“It’s beautiful, is it not?” his wife asked, coming to stand beside him, her hand slipping into his, squeezing it gently.
Derek nodded, then shook his head in disbelief. “Except for the roof, we haven’t even begun with the repairs on this house, and still, it seems to have undergone an improvement.”
Madeline smiled. “It’s no longer simply a house.” Gently, she brushed her lips against his. “It’s a home now. Our home.”
Home.
Derek sighed. Never had he thought of a place as his home. Never had he thought he would ever find one…or even need one. Only now when he had finally found the one place in the world that made him feel at home, he wondered how he could ever have lived without it.
Gazing down at his wife, his heart filled with awe at the fortunate turns his life had taken, and Derek could not help but pull her into his arms. “I love you.”
As always when he spoke to her thus, she smiled up at him, her eyes shining as brightly as the sun. “I love you as well,” she whispered, biting her lower lip, trying to hide the unadulterated delight those simple words elicited. “And yet,” she continued, and Derek’s heart skipped a beat, “there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Swallowing, Derek nodded. “Do tell.”
“You never asked for my hand,” she said rather unexpectedly, and her gaze dropped from his for the barest of moments. “Why did you never ask for my hand? The night at Lord Kingsley’s ball was not the first time you saw me, was it? Why did you not ask to be introduced? Why did you never ask me to dance?”
Derek inhaled a deep breath. “I heard about your expectations,” he told her truthfully, seeing a touch of understanding come to her eyes. “In fact, it was Tristan who said?if I recall correctly?I’d advise against her.”
Her lips thinned as she glared at him. “He did?”
Derek nodded, seeing the telltale twitch in her lower lip. “He sought to put me on my guard.”
“He’s a good friend,” she replied, the expression on her face once again gentle and calm.
“The best.” Holding his wife’s gaze, Derek thought for a moment. Then he asked, “If I had asked for your hand, would you have accepted me?”
As though frozen in time, Madeline remained still for a long moment, her gaze lingering on his before she opened her mouth to reply. “No,” was all she said, drawing in a deep breath, slowly, carefully, “and it would have been the biggest mistake of my life.”
A rush of excitement seized Derek’s body, and he pulled her into another passionate kiss, his hands slipping into her hair as hers pulled on the front of his shirt.
“I may be an old woman,” his mother’s voice interrupted the moment as they jerked apart, “but I cannot see mistletoe anywhere near ye.”
Working hard to suppress a smile, Derek glanced at his wife, seeing the same impulse to laugh on her flushed face. Then he turned to his mother, doing his best to ignore the teasing gleam in her sharp eyes. “I fail to see your point.”
Chuckling, his mother grinned. “Ye kiss your wife under some mistletoe. Don’t tell me ye don’t know that?”
Derek’s brows rose into arches. “Surely, you don’t expect me to only kiss her under some mistletoe, do you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t expect anythin’, dear boy. All I’m sayin’ is that the house is full of people as a myriad of your tenants just came traipsin’ in through the kitchen?you might want to speak to them about that?and there’s a bunch of children runnin’ around.” She lifted her hands in mock surrender. “But you do as ye choose.” Then she turned on her heel and left.
Once they were alone again, they burst into laughter, falling into each other’s arms. “She can complain as much as she wants,” his wife said, an affectionate smile on her face, “but nothing will ever convince me that she dislikes seeing us together like this. Your mother likes to tease, doesn’t she?”
Derek nodded. “She does have a rather childish and whimsical side.”
“Well, I suppose it is Christmas,” Madeline replied. “If one can’t be whimsical at Christmas, then when can one?” As childish laughter echoed from down the hall, his wife took a step back, winking an eye at him. “How about I go see to the little rascals while you go and tell your tenants to come in through the front door next time or meet your mother’s wrath. She is very particular about her kitchen, isn’t she?”
Grinning at his wife’s feigned attempt at a serious expression, Derek reached for her hand as she stepped away. Pulling her back, he glanced over her shoulder, making certain that no impressionable eyes were watching. “I don’t like it when we have to part ways,” he whispered, then brushed his lips over hers.
Inhaling a shuddering breath, Madeline smiled. “Neither do I, but it’s Christmas.”
Derek frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know, but what do you expect?” Her arms came around his neck as she pulled herself closer. “You can be quite distracting.”
“As can you.” Once more he leaned down to kiss her.
“Uncle Derek!” Collin’s little voice echoed from down the hall. “Uncle Derek?”
Jerking apart for the second time that night, they looked at each other, and despite their annoyance with their nephew’s unfortunate timing, they could not help but laugh.
“I’ll see if your mother needs help in the kitchen,” his wife said, turning to go.
Reaching out, Derek grabbed her arm and pulled her back, his gaze locked on hers. “Let’s postpone this until later tonight,” he whispered, his gaze drifting lower.
Madeline drew in a deep breath. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Reluctantly, she stepped out of his embrace and headed down the hall until she was lost from his sight. “Your uncle is in the dining room,” her voice echoed to his ear before small footsteps echoed closer.
Shaking his head, Derek could not help but smile. He would never have thought himself the kind of man who delighted in a full house filled with noise and laughter. And yet, he was.
Never in his life had Derek been more relieved to have proved himself wrong.
Epilogue
One Month Later
“I give you my word that we will return home within a few days,” Madeline promised as she walked up the snow-covered steps to her father’s townhouse on her husband’s arm. “But they’re my family, and I do wish to see them.”
Squeezing her hand, Derek nodded. “Would you like to invite them to Huntington House?”
As the butler allowed them inside, Madeline stepped closer to her husband and whispered, “My aunt Odelia and your mother under the same roof?” Grinning, she shook her head. “I’m not certain that would be a good idea, especially not with all those projects to be taken care of. I suggest we wait until Huntington House has been restored.”
Her husband nodded, a deep frown darkening his face. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
As they proceeded into the ballroom, the soft tunes of a waltz dancing to their ears, Madeline felt as though an eternity had passed since she had last been here when in fact it had only been a couple of months. Now, with the new season beginning, the ton would return to London and societal events would recommence.
And yet, Madeline could think of no place she would rather be than at home with her husband.
“Madeline,” her father exclaimed, striding toward them. A large smile on his usually so sombre face spoke volumes, and Madeline felt her heart ache for his embrace.
When his arms came around her, she hugged him tightly. “It is so good to see you, Father.”
“I’ve missed you, my dear.” Stepping back, her father searched her face, his gaze watchful, enquiring. “Are you well?”
Madeline nodded.
“Are you happy?”
“Very much so,” she assured him, and her gaze travelled to her husband.
“Ainsworth,” her father greeted the man by her side. “I trust you’re taking good care of my daughter.”