Epilogue

"Did you mean those words?"

The carriage rumbled back towards Lady Louisa's townhouse, though Joseph had already directed the driver to take the longest route he could think of, wanting to spend as much time alone with his betrothed as he could.

Lady Louisa smiled at him. "I did." Her smile faded for just a moment, her hand reaching to take his as they sat opposite each other in the carriage. "I am sorry I did not believe you, Yarmouth. I should have thought of the letter, I should have realised that there was more to Lady Clement's words. I did not think. All I saw was the breaking of our connection… and of my heart."

"I do not blame you, not in the least." Shifting quickly so that he could sit beside Lady Louisa, Joseph kept her hand tight in his as she turned to look up at him. "I am precisely who Lady Hannah believed me to be. There was no reason for you to trust me, no reason why I would not have done as Lady Clement said. All you had was my word and that did not have any great strength with it!"

Lady Louisa sighed quietly. "All the same, I knew that you were changing into a trustworthy fellow. I knew that we had shared a good deal thus far, that you had proven to me you were not as the rumours had said. I did have a trust in you – a trust that was far too easily shattered when Lady Clement spoke." She closed her eyes. "I am sorry for turning away from you when you told me those words."

For a moment, Joseph did not understand what she meant. It was only when she looked up at him again, hope flickering there, that he realized. "When I told you that I loved you?"

She nodded, her fingers twining through his. "Is that true?"

Joseph smiled. "Is it true that I love you?" Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed it gently. "Louisa, I have been broken apart by what I feel for you. I wanted to turn away from it at one point, wanted to pretend that I did not feel it, that it was not important to me – only now to realise that it is the only thing of value that I have! My heart cried out with pain and sadness when we were apart, my whole being tight with fear at the thought of losing you from my arms. Yes, Louisa, I love you though I do not deserve to have even a minute of your company. I know. I will continue to love you with all of my heart and with all of myself, in the hope that one day, I might be worthy of you."

When she smiled, it was as though the clouds had all blown away and the sun shone so brightly, it seared the air around him. When she tilted her head up and kissed him, it was as if the sunshine pierced his heart, filling him with light. Wrapping his arms around her as best he could, Joseph gave in to all that he felt, wishing and praying and hoping that, somehow, he might be able to convey the love he had for her.

"I love you too, Yarmouth." Breaking the kiss, Lady Louisa whispered those wonderful words against his lips, her eyes still closed. "The sadness that I felt, the unbearable ache in my heart when I thought we were separated by lies and deceit told me that I felt more for you than I had ever permitted myself to believe – until I realised that it was nothing but love."

Framing her face with his hands, Joseph looked down into her eyes, hardly able to believe that she had offered him something so wonderful. "I will love you until my dying day," he promised, every word fervent. "And I will be committed to you with all of my heart. I swear it to you now as I shall swear it to you on our wedding day."

She smiled, her eyes flickering closed. "Then kiss me again, Yarmouth, and seal those words with your lips."

And Joseph could do nothing but oblige her.

THE END