Maid to Be Mine: A Regency Cinderella Story (29 page)

“
My letter means the same thing, more or less,” Robert continued. “You might be married to Lord Whats-His-Name, and we might not see each other so often, but you'll always be close to my heart. Even if I'm not with you, I'll always protect you. If you ever need me, I'll always be there for you.” When he finished his speech, Robert drew a deep breath. “And that's a lot, coming from me. I'm not particularly reliable, after all.”

Cynthia chuckled at his deprecatory statement. Without a doubt, Robert was the only man in the world who could make her laugh and cry in a single moment. “But the words themselves... do you mean it?”

Robert gave his head a nervous scratch. It seemed like an appropriate moment to feign stupidity. “I'm not sure what you mean.”

“
I love you!” Cynthia exclaimed. “That's what the note says, Robert. Do you love me?!”

For a moment, Robert thought
she
was confessing her love to
him
. Alas, it was not so. He raised his chin and said, with pride, “I have always loved you, Cynthia. I could never love anyone else.” When he saw the shock on her face, he took a few steps away from her and added, “and now that I've bared my soul, I need to slink away with my tail between my legs and find a quiet place to cry, if you don't mind.”

“
Robert!” Cynthia grabbed his arm. With the strength of someone much larger than herself, she pulled him back to her. “I love you too, I love you too, I love you too!”

“
Are you sure that wasn't I love you
three
?” Robert asked with a grin.

“
Robert, please! Now is not the time for your foolishness! I'm being
very
serious!” Cynthia cried. “I don't want to marry Lord Charmington... I already told him as much. How could I possibly marry him when my heart belongs to you?!”

“
Lady Edith was telling me about the earl's fever.” As he spoke, Robert laid a hand on Cynthia's forehead. “Are you sure you haven't contracted it?”

“
No!” Cynthia gave his hand a gentle slap. “Please don't make light of my feelings! I love you, Robert. I
need
you. And if I can't have you, I--”

Robert pulled her toward him and brought his face close to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips when he asked, “Do you really love me?”

“
I love you!” Cynthia exclaimed. “As long as I'm with you, I don't care about anything else. I don't care about worldly possessions. I don't care where we go, or where we live, or what I have to do to survive... as long as I'm with you, nothing else matters to me. You're the only one who gives me comfort. It might be madness on my part, but I
do
love you, and I don't want to be with anyone else!”

“
It
is
madness,” he agreed with a chuckle. “Any feelings you might have for me are completely and utterly absurd. I don't deserve you.”

Cynthia wiggled the
I LOVE YOU
note in front of his face. “How could I not love you, Robert Sweeney? You are everything I could ever want!”

“
Everything?
Really
?” Robert grinned at her. “I am sure you could think of something else you might want! A kitten, perhaps?”

“
You are
everything
I could want,” Cynthia insisted. “Everything... and more.”

And with that, Cynthia pulled him down for a kiss.

Then she kissed him again.

And again.

And again.

Her happily ever after was even better than a fairy tale.

Epilogue

Two months later

“
I cannot believe it, Mama!” As she shook her head, Georgiana's black curls twirled around her face.

“
What can you not believe, my dear?”

Jemima was standing beside her daughter's carriage. Georgiana was awaiting the arrival of her traveling companion—and she wasn't waiting with bated breath. Her gloom was written all over her face in the form of a ridiculously prominent pout. “I cannot believe Edith is marrying Lord Charmington!” She punctuated her statement with a snort. “My sister is marrying the man who should have been
my
husband! It isn't fair! Why would he want some... some dried up old spinster over the likes of me?!”

“
There there, dear...” Jemima patted her daughter's gloved hand.

“
Promise me, Mama...” Georgiana went on. “
Promise me
!”

Jemima knew exactly what her daughter wanted, because she had already made the promise at least a dozen times. “Edith will never be welcome at Montforth Hall, dear. Never again.”

“
Good. ...Good!” Georgiana haughtily raised her chin. “You know what else gives me satisfaction, Mama? Cynthia's fate! I take comfort in the fact that she married some lowborn wretch. I will have pretty things, and she will have
nothing
!” Georgiana rubbed the palms of her hands together, like a sinister storybook villain.

“
And some day you might... you might...” Jemima could not bring herself to say the words, because she was sure they were untrue. “Someday you might grow to love
your
husband.”

As if summoned by the mention of him, Roland appeared at the side of the carriage. In the last few months, he had grown a mustache. It consumed the lower half of his face, and made him look more ridiculous than ever. As he climbed into the carriage, the vehicle sagged beneath his weight. “You look beautiful, my dear!” Roland cheered. “I can hardly believe my good fortune!”

“
Mamaaaa...” Georgiana groaned. As she observed her husband's countenance in the corner of her eye, she was thoroughly disgusted.

“
My beaoootiful beaoootiful wife!” Roland cheered, and he gave his round stomach a few brisk strokes. “I am a lucky, lucky man! Yuk yuk yuk.”

“
Mamaaaa!” Georgiana whined again. How did she ever let him talk her into marrying him?!

“
Take care, my dear!” Jemima exclaimed, and the carriage set off to its destination. “When you return to Montforth Hall, your mother will be there to greet you!”

As the carriage sped away from Jemima, Roland whispered to Georgiana, “Actually... if it isn't too much of a hassle... do you think we could move your mother to the dower house? I think I would prefer it if she did not grace us with her presence
quite
so often.”

“
You want my mother to leave Montforth Hall?!” Georgiana gasped. “How dare you!”

“
Well, I
am
the lord of the manor, so to speak.” Roland was grinning at her, as if he was completely oblivious to the agony he was causing her. “And Lord Montforth can do whatever he wants!”

Georgiana crossed her arms over her chest and pouted like a petulant schoolgirl. When he heard her grumbling an oath under her breath, Roland reached over and pinched her cheek—which only increased her terrible mood.

“
Let us not worry about that, my dear,” Roland said. “Right now, we have more important things to worry about, yes.
Yes
?!” He leaned over and sloppily kissed her cheek, which left a trail of spittle across her rosy skin. “We should be focusing on one thing, and one thing only!”

“
Which is what, my lord?” Georgiana groaned.

“
You needn't be so coy with me, darling!” Roland eyes' were twinkling, as if he expected her to share in his excitement. “Our wedding night, dear! Our wedding night! Yuk yuk yuk.”