Never Too Late

by Christina Courtenay

  Maude didn’t know where it had come from at first, but then she saw Hampton slump to the ground, while Luke stood panting over him. She grabbed Anna’s hand and rushed towards him. ‘Luke? Luke, are you all right?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he panted.

  ‘What happened?’ Maude looked from him to Hampton and back. She was so relieved to see Luke in one piece, she wanted to throw her arms around him, but of course she could do no such thing. She had to be content with touching his arm, just to convince herself he was all right.

  ‘He had a pistol hidden in his boot. Tried to fire it, but I managed to turn it. Shot himself by mistake.’ He bent over, putting his hands on his knees for support. ‘I never meant for that to happen.’

  ‘Brought it on himself,’ Thomas said, ‘just as the Gascombe woman did.’

  ‘Eliza’s dead too?’ Luke straightened up and looked in the direction Thomas pointed.

  ‘Seems that way. The horse bolted.’

  ‘Dear Lord, what a mess.’

  A sudden commotion nearby heralded the arrival of Stetson with Sir Henry Wallace. Sir Henry was quickly apprised of the situation and took control. ‘Nothing to worry about,’ he said firmly. ‘Plenty of witnesses here to verify these were both accidental deaths. I’d suggest you take Maude and the little one home now, Hexham, and send for the doctor. I should think they’ve both had a shock.’

  Luke nodded. ‘Thank you, Sir Henry, we’ll do that. Thomas, can you round up the two extra horses please? Let’s get going.’

  Safely back at Hexham Hall, they took turns to have a hot bath, since heating the water took a while. Everyone apart from Thomas, who went straight to bed, yawning hugely.

  ‘I don’t look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards like the rest of you,’ he said, ‘but I definitely need my bed. I’m glad everyone’s safe and sound, especially you, young lady.’ Thomas smiled at Anna and Maude realised he’d become used to having a child around and no longer minded.

  ‘I’ll beat you at cards yet, just you wait,’ Anna replied with spirit, before being marched off to have her bath.

  Once Maude had seen her daughter safely put to bed, she had a long soak herself, but afterwards she felt strangely restless. She decided that perhaps a very small measure of brandy could be justified after so many nasty shocks, and to that end she made her way to the library.

  As she opened the door, however, she came face to face with Luke, who must have had the same idea. ‘Maude? I thought you were asleep.’ He was holding the brandy decanter, but put it down and came towards her. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yes, I just ... I thought perhaps some brandy would help me sleep, but maybe it’s not such a good idea. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

  He stopped in front of her and put out a hand to cup her cheek. ‘You disturb me constantly,’ he said with a wry smile, ‘but not in the way you mean.’

  ‘I ... I do?’ Maude looked into his eyes and tried to read his expression. She saw only tenderness now, and perhaps something else, something she hadn’t dared hope for. ‘How?’ she whispered, barely able to get the word out because her heart was hammering so hard inside her chest.

  ‘I think you already know that,’ he replied and bent to give her a soft kiss. ‘Your very nearness drives me mad, just like it did eight years ago. It always will, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

  ‘But I thought ...’

  ‘We both know now why you never kept our assignation. I heard what Eliza said.’ He put his arms around her and pulled her close. ‘I was a fool, Maude, I should have realised you’d never let me down voluntarily. But when my uncle told me you’d chosen Edward and the title instead, I believed him and my pride was wounded. I had no idea he was in collusion with your father and that you had nothing to do with it.’

  ‘Oh, Luke, I wanted to come to you so much, but I was locked in and there was no way out. I couldn’t even knot my sheets together to climb out the window. It was too far to the ground. You have no idea ...’

  He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, her cheek and she gave a little sigh of contentment.

  ‘There’s no point thinking about it any more,’ Luke murmured. ‘It’s in the past, but there’s still the future. Will you share that with me? Will you marry me, but in the parish church this time, not in some smithy across the Scottish border?’

  She smiled up at him and twined her hands round his neck, pulling him down for a proper kiss. ‘Yes, of course, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,’ she said. ‘It’s something I’ve dreamed of every day since you left.’

  ‘Me too. I love you, always have, always will and now I’ll gain a daughter as well. What could be more perfect?’

  As he sealed their bargain with another passionate kiss, Maude knew that nothing could possibly be more perfect than that.

  * The End *

  We would love to hear how you enjoyed Never Too Late. Please leave a review on the eBook store where you purchased this novel. Reviews on eBook stores really do help the author. Thank you!

  Find out more about the author and her novels next including a preview of Trade Winds.

  About the Author

  Christina Courtenay lives in Herefordshire and is married with two children. Although born in England she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan where she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East.

  Christina is chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy for a historical short story in 2001 and the Katie Fforde Bursary for a promising new writer in 2006.

  In 2011, Christina’s third novel, The Scarlet Kimono, won the Big Red Reads Best Historical Fiction Award. Both Highland Storms (in 2012) and The Gilded Fan (in 2014) have won Best Historical Romance Novel awards, and The Silent Touch of Shadows won the 2012 Best Historical Read Award from the Festival of Romance. Christina’s debut novel, Trade Winds, was also shortlisted for the 2011 Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction.

  Read about Christina's novels next ...

  Follow Christina:

  www.christinacourtenay.com

  www.twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

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