Wonderland By Night (Heroic Rogues Series) (43 page)

“Because, my dear man…you have not asked me to marry you, yet. And for certain, you have not asked permission from my father or mother.”

Relief swept over him and he smiled. He stepped away from her and knelt on one knee, taking her hands in his. “Lady Sarah Emiline Townshend? Would you do me the great pleasure of becoming my wife? I promise to spend every waking moment making you as happy as you have made me since we first met. And I promise to move heaven and earth to please you. I will live with you here, or in England…wherever you want to live. I will accept the title as Earl if you wish me to, or I can remain being Captain Hawk. Your wish is my command.” He glanced up at the sky. The yellow moon floated high in the sky while stars hung suspended around it. The night was beautiful—and so perfect. If he listened closely, he knew he would hear heaven’s angels singing as well. “Emiline, my dearest,” he continued as he gazed back in her eyes. “Say yes and make this night our wonderland. Even though we have been through much turmoil tonight, all I want to do is remember me and you, and you accepting my marriage proposal.”

She sighed and nodded. “Yes, Gabriel Lawrence, Captain of my heart. I accept your proposal, and I will always remember tonight as our paradise, our wonderland by night. I will only want you to be an earl if that is what
you
wish. And I will accept you being a pirate if you can promise me you will not get yourself killed.” She grinned. “There is no way I want to lose you ever again!”

“Whatever our future is, we will decide together.” He winked. “Is that all right with you?”

“It’s perfect!”

Placing his mouth over hers, he sealed the promise with a kiss. A kiss that started out simple, but soon turned into more. Much more.

Chapter Twenty-One

“This is perfect timing, don’t you agree?” Emiline asked excitedly as glanced at her mother sitting across from her in their carriage. “Father’s letter to inform us everything was safe in Boston and for us to return, couldn’t be timed better.”

Her mother nodded. “I agree.”

“Did you tell him about the surprise?” Gabe asked.

Emmie looked at him and smiled. She reached over and patted his hand. The coach they were riding in seemed cramped since her mother and brother were sharing the same vehicle. But her mother wouldn’t allow Emmie to ride with Gabe alone…it would ruin her reputation, her mother had said. It didn’t matter if Emmie and Gabe were going to get married soon.

“When I replied to Father’s letter, I told him I was returning from New Hampshire with a couple of surprises for him.” Emmie grinned. “So Mother, you and Elias stay in the carriage until Gabe comes to get you.”

Her mother nodded as she twisted her hands in her lap. This was all so exciting for Emmie—and nerve-racking—and she could only assume her mother felt more jittery than the daughter at this moment.

Emmie looked out the coach’s window as they came upon her uncle’s home. Frowning, she suddenly wished she didn’t have to see
that man.
Once she and her mother convinced her father that Uncle Oliver was the person who’d kept them apart for fifteen years, Emmie knew her father would take his family back to England and never set eyes on his brother again.

“Do you suppose your uncle is at home this evening?” Daphne asked in a small voice.

Sighing heavily, Emmie shrugged. “I wish I knew. He probably is, but I don’t want him around when we tell Father how Oliver was involved in all of this.”

Gabe had his arm around
Emmie’s
shoulders, and he squeezed lovingly. When she met his eyes, he winked. “I will take care of your uncle while you tell your father about Daphne and Elias.”

She smiled. “Thank you for your help. We would not have been able to do any of this without you.”

He kissed her forehead and pulled her against him tighter. Across the seat, Daphne tried to hide a grin as she looked away. Elias, however, chuckled as if it was funny to see his sister kissing a man.

When their coach stopped, Gabe opened the door and hopped down before assisting Emmie out. She glanced at the second coach that had a few of her mother’s servants along with Anna as they rode with the trunks. Emmie didn’t want to wait for Anna to climb out as to instruct her in what to do, so she hurried toward the house, Gabe following closely behind.

When their coach stopped, Gabe opened the door and hopped down before assisting Emmie out. She glanced at the second coach that had a few of her mother’s servants along with Anna as they rode with the trunks. Emmie didn’t want to wait for Anna to climb out as to instruct her in what to do, so she hurried toward the house, Gabe following closely behind.

When they reached the door and she knocked, she peeked over her shoulder at Gabe. “Let me do all the talking.”

He chuckled. “Yes, dear.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.”

The door was opened by Oliver’s servant, and when he saw her, his eyes widened as much as his smile had. “Welcome home, Lady Sarah.”

“Thank you, Hendricks. Is my father here?”

“Indeed, he is. I believe he is waiting for you in the study.”

“Splendid.” She walked in, then quickly stopped and turned toward Hendricks again. “And…is my uncle at home as well?”

“Actually, he is attending a political meeting this evening. He should not be home for at least two more hours.”

Emmie released a slow sigh. “Perfect. Thank you again.”

She forged on ahead to the study. When she entered, her father stood from the heavily cushioned brown chair by the fireplace. His face beamed with happiness as he held out his arms. “Welcome home, my little Emmie.”

She rushed into his embrace and hugged him tight. “Oh, I have missed you so.”

“Not as much as I have missed you.” He kissed her cheek, then pulled away.

It was then when his attention moved behind her. “Father,” she said quickly before he could ask, “I told you I was bringing you a couple of surprises, and this is one of them.” She motioned to Gabe. “Father, meet the Earl of Wilshire, Gabriel Lawrence. He is Mr. and Mrs. Hampton’s nephew.”

Gabe stepped forward and offered his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir. I feel as if I know you since your daughter has talked non-stop about you.”

Her father shook Gabe’s hand. “It is always a pleasure to meet Henry’s family. I fear it’s been years since I have seen my good friend. How is he faring?”

“Quite well. I shall let him know you inquired after him.”

Her father nodded. “I would certainly appreciate that.”

She dared to move closer to Gabe, and even right up next to him. Slowly, Gabe’s arm slid around her waist. Her father watched every movement, until his eyes widened in understanding.

Once again, she quickly offered up explanation before her father said anything. “And Father, Gabriel and I have become…um…very close lately. And he would like to ask you a question.”

Gabe cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “Your Grace, I have fallen deeply in love with your daughter, and I would like your permission to marry her.”

Emmie held her breath as her father’s focus darted between her and Gabe. Smiling, she cuddled closer to him and laid her hand on his chest. “Father, I love him with all my heart, and I cannot imagine life without him.”

Blowing out a gush of air from between his lips, her father scratched his black hair, sprinkled lightly with strands of white. Thankfully, he wasn’t wearing the white periwig that she loathed so much. His hand drifted down as he scrubbed his chin, studying Gabe closely.

She removed her attention from her father and gazed lovingly at Gabe. He had colored his hair brown again to hide the natural red. He did this as so not to get noticed. One of these days she would like to see him with his natural color. Their children would have red hair, too, she just knew it.

“Well,” her father finally said. “I must admit this is quite a surprise…a shock, in fact. Emmie, my dear, I had no idea your
surprise
would be bringing home a man.”

She chuckled. “Actually, I brought home more than that, but right now, I wanted to have you meet this wonderful man who risked his life to save mine.”

Her father’s eyes widened. “What is this you say?”

Shaking her head, she waved her hand through the air. “That’s another story, for which I would gladly tell, but for now, we are anxiously waiting an answer from you.”

He paced in front of the hearth with his hands behind his back. “I suppose I need to know where the earl plans to live if I give you both my blessings.”

“Your Grace,” Gabe said, “we plan on living in London. I have recently been given this title and some lands. I know I have a country estate and a townhouse in London. For now, this is all I know until we reach England.”

Finally, her father stopped and faced them, a smile stretching across his face. “Now that’s the answer I was seeking.” He stepped forward and clapped his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family, son.”

She sighed in relief, and hugged her father. Gabe moved to shake his hand again, but her father gave him a hug instead. They all laughed together. It was then when she realized Gabe was even taller than her father, and she’d always thought her father was a large man. And even though her father’s shoulders were wide, Gabe’s were even wider.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to give him the next big surprise. “Well, now that is all settled, do you want your next surprise?”

Her father titled his head, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “It depends. Is it anything like this surprise was?”

“Oh, no, Father. This surprise is much better.” She glanced at Gabe, giving him the nod to go fetch her mother and brother. Once Gabe left the room, she took her father’s hands and held them. “This trip to New Hampshire has opened my eyes to a lot of things, which Gabe was all part of. But one of the things I discovered was how your brother, Oliver, has tricked you and me for several years now.”

Her father’s forehead creased, his brows drew together. “How so?”

“Well, fifteen years ago he told us some disturbing news…news, that was nothing but a lie.”

Slowly, color faded from his cheeks. She knew he was thinking of her mother.

“Oliver made us believe that my mother—your wife—had been killed. But the truth is exactly opposite.” She took another deep breath. “Father, Mother is alive. I found her living in Salem.”

Her father swayed slightly, and he stumbled to the chair where he’d been sitting. Tears collected in his eyes as he stared at her. “Daphne…is alive?”

“Yes.” Emmie sat on the footstool and took his hands again. “Uncle Oliver orchestrated this whole thing, Father. He gave us the note that said Mother had died, and he gave Mother a similar note that told her
we
had died.”