Page 96 of A Duchess Worth Stealing
Mason gave a quiet chuckle. “And here I thought we were being subtle.”
“Oh, subtle,” Jasper replied, feigning deep thought. “Yes, nothing says ‘subtle’ like gazing at each other as though the rest of us are invisible. Quite inconspicuous.”
Cordelia arched a brow. “I don’t recall inviting you to oversee us so closely.”
“I wasn’t overseeing,” Jasper said smoothly. “I was observing, purely in the interest of art of course. If I ever take up painting, you two will make an excellent study in mutual adoration.”
Mason smirked. “Just be sure to capture my good side.”
“I don’t think you have a bad one,” Jasper replied with mock sincerity. “Annoying, isn’t it?”
Jasper leaned a little closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a juicy secret. “Speaking of less cheerful matters,” he said, a sly glint in his eye, “I read the papers this morning. It seems your former guardian, Lord Vernon, has been arrested and is now in prison to stand trial.”
Cordelia froze for a heartbeat, her hand tightening lightly on Mason’s arm. “Arrested?” she whispered, hardly daring to believe it.
“Yes,” Jasper continued, his tone almost conspiratorial. “Forgery, embezzlement, and if the reports are accurate, attempted coercion. Not to mention various unsavory dealings that have finally caught up with him.”
Cordelia’s chest lifted in a long, trembling exhale. Relief coursed through her like warm sunlight breaking a long, grey winter. The man who had cast such a shadow over her life, who had schemed and manipulated, was finally held accountable.
Mason’s hand closed over hers, grounding her. “Is that… true?” she asked softly, looking to him.
He gave a slight nod, his eyes warm with reassurance. “It is. I told you I would take care of it. We are finally free from him entirely. No threats, no tricks, no shadows from the past. Only what we build together.”
Cordelia felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes though she blinked them back. Relief mingled with the joy and pride she already carried in her chest. For the first time in years, the weight of Lord Vernon’s tyranny was gone. And beside her, Mason’s steady presence made it impossible to feel anything but hope and love.
Jasper’s expression softened just a fraction before he stepped closer, looping one arm around both her and Mason in a warm,almost brotherly embrace, wedging himself cheerfully between them.
“Well,” he said, grinning, “now that we’ve settled both the romantic and the criminal matters of the evening, I do believe I see Lady Matilda across the room. She looks far too composed for my liking. I had better go and annoy her a little.”
Cordelia laughed. “Do try not to cause an outright scandal.”
“I make no promises,” Jasper replied with mock solemnity before releasing them and slipping off through the crowd.
Mason’s quiet chuckle joined hers as they watched him weave his way across the ballroom, clearly intent on his next victim. Cordelia shook her head fondly.
“He is entirely incorrigible,” Mason remarked.
“Yes,” Cordelia agreed, smiling up at him, “but I am rather glad he is here tonight.”
The music drifted softly behind them as Mason led her toward the balcony. Cordelia felt the gentle brush of his fingers against hers, the steady strength in his hand, and a quiet sense of completeness settled over her.
The moonlight shimmered across the gardens below, and for the first time in years, she felt the burdens of the past entirely lifted. Lord Vernon’s shadows had vanished, and Jasper’s mischievouslaughter had faded into the distance. Only Mason remained, steady and true, a constant she could trust without hesitation.
She leaned into him, as the subtle scent of his cologne mingled with the crisp night air. “I never imagined a night like this,” she whispered, her voice soft but full of conviction.
“Nor did I,” Mason admitted, his own voice resonant and certain. “But here we are. And you, my dear, are free. Free to live, to love, to be yourself without fear.”
Cordelia smiled, her heart swelling. “I am free… because of you,” she said, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, a promise without words.
They stood together in the quiet night, hands entwined, gazing at the moonlit gardens of Galleon Hall. The world beyond could wait. Tonight, there were only the two of them, their laughter, their whispered declarations, and the enduring, unshakable love that had grown from trust, courage, and devotion.
And as the soft breeze carried the faint strains of the ballroom music, Cordelia knew, with absolute certainty, that she would never want to be free of him.
The night held them in its quiet embrace, and the bright, unshadowed future full of promise stretched endlessly before them.
The End?
