Page 92 of To Have & To Hold

Emilia’s vision swam as she stared at the necklace she thought had been forever lost. “You kept it all this time?”

Nathaniel shrugged with a timid smile. “I believe there was always a part of my heart that hoped I would find you again. Ever since we arrived at Rosemore, I have been waiting for the perfect moment to return it to you.”

Emilia finally allowed herself to reach out and lift the locket from its box. The moment her fingers brushed the cool metal she laughed in relief that it did not disappear under her touch. She turned it over in her hands, again and again, tracing the intricate scrolling design engraved on its face.

“It is even more beautiful than I remember it.”

“I had the clasp repaired,” Nathaniel said. “Other than that, it only needed a little polishing. It is a beautiful piece in its own right.”

Emilia nearly burst into tears again. His words were so close to the ones Sophie had spoken to her the evening of the Langley ball. She opened the locket, the inside of it gleaming so brightly, she found herself staring at the reflection of her own tear stained face.

“It was empty when I found it,” Nathaniel said softly. “I hope there was nothing of great value inside.”

Emilia shook her head. “It has always been empty,” she replied. Alexander had told her that the necklace belonged to their mother. It was the only thing she had left of the parents she had never known. She wore it every day, pressed close against her heart, waiting for something precious enough to be placed inside. But like her own broken, battered and bruised heart, the locket had lain empty against her chest.

But as she held it now, it rivaled the most lavish gems. It had not become any more valuable after being held in the duke’s hands, yet it was his love and care that had restored the beauty it had always possessed.

A tear slipped down her cheek, blurring the image of herself reflecting in the metal.

She had spent so many years of her life wishing away her broken pieces. If she proved herself worthy of purpose, she could also be worthy of love. But love was never hers to earn, and her value was something that no person, and no title, could give or take away.

Nathaniel loved her, and it was not his love that made her special or her heart precious, but it was his love that helped her see that she always had been.

Emilia pressed the locket against her chest, smiling at him through her tears. “I love you,” she said between quiet sobs. “I dread to think where I would be if you had not saved me.”

Nathaniel stepped towards her, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. “You need not think about it. You are here, with me, and that is all that matters now.”

She rested her head against his solid chest, allowing the warmth of him to shelter her from the cool, spring night.

“But there is one thing you keep getting wrong, my love,” he spoke quietly against her hair. “It is you who saved me.”

Emilia could have stayed in this moment forever, and they did, until the light in the lanterns grew dim. The lively music from the ballroom drifted through the gardens and she smiled.

“We should return to our guests,” she said reluctantly.

Nathaniel’s chest rumbled with a groan, “I suppose we should.” He released his hold on her but before she could step back he pressed his mouth to hers in a breathtaking kiss.

Emilia melted under his touch, every brush of his lips feeling like the first breath of fresh air after a dark, stale winter.

“What I would not give to keep you to myself for the rest of the evening,” he murmured against her lips.

Emilia smiled. “We will have many evenings, for the rest of our lives, my love.”

Nathaniel placed a kiss to her forehead and took her arm, leading her back down the garden path.

“When must you return to London?” Emilia asked, breaking their comfortable silence.

Nathaniel laughed, “Are you so eager to be rid of me already?”

“No!” Emilia swatted at his arm. “I know how you value your duties in Parliament, and you have already been away for weeks.”

“There is not much that needs attention at the moment. I have far more important duties to attend to here.” The gleam in his eye sent heat crawling up Emilia’s neck.

“I am in no hurry to return to London this season,” he continued, his tone more serious. “Charlotte will want to return in the fall, undoubtedly, but I am hoping I can convince her to wait until next spring. We can all return together. I am hoping by then word of your uncle’s misdealings will have spread, and you will not have to encounter them.”

Emilia nodded in agreement, but her heart squeezed. She had agreed with Nathaniel and Alexander’s plan to expose her uncle and Mr. Whitcombe and their crooked business schemes, but only under the promise it would be done with integrity and not out of vengeance. It would be a small price to pay though if it gave Alexander a chance at a normal life.

“I have not yet had a chance to thank you for what you are doing for Alexander.”