. “It feels real and right and…” She sat back, grinning. “Perfect.” Her stomach chose to voice its complaint in that moment.
Zach laughed. “Well, almost perfect.” Disentangling himself from the blankets they’d slept in, he rose and marched over to the fire. “I’ll see to breakfast. Would you mind getting some water from the stream down there?”
Rebecca didn’t mind. She didn’t mind at all. Neither did she mind the simple breakfast or the leaves in her hair. She didn’t mind brushing down her horse or packing up her belongings herself. She didn’t mind spending all day in the saddle. She didn’t mind at all…
…so long as Zach was by her side.
Perfect, indeed!
By the time the sun began to set that day, they reached a small hill overlooking a stream and a picturesque village in the green meadows beyond. Smoke circled upward from chimney stacks as the sky turned a glowing red, casting warm colors over the small settlement.
Following Zach as he dismounted, Rebecca glanced around. “Where are we?” she asked for she could not shake the feeling that they’d finally arrived. But arrived where? And why? Why had he brought her here?
Smiling, Zach reached for her hands, pulling her closer. “That village down there,” he whispered, his eyes aglow with mirth, “is Gretna Green.”
Rebecca felt her body still. “What?” she gasped, her mind spinning as her heart leapt with joy. “What are you saying? Why are we here?”
“I saw your list,” Zach told her as one arm slunk around her middle while the other gently cupped her face. “That night in Brighton, I saw your list lying on your vanity.” He placed a kiss on her nose. “I saw the last item on it. The one you didn’t tell me about.”
Rebecca tensed as her thoughts echoed, get married in Gretna Green. “I didn’t tell you,” she rushed to explain, “because I didn’t want you to—”
“I know,” Zach interrupted. “I didn’t bring you here because I felt obligated, because I’d agreed to assist you with the items on your list.” He smiled at her, and the sight of it warmed her to her toes. “I’ve brought you here because I wanted to, because I want you.”
A joyous giggle escaped Rebecca’s lips and, for the first time in her life, she didn’t care that she sounded like a silly miss. “Are you certain? After all, I’ve proved more than once that I can be quite troublesome.” She grinned at him. “I’m far from perfect. I—”
“But you’re perfect for me,” Zach said with a conviction that made it a fact. “And I know that if my parents were here right now, they’d push me toward you because they’d see with one glance that I’m never more happy than when I am with you.” He planted a kiss on her lips. “I’d be a fool to let you go.”
Still giggling – for a reason outside her understanding, she couldn’t seem to stop – Rebecca nodded. “Very well. If you’re certain, then I’m certain as well. Go ahead; ask me.”
Laughing, Zach sank down on one knee. “Rebecca Hawkins, will you do me the honor of becoming my
wife?”
“I will. I will. I will.” The words flew from her lips as she kept nodding her head. Perhaps love was a sickness after all. But who in their right mind would seek to cure it?
Surging upward, Zach pulled her into his arms and spun her around as she clung to his shoulders, her heart bursting with joy. When he finally settled her back on her feet, they were both out of breath. “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring, but I will—”
“How about this one?”
Blinking, he stared down at the small emerald ring in her hand. “It is beautiful,” he sighed, “but it will always remind me that the original is in,” he swallowed, “that man’s possession.”
Rebecca grinned, then reached for the necklace hidden under her shirt and pulled out the replica she’d had fashioned months ago.
Zack’s gaze darted back and forth between the two rings as a gust of air rushed from his lungs. “You…? How did you…?” Almost reverently, he reached for the ring lying on her open palm. “This is my father’s ring?”
Rebecca nodded, blinking back tears at the sight of his emotions. She knew, in that moment, that all she had risked had been worth it. Without the ring, a piece of Zach’s heart would have always been missing. “He dropped it when he grabbed me,” she told him, unable to deny that twinkle of triumph that came to her eyes.
Zach’s gaze widened. “You mean, you provoked him so he would…” His voice trailed off and he swallowed, shock clearly marking his features.
Rebecca shrugged. “I admit it was not a carefully laid-out plan. It came to me in the moment, and I acted on it. But it worked.”
He stared at her. “You shouldn’t have—”
“I know.”
“He could’ve hurt y—”
“I know!” she blurted out, yanking the delicate golden chain from her neck. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I did because I love you.” She flung the replica into the stream. “Just like you came crashing through a window for me. What if he recognized you?”
“I wore my mask.”
“Still!” Rebecca pointed out, loving the way they could argue. This, too, felt utterly right!
Zach sighed. “Very well. How about this?” Again, he reached for her hand. “We will not hold back. We will have adventure. We will do what we feel compelled to do, but—” He moved to place his father’s ring at the tip of her ring finger. “We will do it together. Agreed?”
Rebecca nodded. “Agreed. Only together.”
Smiling, Zach pushed the ring onto her finger, and it fit perfectly. Who would have thought?
Epilogue
Pembroke Hall, Early summer 1813
Four weeks later
Pembroke Hall shone in all its splendor when they opened their doors to receive friends and family to share in the joy of their recent nuptials. Of course, society had been shocked to learn that the new heir of Pembroke had married in secrecy in Gretna Green. While Rebecca’s aunt had turned ash-white, her uncle had almost suffered a heart attack.
Or so Caroline had told her.
Now that she was free to do as she pleased, Rebecca saw little reason to spend any time at all in her aunt’s and uncle’s company; even if her uncle’s no doubt terrifying encounter with his own mortality seemed to have softened his heart.
According to Caroline, he was much more peaceable these days.
Nevertheless, since Rebecca loved her cousin dearly, and upon Zach’s urgings, she had agreed to hold a festive wedding celebration in order to placate her aunt and uncle so they would see no reason to forbid the two women from staying as close as they’d always been.
So far, that plan seemed to be successful!
While Caroline stood in the corner, pretending to be the demure wallflower, her parents promenaded the extensive lawns of Pembroke Hall like king and queen, chatting here and there and accepting congratulations on their niece’s fine match.
Fortunately, Lord Tedious was not in attendance, which was not surprising for they hadn’t invited him. However, one never knew.
Large umbrellas shielded the even larger refreshment table from the sun as lords and ladies mingled, munched and mocked each other on the quiet as they had always been wont to do. Off to the side, Rebecca spotted her new husband chatting with Genie and her gentle beast.
On his new wife’s behest – a fortnight of poking and prodding, to be precise – Zach had finally reached out to his cousin and begrudgingly shared with her and her husband the truth about the night they’d come upon an intruder in their home. Although the beast had been far from amused at first, Genie had managed to turn his frown around.
Now, they all stood together in a fairly civilized fashion, baby Emmeline bouncing in her mother’s arms. The little girl was about half a year old and her parents’ pride and joy.
One day, Rebecca hoped to have a child of her own; perhaps a little boy with wild auburn curls and piercing blue eyes. The thought brought a warm smile to her face.
However, that adventure would have to wait for, at the moment, Rebecca longed for quite another. Soon, they would set sail and travel the world. Zach had promised to show her all the places that had captured his heart, and if she knew anything about him, it was that he was a man true to his word.
Rebecca could hardly wait.
The only one with a somewhat forced smile on his face was Zach’s brother, Nate, who’d arrived only a few days ago.
While the two brothers shared a fairly similar appearance, Nate seemed by far more serious. He always moved and acted with care, with thought, aware of his place, his manners impeccable. Still, the look in his eyes spoke of a wistful yearning, and Rebecca wondered about the woman – Abigail, was it? – who had broken his heart.
Zach had been right. Nate had not wanted the ring returned to him, and Rebecca wore it proudly. Still, she could not miss the hint of pain and anger that came to her new brother-in-law’s eyes every time his gaze drifted down to touch upon it. She could only hope that he hadn’t closed off his heart for good.
Perhaps one day – most likely when he least expected it – another woman would cross his path. One who would prove the perfect match for him in every way.
“Have you seen Markham?”
Turning toward her husband, Rebecca shook her head. “I saw him arrive,” she replied as her gaze swept the large terrace and grounds beyond, “but I haven’t seen him since.”
Zack frowned as his hand reached for hers, his thumb brushing over the palm of her hand, sending delightful tingles up and down her spine. “He had that look in his eyes,” he mumbled. “I admit I’m worried.”
Rebecca laughed. “Perhaps whatever he’s up to will liven up this gathering,” she teased as they walked arm in arm across the terrace and then stepped into the adjacent drawing room, presently empty as the guests preferred the warm outdoors.
Squeezing her hand, Zach grinned at her. “You know, for a change, I find it quite relaxing to have a day free of drama.” He sighed rather theatrically. “It’s not so bad once you give it a chance.”
Rebecca elbowed her husband in the ribs, having discovered only recently that it was the surest way to wipe any mask off his face. “You cannot truly mean that,” she challenged, delighting in the way he fought to hold on to that feigned seriousness he liked to tease her with. “Do not pretend you enjoy—”
Ignoring her, Zach nodded toward the front hall. “Look, there’s your cousin.”
“Don’t try to distract me!”
“I’m not,” he insisted before a smirk came to his face. Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand on her arm tightened and, before Rebecca knew what was happening, he hauled her into his arms for a lingering kiss. “Now, I’m trying to distract you,” he whispered against her lips. “Is it working?”
Rebecca snaked her arms around his neck. “You’re on a good path.”
His deep blue eyes held hers. “Perhaps we should continue this upstairs.”
“We have guests!” Rebecca objected with a chuckle. “
What will they say if we simply disapp—?” Her voice broke off as her husband’s face took on a slightly confused look. His eyes moved from hers and settled on something beyond her shoulder before his brows drew down in a somewhat bewildered expression. “What?”
“Look,” was all he said, nodding toward the front hall.
Turning in his arms, Rebecca paused when she saw not only her cousin, but also Lord Markham standing by the staircase landing. That in itself might not have been anything unusual, however, there was something odd in the way they spoke to each other.
“I wish we could hear what they’re saying,” Zach remarked as he pulled her to the side where they were hidden by a large plant. “Would you say they look…familiar with each other?”
In that moment, Markham reached out and snatched Caroline’s spectacles from her nose, a teasing smirk on his face. Caroline, in turn, wore a look of deep annoyance as she followed his retreating steps, determination in her blue eyes to retrieve what was hers. Markham, however, kept her spectacles firmly out of reach, words falling from his lips that seemed to rile Caroline even more.
“Very familiar,” Rebecca agreed, too stunned to say more as she watched the strange back and forth between the two.
“Did you know they were…that well acquainted?” Zach asked, the expression on his face an echo of her own.
Rebecca shook her head. “I had no idea they were acquainted at all,” she stated, slightly annoyed to admit that fact. She looked at her husband. “How could we have missed that?”
Chuckling, Zach shrugged. “I suppose we were otherwise occupied.”
Huffing out an annoyed breath, Rebecca stared at her cousin and her husband’s best friend. “Now, this won’t do. I need to know what is going on between them.”
“Then go and ask them,” Zach offered, chuckling.
Rebecca scoffed. “Oh, please, as though they would tell me! Look at them. Do you see how Caroline is constantly looking over her shoulder? She doesn’t want anyone to know. Otherwise, she would have told me in the first place.” The thought that her cousin hadn’t confided in her stung. Still, Rebecca had to admit that she herself had not been very forthcoming when things had progressed between her and Zach, either.