Katie’s Hero (25 page)

At last, a cheer went round the room, and people began to relax. People clapped Michael on the back, wished him health, wealth and happiness. People introduced themselves to Katie and spoke to her in a polite, deferential way that she’d never experienced in her life. Nobody was rude enough to mention the baby on its way.

Michael collapsed into a chair, clanking like a knight in rusty armor. The leg braces were desperately uncomfortable, so Roy ran forward to help him to release the catches so Michael could relax. Katie leaned forward and looked curiously at his ankles.

“I’ve been practicing for weeks,” Michael confessed. “It was meant to be a surprise for our wedding day.”

She smiled and fought back tears. “So you’re the Ghost of Farrenden Manor,” she said, with a hint of a smile.

“Yes, I was a ghost: a shadow of a man and a ghost of my former self. Until you came along. You breathed life into me, Katie. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, Michael, you did! It was wonderful. But, Michael, you didn’t have to do this. I would have married you most willingly sitting down.”

Michael caught her eye and raised his beer glass. “To us,” he said quietly.

She heard him, despite the noise. “To us,” she said.

Cody Young was born near Southampton, England, but now lives in New Zealand with her Italian husband and their three sons. She started writing historical romances in 2009, with another wartime story called
American Smile
. For more information about Cody, check out
http://codyyoungblog.blogspot.co.nz/
or
http://www.facebook.com/CodyYoungAuthor

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Stubborn Hearts
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