Page 66 of Adeline

It felt as if years, no, decades had passed since her return to London. A city she’d always felt she belonged in, but which was now as foreign to her as Egypt or Greece would be.

When everyone remained silent, Adeline realized they waited for her to speak.

This was her life, after all. Her future…and Jasper’s.

She needed to say her piece to Jasper. She owed him that much.

In slow motion, she turned to him, knowing her words would impact the rest of her life. She would either wed this great man before her or be relegated to a life of solitude, devoid of everything she’d once held dear.

But love, or the prospect of love, was worth it, even if she was alone in the end.

So, at that moment, surrounded and protected by the people who cared about her the most, Adeline was determined to be honest and open with Jasper. If he did not return her immense affection and love, at least her friends and family—hopefully—would be there to catch her.

“Jasper,” –she paused, taking a deep breath to clear her mind and allow her heart to speak—“since meeting you, I’ve chosen to be a better me. At the plant, when the wall collapsed, you blamed yourself, but I knew you did everything in your power to help your people.”

His eyes watered, and she noted his shoulders caving in on themselves, yet he kept his gaze solidly on hers.

“I have found what I wanted—the future I envisioned for myself—is no longer important to me. What you need and want, specifically a thriving Faversham and Home Works with happy, healthy people, is paramount to securing my own happiness. I know your future does not lie in London but in Kent, and I’ve discovered my destiny resides there, too.” She stilled, searching his eyes, determining if he understood what she was implying. “With you, Jasper. By your side, day and night. Good and bad. During favorable years, and through the harsh winter nights.”

“You would give up all this—?“ He raised his hands, encompassing the well-appointed room surrounding them, and Adeline sensed he also meant her friends and family. “You would leave all this for a life in the country, surrounded by villagers who do not accept me and a home steadily decaying around us?”

“My home will be where you are, wherever you determine that to be,” she replied, bringing her hands to his neck and allowing her fingers to graze the area of his scars. His eyes drifted closed at her intimate touch. “My heart never left Faversham Abbey, despite our return to London. Your people love you, they understand all you’ve done to make amends for those who were lost, and your house, the Abbey, is perfect.”

“Certainly, you will return to London from time to time, or allow us to visit Faversham,” Josie inquired quietly, reminding Adeline that she and Jasper were not alone in the room.

“We shall return often, and you are all welcome at the Abbey,” Jasper said, lifting his head to stare at the group surrounding them. “I will have rooms prepared for every Melton sibling if that is what it takes.”

“I do not believe there is anything further to discuss,” Alistair said, coming back around his desk to stand before Jasper.

Nothing further to discuss? Was her brother discrediting all that had transpired? Would he call Donovan and a footman to throw Jasper out?

Her heart stopped in her chest as Alistair stared at Jasper.

Surprisingly, Jasper’s gaze hardened as he met her brother’s scrutiny.

Adeline glanced at Theo, then Josie, and finally, Georgie. None of the trio jumped to her defense or cried at the injustice about to take place. In fact, they all smiled…well, Georgie’s expression was best named a smirk.

Could it be that her friends, the women she’d grown to love in her youth, found Alistair’s disapproval of Jasper warranted?

No, it could not be…

She would not allow it to be so.

Swiftly, Alistair wrapped Jasper in a tight embrace. “It would be a pleasure to call you brother, Lord Ailesbury. Jasper.”

Adeline’s eyes welled with tears once more, blurring her vision but in a good way.

“It will be an honor to join our families, Lord Melton. Although, I must admit, I am the lone survivor of the Ailesbury clan.”

Alistair stepped back and clasped Jasper’s shoulder with a chuckle. “It is lucky for you that I have siblings aplenty, and I am not averse to sharing them. Which do you prefer, male or female? The males are quite sneaky, though the females come with an entirely different set of difficulties.”

“I appreciate the offer, and I plan to call in the promise as soon as the Abbey is renovated to Adeline’s tastes.” Jasper grew silent as everyone around them laughed at Alistair’s jest.

She felt helpless as she noted his eyes darken, and the space between them grow, though neither of them moved.

“I fear there is one last thing that needs to be discussed. No, there is no discussion on this topic, it only needs to be stated.”

Her heart stopped once more, her entire body turning cold as Jasper pivoted to face her, taking her small, shaking hands in his large, warm grasp.