She had yet to let go of him but held his hand tight. And she continued to hold it as he pledged his troth in the words of the Book of Common Prayer. Her eyes never left his face.
Her husband. Her wonderful, noble husband.
They would be together through sickness and through health, through good and bad, until death they did part.
Afterward, they walked down the aisle together toward a new life. And as her father’s footmen hurried to open the church doors upon a waiting crowd anxious to cheer the new couple, Corinne leaned close to this man she loved and said, “I knew I wasn’t going to marry Freddie Sherwin.”
Her husband laughed and, to the delight of the waiting Londoners, swept her up into a kiss that set the crowd roaring with approval.
Epilogue
Love conquers all.
Virgil
1812
Word of what had happened at the duke of Banfield’s daughter’s wedding quickly spread. It would become the affair of the year, of the last ten years even, because of the scandal. And everyone who attended thought him or herself most fortunate. They could speak with authority on what they’d witnessed, something Lady Rumsman did quite often. Yes, indeed, she dined very well on the story.
The trial of Kenneth Moore took a good six months. He was found guilty of treason. He could have hanged, but his sentence was changed to a life in exile. He was deported to His Majesty’s colony in Australia.
Will thought it fitting justice.
As for himself, he was pardoned for his offenses committed as the Thorn. He wanted that formality because he wanted his conscience clear.
Freddie, now using the surname Moore, came to Will shortly after his father was imprisoned and asked for Will’s help in purchasing his colors. Will thought it a capital idea that Freddie wished to serve his country and perhaps make up a bit for the wrong his father had attempted. He happily paid for Freddie’s commission in the Horse Guard, as well as settling an income on both him and his mother.
There were other matters to be considered as well. Moore had rebuilt the Bossley estates, but he had done so by using a harsh hand. Will saw to it that what had been taken wrongfully was returned. His decision left Glenhoward in tight circumstances, but by the end of the year, the lands were more profitable than ever before.
Corinne opined that was because his parishioners were happy, and he believed she was right.
Amanda Gowan married Peter Clemson, and the two of them moved to Carlisle. Will saw her from time to time, and her parents assured him she was very happy.
As for himself, he was blessed.
As a clergyman, he had spoken of miracles. Loaves of bread, fishes, good works, and the like.
But his wife was the one who taught him, the scholar, that the true miracle—the one God wanted him to witness—was that of love.
Corinne’s love transformed him. He felt whole and at peace.
And just when he thought he knew love, that he loved all he could, she gave him the gift of a child. With his daughter in his arms, Will at last understood a parent’s boundless love. It was all encompassing. Not only did he marvel in the child’s perfection but he was also amazed that one such as his imperfect self had played a hand in her creation.
Aimee Dunleavy Sherwin yawned and rubbed her eyes with a newborn’s innocence, and any hardness left in Will’s heart melted. She had her mother’s face, right down to her stubborn chin.
What a lucky man he was, blessed more times over than he could ever have imagined. His feet were rooted in Glenhoward’s ground, his heart in his wife’s soul, and his future in this small human.
Yes, love was a miracle.
About the Author
CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” The question remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness.
She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.
Fans can contact Cathy at www.cathymaxwell.com or PO Box 1135, Powhatan, VA 23139.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
By Cathy Maxwell
The Seduction of Scandal
His Christmas Pleasure
The Marriage Ring
The Earl Claims His Wife
A Seduction at Christmas
In the Highlander’s Bed
Bedding the Heiress
In the Bed of a Duke
The Price of Indiscretion
Temptation of a Proper Governess
The Seduction of an English Lady
Adventures of a Scottish Heiress
The Lady Is Tempted
The Wedding Wager
The Marriage Contract
A Scandalous Marriage
Married in Haste
Because of You
When Dreams Come True
Falling in Love Again
You and No Other
Treasured Vows
All Things Beautiful
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.
THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL. Copyright © 2011 by Catherine Maxwell, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, 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.
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EPub Edition SEPTEMBER 2011 ISBN: 9780062092618
FIRST EDITION
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The Seduction of Scandal (Scandals and Seductions 5) Page 23