At The Stroke Of Midnight (29 page)

She was stronger than most people
gave her credit for.
 
But not
Sebastian.
 
He alone had always known
exactly what she was capable of.
 
And at
the moment, he was looking at her with so much love and adoration that she
wondered if there had ever been a luckier woman in all of England.

"Well, that was decidedly
unexpected," he said, once he was certain that they were alone.
 
Then, before another maid or house guest
could pop in, he crossed the room and closed the parlor door, locking it behind
him.
 
It might be improper, but what he
was going to say next should be done in private.
 
And as for any hint of impropriety?
 
Well, they were likely to be married within less than a
fortnight.
 
What did it matter?

Jane sank onto the sofa, feeling as
if she had just endured a bloody battle.
 
"It was.
 
Though I cannot
say that I am disappointed.
 
Your mother
approves of me."
 
She gave him a
small smile.
 
"You cannot possibly
know how that feels.
 
Especially when I
had thought all hope was lost."

"Hope is never lost," he
told her as he double-checked the door before turning back to her,
"especially not on Christmas."
 
He wished that he was more properly dressed, for if anyone deserved a
perfect proposal, it was Jane.
 
However,
given the way she was gazing at him, he suspected that it did not matter to her
in the least.
 
Still, once this day was
over and they were alone again, he would make certain that she received
another, more perfect proposal.
 
When
they were alone.
 
Preferably in bed.

When he sank to his knees in front
of her and took her hand, she gasped in disbelief.
 
"Sebastian!
 
What are
you doing?"

He graced her with that sexy,
sinful grin once more.
 
"Isn't it
obvious?
 
I'm attempting to
propose.
 
I never did officially ask for
your hand."
 
He shrugged and
offered her another sly smile.
 
"The betrothal was merely assumed."

"It was, wasn't it?"
 
She hadn't looked at the situation that way,
but he was correct.
 
He had never
officially asked her to marry him, nor had she officially accepted.
 
Well, that needed to be rectified
immediately.

"It was.
 
And I, for one, detest assumptions.
 
Leaves too much room for
confusion."
 
From his pocket, he
produced a gorgeous ring - a large, central emerald surrounded by diamonds and
sapphires.
 
"So.
 
No more confusion."
 
Holding the ring in his hand, he offered it
up to her gaze.
 
When he saw the tears
sparkling in her eyes, he knew he had chosen wisely.
 
"Lady Jane Ashford, would you do me the great honor of
becoming my wife?
 
I want you beside me
today and every day from this moment forward."

Without hesitation, Jane threw
herself into Sebastian's arms.
 
"Yes.
 
Yes!
 
A thousand times yes!"
 
And, like the unpredictable, passionate
woman that she was, he was not in the least shocked when she began to kiss him
with the same unchecked desire she had shown only hours ago in the bed they had
shared.

"I take it you are
pleased?" he asked when they finally broke apart long enough to gather
their breath.

"More than pleased," she
said with a sigh, nestling herself into his lap, no matter how improper it
might be and wreathing her arms around his neck.
 
"Before you, Sebastian, I had resigned myself to an empty
life, one where I was nothing more than a shadow along the wall, a woman no one
wanted.
 
Plain Jane.
 
And now, I am so much more.
 
I am loved."

"Yes, you are," Sebastian
agreed as he caressed the nape of her neck, leaning in to kiss her again and
congratulating himself for remembering to lock the door.
 
Well, at least until the servants managed to
find another key.
 
"And each time
you doubt, look at me and know that from this day forward, there will never be
another woman in my life.
 
It has always
and only ever been you."

Then he kissed her deeply, knowing
in his heart that on this most sacred of mornings he had finally found
peace.
 
He was in love.
 
With Jane.
 
And there could be no finer Christmas gift than the powerful magic of
love.

"Are you certain you are well
enough to remain here for the rest of the house party?
 
We can depart for Grambly Hall tomorrow
morning if you wish?"
 
Sebastian
knew he was hovering over his wife, but he could not help it.
 
She would be delivering his first child in a
scant few months' time, and she was already extremely large.
 
He could also tell that she was decidedly
uncomfortable, given the way she moved.

"Yes, Sebastian.
 
I am as fine now as I was the last time you
asked me, which was merely five minutes ago, if that."
 
Jane placed a hand on her large stomach and
sank gratefully into a chair.
 
"I
need only rest a few moments.
 
The babe
is rather active today and he, or she, is wearing me out."

"Still, we can leave if you
like."
 
He would do whatever she
asked.
 
"I simply worry, my
love.
 
It is what I do.
 
Now that I have only just found you, I do
not wish to lose you."

That brought a wry smile to her
lips.
 
"I know that all too well,
Sebastian.
 
And you will not lose
me.
 
I promise.
 
But for the moment, trust that I am
well.
 
I will tell you if I am not.
 
And please, stop hovering.
 
It makes me nervous and probably does not do
the babe much good, either."

Despite his need to continue
pacing, Sebastian did as she asked and sank down beside her on a nearby chair
before reaching out to grasp her hand.
 
All he wanted was for her to be well, and though things were, he was
told, progressing nicely at the moment, he still worried.

As he had said, it was rather his
"thing," after all.

Not to mention that, while he
admittedly didn't know much about babies, he also suspected that either the
timing of the child's creation was wrong or his wife was carrying more than one
babe within her.
 
He could not decide
which, though he did pray for a smooth and safe delivery.
 
That was precisely why, after attending Lord
Candlewood's house party at Seldon Park, they were immediately returning to
Sebastian's own country estate so that she might begin her confinement early.

He would not risk the health of his
wife or his unborn child for a house party.
 
Not even one given by his old friend, Candlewood, with whom he had
recently reconnected.
 
His wife was more
precious to him than anything.
 
She had
finally given him the sense of peace that he had long sought.
 
He was not about to lose her.
 
He was afraid that if he did, he might
become more like her father than he cared to admit.

Even though had and Jane had been
wed since Twelfth Night, the old earl was still not entirely happy with the
nuptials, though he had also been powerless to stop them.
 
Even a letter from Laid McKenna informing
Devonmont that Sebastian's settlement for Jane's hand was overly generous and
that McKenna's eldest son, Lachlan, would be in Town for the season to
re-settle the debt had not been enough to cheer the earl.
 
Then again, Lachlan McKenna's arrival in
London had been the talk of the season, but that was another story
completely.
 
Sebastian was merely
thankful that the laird and his son had been extremely reasonable regarding
Jane.
 
Lachlan, in particular had been
so reasonable that he was at the Seldon Park house party was well, much to
Sebastian's surprise.

It was no surprise, however, that
neither Devonmont nor Angeline and Lizzie were in attendance, but that was
something Sebastian could do nothing about.
 
Lizzie still wanted a title and still clung to the foolish belief that
the Duke of Hathaway would marry her instantly, if only he could truly know
her.
 
That was not about to happen, as
Sebastian knew his cousin far too well.
 
The man was not so blind nor so foolish.
 
Yet Lizzie's - and to some extent Angeline's - refusal to let go
of such a ridiculous hope, as well as the remaining anger that Sebastian
himself had chosen Jane, kept the relationship between Jane and the rest of her
family somewhat strained.

It was times like that when
Sebastian knew that all he could do was love Jane all the more and tell that,
in time, her family might come around.
 
After all, his mother certainly had, now treating Jane like her own
daughter.

For her part, Jane returned his
affectionate squeeze with one of her own.

She loved Sebastian more than her
own life, more than she could express in words.
 
He had brought light and life to her world when it had been
filled with nothing but darkness and unhappiness.
 
He was everything to her.
 
Yet, at the moment, he was also being more than a bit annoying.

"I know you mean well,"
she said when she could finally get her breath again, "But I would very
much like to stay for the remainder of the house party.
 
It is only a few more days and both Lady
Radcliffe and Lady Candlewood have the most exciting events planned."

That made Sebastian frown all the
more.
 
"Nothing too strenuous, I
hope."

At that, Jane rolled her eyes.
 
"Yes, Sebastian.
 
They have planned things that are extremely
strenuous.
 
Perhaps even dangerous.
 
Tomorrow we will go riding astride and then
shooting wild game before dancing until well after midnight on Seldon Park's
lawn without a break in between."
 
She rolled her eyes again in exasperation, just for good measure.
 
"Of course it is not strenuous!
 
We are beginning an embroidery group, you
overly worrisome man!"

"Oh."
 
Sebastian didn't know quite what to say to
that.
 
Embroidery?
 
It did not seem like a typical house party
event.
 
Then again, as Lady Candlewood
was also with child, though in the very early stages if the servants' gossip
was to be believed, it was logical that she would not over-exert herself
either.
 
Nor was it likely that the duke
would allow it.

As for Lady Radcliffe, her husband
was so overly protective that it was a minor miracle they were here at the
house party at all, especially considering that she had just given birth to
their first child, a son, only a few months previous.

So perhaps he had nothing to worry
about after all.
 
Then again, they
were
at Seldon Park, where anything was possible.
 
The country estate did have somewhat of a reputation, after all.

"Yes.
 
Oh," Jane teased before rising so that
she might hover over Sebastian.
 
"We are not fools, my darling husband.
 
Just because we have all had our own fairy tales come true in the
most unexpected ways does not meant that we are featherbrains."
 
Then she grinned, her insatiable need for
her husband filling her once more.
 
"Now kiss me before you say something else just as foolish."

So Sebastian did, for who was he to
argue with his wife?
 
After all, she had
made his own fairy tale come true.
 
So
therefore, she must be a very smart woman indeed.

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