A Midsummer Night's Kiss (Howertys #1)

Epilogue

Davenhall, England
July 7, 1813

Dear Diary,

I had another letter from Joan today. It was predictably crumpled and stained after travelling such a long distance. She continues to beg my forgiveness and asks Nathaniel to change his demands. Even if I were to consider her request—which I would not!—Nathaniel would never agree. All in all, I believe it was a fair deal to make her and Philip choose between moving to America or being charged with their crimes and risking jail. They made their choices, both in this and when they kidnapped me, and now they must live with them.

But I do not wish to dwell on this any longer. I am running out of pages, so I must bid you farewell so that I may enjoy this special day...

Angel closed her diary and put it to the side before standing up from her small writing desk. Having found out her preference for gazing out the window while writing, Nathaniel had brought the piece of furniture into the upstairs drawing room and set it by the window facing the extensive gardens in the back of the house. Yet another sign of how thoughtful her husband could be. A year into their marriage, he was still as attentive to her needs as he'd been when they first met.

While she had been hiding in the corners of the ballroom—or behind potted plants—he had sought her out, coaxed her out of her shell, and helped her find the voice she had buried for so long. Her shyness was unlikely to ever fully disappear, but she no longer dreaded speaking up in fear of rebuke. She could voice her dissenting thoughts without censure, and it was a liberating feeling. Belonging to a family that shared their views openly was a wonderful new world, one she was immensely grateful to be part of.

Leaving the drawing room, she reflected on how quiet the house seemed with everyone gone. Mrs Grey and the girls had travelled to Devon to see the Howertys' uncle Ben, Viscount Lyford, and Nathaniel was visiting the tenants with Davenhall's steward. She rather hoped her husband would return soon. Today it had been exactly one year since they married, and she wanted to—

Something crunched under her foot.

She stepped to the side and stared down at the item on the floor. A red rose.

Someone grabbed her from behind and she gasped, before smiling as she recognised the familiar scent of Nathaniel's sandalwood soap when he placed a kiss on her neck. Her body heated as he pulled her closer against his lean frame and nibbled the sensitive skin below her ear.

"I didn't expect you back so soon," she murmured.

"I missed you." His lips moved over her shoulder to place a kiss on the bare skin by the collar of her dress. "It's our one-year anniversary and I don't want to spend it away from you. Rowlings and I can travel the grounds another day."

She closed her eyes as his hands travelled along her side and down over her hips before grasping her waist and pulling her closer against him, the evidence of his desire hard against her soft bottom. Life with Nathaniel was never boring. His passion was infinite, and she couldn't say she minded. He'd awoken a fire within her that never seemed to extinguish, always smouldering beneath the surface, waiting for his next touch.

With a reluctant groan, he straightened and nudged her forwards, and she noticed more roses spread evenly along the hallway, leading towards their bedroom. Bending down, she picked up the one she had trampled on, before moving a few steps to pick up the next.

When Nathaniel didn't immediately follow, she turned around to look at him. "Are you not coming?"

His dark eyes met hers, and the heat in them fanned her own flame. "In a moment," he said. "I'm enjoying the view."