Forever in Your Embrace (79 page)

Through grateful tears and a smile brimming with joy, Elianna embraced Synnovea and welcomed her into the family. “T
hank
you, my dear, for making my son so happy and for giving us these small treasures of delight upon whom we can lavish our love. I had begun to fear that I would never see an end to the years that kept us apart. Now that the king has given Tyrone the task of establishing the techniques for drilling cavalry units, we can feel confident that he won’t have to leave England to fight in some foreign campaign ever again. Perhaps his father can eventually entice him into learning the business of building ships.”

Tyrone dared to broach the subject which had caused him to leave
England
more than a thrice of years ago. “What has happened in my absence?”

“Everything has been settled, my son,” Trevor Rycroft assured his son, settling a hand upon his shoulder. “In fact, when Lord Garner heard that you’d be returning, he came to offer apologies for what his son had done to Angelina and for what they had tried to do to you after the duel. He said a man has every right to defend his wife’s honor and good name from anyone who would besmirch them. He regrets that his arrogance and rage forced you to flee to
Russia
.”

“As you can see for yourself, Father,” Tyrone replied, “it was good that I went away, for I found there a far richer treasure than I ever had here.”

“I must say, my son,” Elianna replied, marveling at his undiminished good looks, “you’ve come back obviously much happier than when you left…and richer by far with your family and friends.”

“Aye, Mother,” Tyrone agreed, glancing aside at his adoring wife. “I am indeed a very rich man.”

About the Author

Kathleen E. Woodiwiss wrote the very first historical romance novel in 1972—The Flame and the Flower created a genre and made Ms. Woodiwiss one of the world’s most popular writers, with 36 million books in print. In celebration of Ms. Woodiwiss’s new novel, The Retuctant Suitor (2003), PerfectBound is publishing Ms. Woodiwiss’s classic backlist, including the complete Birmingham Family Saga: The Flame and the Flower, The Elusive Flame; A Season Beyond a Kiss. Also available are Ms. Woodiwiss’s Ashes in the Wind; Come Love a Stranger; Forever in Your Embrace; Petals on the River, A Rose in Winter; Shanna; So Worthy My Love; The Wolf and the Dove.