by Robyn DeHart
She did as he instructed, and together they walked to her father’s side.
“I believe this is yours, sir,” Gareth said and handed the photograph to him.
Her father’s eyes sparkled with tears. “You shouldn’t have gone for it.”
“Papa, it’s my fault. I sent him back for it. I know how much you miss her and the thought of losing this last bit, I couldn’t bear it. But it nearly got both of you killed. I’m so sorry.”
“Meggie, you did what you thought was right. No one can think straight under these circumstances. Loving her was the greatest thing I’ve ever done. And to know you have found that…” He put his hand over his heart. “That is the greatest gift.” He shook Gareth’s hand firmly, then embraced his daughter. “Enjoy every day.”
Loving Gareth as she did put her heart in extreme danger, but it was worth the risk. Almost losing him today confirmed that. Loving him for even one day made the risk worth it.
As if hearing her thoughts, Gareth pulled her into his arms. “I love you,” he said.
“And I you, my dear husband.”
Epilogue
“We solemnly swear to unravel mysteries by ferreting out secrets at all costs,” they all said in unison.
“Now then, I believe we all agree that our attempts to entice the Jack of Hearts have thus far been futile. We must step up our efforts if we are to snare the thief,” Willow said.
“Agreed,” Meg said. It was so nice to be back to the regular aspects of life. The plans to rebuild the part of the factory lost in the fire were in full force. Gareth, her father, and she were working hand in hand on every decision. Now that the mystery of the stolen boxes had been solved, she could focus her sleuthing attention back on the Jack of Hearts.
“I must interject something first,” Amelia said. “It is simply too scrumptious to keep to myself.”
“Amelia, honestly, it wasn’t—”
But Amelia did not let her finish. “Willow met Detective Sterling last evening. We had a dinner and invited both.” She closed her eyes and a full smile appeared. “But neither Colin nor I expected quite the show those two put on.”
Charlotte laughed heartily.
“You did not tell him you were the one sending him the letters, did you?” Meg asked.
Willow pursed her lips. “I could not help myself with all the boasting of his skills. He is despicable,” she muttered.
“Oh, I would have paid great money to have seen that,” Charlotte said.
“Indeed. It was not a night I will easily forget,” Amelia said.
“Nor I,” Willow said in disgust.
Meg laughed. One thing was for certain. No matter what life brought, adventure was never too far off. And the Ladies’ Amateur Sleuth Society was expert at detecting it. Solving the mysteries was grand entertainment and excitement at every turn. But she never would have expected that love would be the greatest of all her adventures.
About the Author
Robyn DeHart always knew she wanted to be a writer, but it took a while to discover precisely what she wanted to write. Reading Kathleen Woodiwiss’s A Rose in Winter sealed the deal, and she’s been reading and writing romance ever since. She should have realized she was destined for this career when her Barbies insisted on hosting elaborate masquerade parties, complete with stolen kisses in the moonlight. Researching her novels is always exciting, but when it involves eating chocolate, it’s especially sweet. She lives in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, with her incredibly supportive husband and two very spoiled cats. She loves to hear from readers.
www.robyndehart.com
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DELICIOUSLY WICKED. Copyright © 2006 by Robyn DeHart. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Microsoft Reader October 2006 ISBN 0-06-125420-7
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