“Why?” Richard’s brow furrowed. “I always thought money was rather attractive to women.”
“That’s part of it. At first I remained silent because she was, well, rather mercenary, and I thought it served her right. And later I didn’t want her to care for me only because I had a fair amount of money. And then it was, well, too late.” He smiled apologetically. “I am sorry.”
“Is there anything else you haven’t told me? Anything not relating to government secrets, that is,” she added quickly.
He shook his head firmly. “I can’t think of a thing.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.” She cast him a wicked smile. “But I do believe I’ll have a great deal of fun finding out.”
He pulled her back into his arms and she didn’t care at all if they were being watched by princes and brothers and all of Avalonia as well.
“The fun, my dear wife,” he said as his lips brushed hers, “will be entirely mutual.”
And she knew without question, without doubt that everything she’d ever wanted, everything she’d ever dreamed of, her every wish had indeed come true. Regardless of title or position, of castle or cottage, of great fortune or nothing at all, with this man she was, for now and for always ...
A prince’s bride.
Epilogue
Six weeks later ...
It was generally acknowledged, in the circles of polite society, that London was simply not tolerable in late summer. Never tolerable, regardless of the circumstances. Yet each and every guest who flitted through the elegant townhouse, from jaded rakes to overdressed matrons, from sweet young things in the first flower of youth to elderly lords on their last legs, from the envious to the curious to the vastly amused, had indeed made the journey to town for this overly crowded and overly warm event.
And why not? It wasn’t every day London discovered one of its own was the prince of a foreign realm. That he was handsome and mysterious and had furthermore stolen the heart of the season’s loveliest incomparable from beneath the nose of his equally royal cousin made this reception given by his mother an event not to be missed by anyone who was anyone. Or at least anyone who believed himself to be anyone, which was nearly as important.
The Dowager Viscountess Beaumont, Natasha Beaumont, surveyed the scene with satisfaction. She’d always believed the world was filled with intriguing possibilities and wonderful twists and turns. And didn’t all this prove her point?
She watched her son and his bride, in the midst of the crowd, have eyes only for each other and smiled at the knowledge that somehow life did indeed work out as it should. And if their adventures were over and they would not be easing unrest or fleeing for their lives or uncovering conspirators, well, love was a great adventure and that was just beginning.
Still, Natasha wondered if there weren’t too many questions unanswered for the adventures to be over for long. If not for Rand and Jocelyn, then for others. Perhaps even herself. Why, the possibilities were endless.
She glanced at the wall beside her and the small portrait of the father she had never known and smiled.
“Indeed, Father, the world is full of possibilities.”
AVON BOOKS
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, New York 10022-5299
Copyright © 2001 by Cheryl Griffin
ISBN: 0-380-81821-3
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Avon Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
First Avon Books paperback printing: December 2001
Avon Trademark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. and in Other Countries, Marca Registrada, Hecho en U.S.A.
HarperCollins ® is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
10 987654321
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
The Prince's Bride Page 33