Tanya Anne Crosby (19 page)

Two months later…

M
errick sat at his desk within the little cottage, penning the final draft of his letter to Ian. It was long and involved, with explanations that were better left for a face-to-face discussion. He blew a sigh and wadded up the paper, tossing it in the bin with the rest.

“Dammit all!” he said, frustrated by his lack of verbosity.

“What is it, darling?” Chloe asked, coming up behind him to massage his shoulders.

They had wed a month ago in a lovely ceremony that was attended by the entire town. Isabel, Aggie’s little sister, had carried posies, smiling as she’d tossed them at every pew along the aisle. Aggie had both sewn and carried Chloe’s train.

For her part, Fiona sat, all the while weeping, in the front pew, with Constable Tolly patting her hand.

Rusty, along with his wife and three daughters, all prettily dressed in their new outfits from Mr. Duncan’s newly restocked general store, sat behind Fiona. Donald Lowson, his wife and two-month-old daughter sat in the back row—lest she begin to wail again. Merrick hadn’t minded. He wanted a few of his own someday.

“I do not know what to say,” he confessed. Ian had yet to learn the truth and Merrick couldn’t find the words to explain all that had transpired, all that he felt. He wanted to know his brother—but more than that, he wanted to somehow make amends for all the years Ian must have felt like a beggar in his own home.

Chloe rubbed gently at his neck, calming him. His lovely wife had a way of making everything clear. “Are you still certain you wish to give it all up?”

Merrick pulled out a clean parchment. “Absolutely!” he said, without question. He stared at the paper a moment and then realized he needn’t say much at all—at least until they were face-to-face. Until then, Ryo would explain the rest. All Merrick needed to do was to give up the ring. He penned the following.

My dearest brother, wear it in good health.

And with the letter done, he removed the ring from his finger, wrapped it in a kerchief and waited for Rusty to arrive. He trusted Rusty to deliver it safely to its destination.

“There. It’s done,” he said, and sighed in relief. “No more worries.”

They were in somewhat cramped quarters until the new house was complete. Every last man in Glen Abbey had come together to rebuild the manor. Merrick, along with the rest of the men, had rolled up his sleeves to help reconstruct his mother’s home. He labored with his hands every day, building calluses along with his home, but he came to bed every night feeling blissfully tired and complete—satisfied in a way he’d never been before now.

There was very little that had survived the fire. A few baubles here and there. Most everything else was gone—save for the aviary, the stables and his mother’s rose garden.

He turned in his chair to face his wife, reveling in the beauty of her smile. “Do you realize we’re alone until Mother returns?” Fiona had ventured out for a picnic and a walk with Constable Tolly. He raised a brow meaningfully.

Chloe giggled.

She tapped him gently on the bridge of his nose.
“I suppose you wish to try again for that daughter you so desire?” She sighed, as though it were the greatest burden, but it was betrayed by her impish grin.

Merrick shrugged. “Or son. It matters not to me.”

She bent to kiss him, wrapping her arms about his neck so sweetly that it made him shudder with desire. His loins tautened at once. She never failed to do this to him, rouse him to incredible heights of passion.

“What do you say we retire to the bedroom?” he suggested.

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” she teased him, whispering in his ear, “Anything you say, Your Majesty.”

Merrick groaned in the back of his throat as he lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom. “You will always be my king.”

“And you will always be my queen.”

Surely, as much as they had coupled in the last month, she should be increasing by now…but oh, well…Merrick was having the time of his life trying.

“About that daughter,” he said as he lay her down upon the bed, grinning mischievously.

“Son,” she returned with a smile and lifted her chin.

“Whichever,” he said. And then, “I love you, my flower.”

“I love you, too,” Chloe whispered back.

And they made love, whispering sweet words to each other and promising to adore each other for the rest of their days.