His feet moved of their own volition, the crowd already on the dance floor fading away until all he could see was the three figures waiting for him. ‘You look incredible,’ he murmured as he bent forward to press his cheek to hers, careful not to dislodge their masks. ‘Simply stunning, and I love you.’
Her soft gasp made him realise it was the first time he’d said, and for a moment he couldn’t believe that was right. Surely, he’d told her that before? When they’d been curled up together in her bed. He’d certainly thought it, even if he hadn’t. She gave her a slightly lopsided smile. ‘I love you, too.’ It was barely a whisper of sound, but it was enough. It was everything. But this wasn’t just about the two of them, as much as he longed to sweep her in his arms and twirl her around the dance floor until they were both dizzy.
Crouching down, he met two grinning little faces. ‘Wow, don’t you two look smart? Are you ready to party?’
‘I want to dance!’ Elijah said, tugging at Jess’s hand. ‘Can we dance, Mummy?’
‘Of course we can, Eli, though we’ll have to take care with Isaac as we don’t want him getting squashed.’
‘Here, I’ve got him.’ Tristan scooped the toddler up, accepting a sloppy kiss on the cheek from Isaac with a laugh. Offering his free hand to Jess, he led her and Elijah out onto the dance floor.
Their moves were neither stylish, nor elegant, but that didn’t matter. Tristan twirled Isaac around in happy circles, while Jess held up the long flowing skirt of her dress and stepped from side to side in a rhythm that had nothing to do with the music blasting from the speakers and everything to do with the bouncing boy holding her hand. It was silly, and exuberant, and Tristan didn’t know when he’d had so much fun.
They were joined on the floor by other members of the family, Lancelot foxtrotting up and down with a laughing Constance pressed cheek-to-cheek. Arthur and Lucie, who was in a stunning black lace gown and a mask covered in those red glitter hearts, swayed beside him and Jess as they chatted about anything and everything that came to mind. Iggy rocked up, looking a million dollars in a red velvet smoking jacket and black satin trousers, a black and red mask over her eyes. Will had eschewed a tuxedo for his beloved leather jacket, teamed with a white dress shirt and black bow tie. He’d opted for a Phantom of the Opera style white mask, which only served to make the ugly scar twisting down his cheek stand out.
‘Here you are at last,’ Arthur cried out as they joined them. ‘I’ve been dying to share the good news with everyone, but I didn’t want to do it without you.’
‘What’s going on?’ Tristan’s gaze swivelled between his siblings.
‘Iggy’s decided to stay here at Bluebell Castle, haven’t you, Iggle-Piggle?’ Arthur tugged at the elegant French plait she’d drawn her curls into.
‘If you call me that once more, I’ll change my bloody mind,’ she snapped, before breaking out in a huge grin. ‘I couldn’t face the thought of going back to town, so Will’s agreed we can stay.’ She threw her arms around her lover and hugged him tight.’
‘Bluebell Castle is where we want to raise our kid,’ Will said. ‘All we need to do is sort out some proper living accommodation for us.’
Arthur waved that away. ‘Easy as. We’ll knock a few rooms together, make you a suite like ours.’
‘There’s always the nursery,’ Jess said, her soft voice cutting through the celebrations and sending Tristan’s heart plummeting like a stone.
‘What are you talking about? I thought you were staying on here?’ Iggy shot Tristan a sharp glance.
He curled his free arm around Jess’s waist. ‘Jess is going back to the city for a while. Tim and Charlie have made her a job offer that is too good to turn down.’
‘It is a good offer,’ she agreed, not making him feel any better. ‘But not the best offer I’ve had recently.’ She stepped closer into Tristan’s side, placing her hand over his heart. ‘They can have the nursery, because we’re going to be moving into the gatehouse with you.’
Stunned, he swung around to face her. ‘But, I can’t give you anything like the financial security you need, and the gatehouse is a wreck!’
‘Well,’ she said, those ruby red lips beneath her mask stretched wide in a saucy grin. ‘You’d better pull yourself together and get on with the renovations, hadn’t you?’ Glancing down at Elijah, she cupped his cheek and hugged him to her side. ‘We had a talk about it this afternoon, and we decided, didn’t we?’
Elijah gave an emphatic nod. ‘We want to stay here.’ His eyes lifted to meet Tristan’s, and the love and trust shining in them was enough to almost send him staggering. ‘With you.’
‘Oh, Christ.’ His eyes were growing wet behind his mask and he didn’t have enough arms to do everything he wanted to do. He hugged Isaac to his hip with one hand, and reached out to cup Elijah’s cheek with the other. ‘Having you all here will make me the happiest man in the world.’
A sniffle came from behind them, and he glanced over to see Lucie laughing as she blotted her cheeks with Arthur’s handkerchief. Lancelot swooped in and before Tristan knew what he was doing, he’d taken Isaac from his arms and he and Constance twirled him around until his high giggles filled the air.
‘Come on, Eli, let’s boogie!’ Iggy took the boy by the hand, blowing a kiss at Tristan with the other as she and Will led him away to dance.
The rest of the family melted away, leaving him and Jess alone in the centre of the dance floor. ‘Here we are again,’ he murmured, reaching for her hands to drape them over his shoulders.
‘Here we are again,’ she agreed, nestling against his chest with a happy sigh. ‘And I do believe you owe me a kiss.’
His hands found her waist, his fingers relishing the dip and curve of her lush body which was his to savour, his to cherish and adore. ‘I do believe you’re right.’ Lowering his head, he claimed her lips with his and there was nothing and nobody on earth right then other than the woman in his arms. Wait, he’d promised her, and wait, she’d asked him to do, but no more. Tonight was the start of the rest of their lives, and he couldn’t bloody wait to see what the future had in store for him and his perfect little family.
Epilogue
Arthur stood on the battlements of Bluebell Castle and stared out over the grounds of his home; his castle. Around him the excited chatter of his family and their guests filled the chilly air. More noise rose from the driveway below as the villagers gathered ready for the firework display.
This time last year it had still felt like his father’s home, and that Arthur was little more than a pretender to the title – a boy dressing up in his dad’s shoes. Now, knowing not only was the future of the castle secure, but that he, Iggy and Tristan were moving forward with their lives, he finally felt worthy of calling himself Baronet Ludworth.
A warm arm curled through his, and the familiar weight of his wife’s head rested against his shoulder. Of the many things he had to be grateful for, Lucie was the best and the brightest. God, how his father would’ve adored her.
‘You’re very quiet,’ Lucie said, snuggling close. ‘Is everything, all right?’
‘I was just thinking about Dad, about how much I miss him, and about how much he would’ve loved you. I only wish you could’ve met him.’
Rising on tiptoe, she pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. ‘I do, too, but then again, if he was still around, none of this would’ve happened.’ She gestured with her free hand to the others gathered around them.
Arthur took in the sight of his family, and knew she was right. To his left, a laughing Tristan hoisted Elijah onto his shoulders for a better view. At his brother’s side, Jess chatted to Morgana, the pair of them wrapped in glittering evening shawls to ward off the bite of the wind. Beyond them, Lancelot held little Isaac in the crook of one arm, the other wrapped around Constance’s waist. To Arthur’s right, Iggy stood wrapped safe and warm in Will’s arms as he whispered something in her ear which made her giggle. Though he longed for his father’s presence,
nothing would make him give up one single piece of the joy and heartache they’d all shared over the past twelve months.
As the first bright splashes of red and gold lit up the skies above his head, Arthur sent up the same wish he’d uttered exactly twelve months ago. ‘Blaze bright, Dad, always.’ Surrounded by the love and warmth of his family, he pledged in his heart to do the same.
If you loved the Bluebell Castle Collection, don’t miss Sarah Bennett’s Lavender Bay Collection. Available now!
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Acknowledgements
As I sit and write these acknowledgements, it’s hard to believe it has been three years since I signed the contract for the series which became Butterfly Cove. Since then, we’ve explored picturesque Lavender Bay and the wild, untamed beauty of Bluebell Castle together. It’s been so much fun to share with you these stories born from my own love of reading romantic fiction.
I’ve had a number of readers ask if I will revisit any of the locations for a follow-up book, and while I can never say never, there are no current plans to return. To make a story interesting there needs to be conflict, and it doesn’t seem fair to the happy every after covenant I pledge with each story to throw a wrench into the lives of any of my couples who have worked so hard to find each other. I prefer for each hero and heroine to live on in the imaginations of my readers.
I have a number of people I need to thank:
First and foremost my husband, who is simply my world. x
I don’t have enough superlatives to describe my editor, Charlotte Mursell, who has been with me every step of the way. Thank you for championing me from the moment you found me in the submissions pile. x
Everyone at my publisher, HQ Digital, for making my books shine. x
The usual suspects – Philippa, Jules, Bella, Darcie and Rachel who are the best support system anyone could ask for. x
And thanks to you, dearest reader, for making this the very best job in the world. These stories are yours as much as they are mine. x
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If you loved the Bluebell Castle Collection, don’t miss Sarah Bennett’s Lavender Bay Collection. Available now!
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About the Publisher
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The Bluebell Castle Collection Page 69