A Gentleman for Lady Juniper (Clairvoir Castle #6)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

T he day after their hasty arrival, Juniper sat in the statue gardens at Clairvoir. She had escaped there after a crowded and noisome breakfast, hoping the fresh air and familiar surroundings would ease the tension that had settled between her shoulders since the moment they had left London. The crisp morning air rustled the leaves and carried with it the faint scent of the flowers beyond the stone walls. She tried to focus on the novel in her hands, but the words blurred together, her thoughts drifting back to London. London, and all she had left there.

She wondered if the Sterlings had yet learned of her family’s sudden departure. Had the Duchess of Bedford carried out their plan? Had it helped? Anything could have happened in the three days it had taken to travel to the castle.

Inside the castle, there was nothing but joy as Lady Farleigh doted on her newborn son, the future Duke of Montfort. The baby, with his chubby cheeks and dark curls, had brought an air of happiness to Clairvoir that touched everyone around him. Lady and Lord Farleigh looked positively radiant with their new child, and the young family’s contentment seemed to promise a bright future for the duchy. Juniper found herself cheered by the sight of their joy, even as she carried her own uncertainties.

Despite the serenity inside the castle and outside in the gardens, she felt restless, a quiet ache settling in her chest.

The pale stone statues around her stood watchful and silent, casting long shadows on the gravel paths. It was a place she had often retreated to when she needed solace during past visits to Clairvoir, but today it provided little comfort. How could she be at ease until she knew what had happened to Jack’s family? She had already written a letter to Lady Emily, beseeching her friend to write to her at the castle. She would have to wait for her letter to arrive in London, then in turn wait for a response to return.

But patience was in short supply for her.

Juniper turned a page, scarcely absorbing the passage, when a familiar and unexpected voice broke through her wandering thoughts.

“Has the hero rescued the heroine yet?”

Her breath caught and she looked up sharply, her heart thudding in her chest. There, standing at the edge of the garden path, was Jack. He wore a coat that was travel-worn and dusty, and there was a weary look in his eyes, but the sight of him was like the sun dawning, chasing away the dark uncertainty she had carried since her hurried departure.

“Jack,” she breathed, rising from her seat as she dropped the book upon the bench.

“More likely,” he said as his expression softened, “the heroine has saved the rather distressed hero.” He did not come any closer. “I hope I haven’t startled you,” he said, his voice rough with exhaustion. “I thought it was past time I thanked you. For everything.”

She took a step toward him, then another, until she was close enough to see the strain in his features, the signs of a long and difficult journey etched in the lines around his eyes. “You shouldn’t have come all this way,” she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of joy and worry. “You must be exhausted?—”

Jack shook his head, stance firm and soldier-like. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his gaze steady on hers. “I had to see you again as soon as I could.” He paused, a shadow of regret crossing his face. “I owe you an apology, Juniper. For being so blind, for keeping my distance when I should have welcomed every moment by your side.”

Before he could say another word, Juniper closed the remaining steps between them, her hands reaching for his shoulders as she threw her arms around him. The moment she touched him, her heart lightened. She felt him stiffen in surprise, then his arms came around her, holding her tightly against him.

She tilted her face up toward his, her voice breathless with relief. “You needn’t apologize,” she whispered. “You are here now, and that is all that matters.”

The warmth of his breath ghosted across her lips, and then Jack was kissing her. It was an eager, desperate kiss, as if all the words they hadn’t spoken found their expression in that single, fervent moment. She melted into him, her hands sliding up to the back of his neck as his fingers threaded eagerly through her hair. The world around them faded, the only thing in existence was the press of his lips against hers, the way he held her as if he would never let go.

When they finally drew back, both of them were breathless and Juniper’s heart raced with joy. She searched his eyes, which had lost some of their weariness and were filled instead with a quiet resolve.

“You truly came all this way,” she murmured, her fingertips brushing against his cheek. “For me?”

“For you,” Jack answered, his voice hoarse but steady. “And I would do it again, a thousand times over.”

Her heart swelled at his words, and she reached up to kiss him again, this time slowly, savoring the moment that felt like a promise—a promise that this was only the beginning.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Juniper. I have loved you for far longer than I ought to have, before I had any right to, when I was curious what it would mean to love a woman like you.”

Though she wanted to burst with joy, she could not resist teasing, “And what is it like, pray, to love a woman like me?”

“Blissful,” Jack answered immediately with a grin. “I have never known such despair as when I thought I could not be worthy of you, and I have never known such joy as the moment I allowed myself to hope that we might have a future together. Please, my lovely Juniper, will you allow me to pay court to you?” He spoke with desperation and such an earnest look in his eyes that she did not hesitate again.

“I love you, too. With my whole heart. Please, court me. Please, love me and wed me.”

He laughed and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I am supposed to ask that of you, my lady. After a proper courtship.”

“Sometimes,” Juniper whispered, heart aching with happiness, “I sneak a look at the last page of my book, to be certain I will like the ending. That is what I wish to do now. I want to be certain this story ends the way I wish it to end. With us, happily ever after.”

“That is my wish, too.” Jack’s lips brushed hers again. “Yes. I will court you, marry you, and love you ever after.”

She could not think of a better way to end, or to begin, a story for the both of them.