The Whisper Of Wings (32 page)

Michaela smiled. She liked his ways.

"My fortune is somewhat depleted for it, but I'm still an obscenely wealthy man. We should be able to get by well enough," he teased, smiling openly now.

Michaela gazed at him in wonder. There was something different about him, something she couldn't quite define.

But of course! Why hadn't she realized before? It was the frown that had always been nestled between his brows. It was gone. Now he looked more open, more approachable, younger, not quite so fettered. It was as if some crushing weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he was free to enjoy life again, free to take it a little less seriously.

Christopher gazed down at his little darling. She was so beautiful. He wanted to marry her right now, make her his as soon as possible. Now that she had.... He suddenly frowned. "But you haven't answered me. Will you marry me?"

Her face took on a pained look, and she quickly glanced away. "There's something I have to tell you."

It was a barely audible whisper, full of apprehension. Christopher felt his spirits plummet. "I know about the rape, if that's what you mean."

She was too mortified at having to tell him the truth of the matter to be appalled that he knew about the way the stranger in New Orleans had violated her. She shook her head, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. "Before that. I...." She turned stricken eyes to his. "I wasn't a virgin when I was violated."

He stared at her, careful to maintain his composure. It was a bit shocking, but it wouldn't change the way he felt about her.

She glanced away again, in utter misery now that she had to admit something so reprehensible to him. "It was a man who worked for my father, one of the transient cotton pickers. He was only there for a short time, but he was so different from all the other men I had ever known. He actually thought that I should pursue my dreams. He was everything I wanted to experience at the time. It was only once. I suppose I was weak. I needed approval from someone." She trailed off and stared at the ground, too afraid to meet his eyes, afraid that he might hate her for it. "If you don't want to marry me now, I'll understand."

She glanced up when he grabbed her shoulders, grabbed them so tightly that she thought he was angry. But one look at his face, and she knew he wasn't. He was just earnest.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is the here and the now." His eyes softened as he looked at her. "Oh, Michaela. I could never hate you for something like that."

"I just thought I should be completely honest with you."

He smiled. "And I'm glad for that. Together we will build an unshakeable foundation of love and trust. Nothing will ever come between us. We will be stronger than anything that could ever hope to tear us apart."

Michaela sagged with relief. He really wasn't going to hold it against her. "Oh, Christopher, I'm so happy. You're so wonderful."

"Marry me, Michaela." He gently shook her. "Dammit, woman, answer me now. I can't wait another minute."

She laughed. "Yes!" She shouted it to the mountaintops. "Yes, Mr. Standeven, I will marry you!"

"I love you," he said, pulling her to his chest.

"I love you too, Christopher. And I will never stop loving you as long as I live." She raised her head to gaze into his eyes. "Thank you for everything."

"No. Thank
you
. You've shown me that I can live again, that I can feel again. I can see the sun again, the beauty and marvel in the petals on every flower." He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "I'll show you the world, and you can write about every place we visit. Our life together will be wondrous. "

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And children? May we have children?"

"A dozen of them," he promised.

She smiled.

He kissed her then, kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her throat, and finally her lips, a long, lasting kiss that spoke of his love for her from the very depths of his soul. Then he pulled her against his chest and held her for a long time, content to just be with her, to just exist.

"I hate to think that we will never see Mr. Telford again," Michaela murmured as he cradled her in his arms.

"He has an open invitation to our home," Christopher mused. "I imagine we will be seeing quite a lot of the old crone. He was quite taken with you."

She laughed and snuggled closer. "Shouldn't we be getting back? Won't the others worry?"

"Soon," he murmured against her hair. "Soon. I just want a few more minutes alone with you before we step into the din together. It's going to be a madhouse when we return, you know. There will be a hundred questions. Congratulations on our upcoming marriage. Mrs. Avery is going to be beside herself. She'll be demanding that we present her with children right on the spot."

"And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it," she teased, lifting her head to nibble at his earlobe.

He laughed and pulled her down to the forest floor with him. "I hope you enjoy every moment of this," he murmured just before his lips came down to cover hers.

"Always," she murmured against his bare throat a few minutes later. "But only with you."

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassandra Blizzard is one of the world’s most detailed psychic mediums. She is internationally known for her evidential mediumship skills as well as her psychic abilities, with clients on nearly every continent. She is also an accomplished, award-winning author, with over 30 novels to her credit. She has been writing since the age of 15 and has published numerous short stories, articles, and books. In the realm of mediumship, Cassandra is known for her accuracy and compassionate readings. When it comes to her writing career, she is known for her skills in hopping genres. She has written in nearly every genre, including romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction, and mainstream. She has recently added to her list of writing accomplishments with a spiritual non-fiction series, the first of which is titled Seven Years of Surrender. In fiction, she writes page turning novels that keep readers avidly engaged. Cassandra’s non-fiction series, which debuts in late 2011, promises to be an eye-opening series of revelatory books designed to broaden the reader’s understanding of the soul and the spiritual realm.

http://psychicmedium-cassandrablizzard.com/