“That is, it is done . . . if you wish it.” Dare laid another packet on her table, and she stared at it before making herself pick it up and . . .
She gasped. “What is . . . ?” Temperance tried and failed to get the words out.
“Five thousand pounds, as was promised,” he said quietly. “There should be funds enough to share as you would with your brother and Miss Armitage . . . but I’ve it on the authority of Mr. Buxton that he will name your Chance as his mill supervisor.” Words escaped her. Dare cleared his throat. “My grandfather had time to reflect upon what I said. He made the decision to not withhold those funds, and as such, I’d have you take them and . . . and do with them as you would.”
Women such as she weren’t permitted dreams. They worked and then they died, and if they were fortunate, the end wasn’t as painful as their living days had been. And now, he’d give her this. “I don’t know what to do with this,” she whispered.
He sank to a knee beside her seat and cupped her cheek. “You do with it whatever you wish. If it is a trip to see the world, book your passage. If it is that you want nothing more than to have a parcel of land that is yours and retire forever, then you do it. I do not want an annulment.”
Her heart paused in her breast.
“But I want you to have a choice. I want you to at last decide what it is you want your future to be.” Tears filled her eyes. “And God, Temperance,” he whispered. “I just want to share in whatever those dreams are . . . with you.”
Her breath caught on a little sob, and he angled her head so their brows almost touched. “I love you,” he said in ardent tones. “You are all I ever wanted but was entirely too afraid to admit because I didn’t believe I was worthy of being loved.”
“You are,” she said through the emotion clogging her throat. “You always were.” And she’d failed if she’d made him feel somehow less for all he’d been to so many . . . including her.
“I know that now. And Temperance,” he went on, capturing her falling tears with the pads of his thumbs, “I realized that because of you. You are my every happiness. You are my purpose. You are my heart. But I’d not have you for those reasons . . . not because I need you. But rather, because you need me and want me, too . . .”
Temperance’s shoulders shook from the force of her silent weeping. His beautiful visage blurred before her, and she closed her eyes in a bid to clear the moisture so that she might see him. So that she might ascertain that this moment was real. On shaky feet, she stood. “Children . . .” She managed to get out that one word.
His expression softened, and he gazed upon her with such tenderness and warmth that she fell in love with him all over again. “Children do not make a marriage, Temperance.” He straightened. “A husband and wife together do. If you want children with me, boys or girls or both, who’ve lived the harsh lives that you and I once did, then I’d have that with you. And if that is not your wish, then I am content with that, too. Because your happiness is my happiness, and that is all I want. For you to be—”
Sobbing, Temperance rushed into his arms. “I love you.”
Dare caught her to him; gripping her tight about the waist, he just held her close. “I love you, Temperance,” he whispered, placing a hard kiss against her temple. “Marry me?”
“Yes,” she managed between tears that had given way to uncontrollable, joy-filled laughter. Catching him by the nape, she dragged his face close, but he pulled back slightly, withholding that kiss she so desperately longed for.
“I’ll not let you go this time,” he promised. “I left you once, and I’ll not make that same mistake again. I—”
She touched a fingertip to his lips, silencing the remainder of that vow. “That is good, Dare Greyson, because I’ve no intention of letting you go this time.”
And with that, she kissed him and welcomed the rest of her future.
Acknowledgments
The idea for Dare and Temperance’s story came to me in the middle of a theater performance of Hamilton. I was seated next to my brilliant editor, Alison Dasho, who thankfully had a pencil in hand for me to jot down my notes and ideas, and talked with me—during intermission, of course—about my vision for this book. I’m so grateful to her for allowing me to tell this tale, and for offering her invaluable guidance along the way about this and all plots percolating in my mind.
About the Author
Photo © 2016 Kimberly Rocha
Christi Caldwell is the USA Today bestselling author of more than ten series, including Lost Lords of London, Sinful Brides, The Wicked Wallflowers, and Heart of a Duke. She blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. When Christi was at the University of Connecticut, she began writing her own tales of love—ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever after.
Christi lives in Southern Connecticut, where she spends her time writing, chasing after her son, and taking care of her twin princesses-in-training. Fans who want to keep up with the latest news and information can sign up for her newsletter at www.ChristiCaldwell.com.
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