Jonathan nodded. "Aye. I hope I'm wrong, but yes. We need to find our missing Rakehell friends and get to the bottom of the false earl's crimes. It won't be easy but we'll do our best to find the truth."
"I hope so. I'm not so sure any of us will be safe until we do," she said with a shudder.
Jonathan kissed her on the brow and put one arm around her waist protectively. "It will be fine. We have each other now. Thomas and his wife Charlotte will tend to Sophie. Your family will continue to remain at Ashton Manor as long as I have any say in the matter.
"And you, my dear, will marry me, as soon as you can. And I'm sure you can guess who's going to insist on being best man."
She looked into his steel-gray eyes, and wondered how she had ever found them cold and forbidding. She said teasingly as she stroked his face, "That wasn't the most romantic proposal a girl could ever have. But all I can say is, I think you shall have to have two best men. Clifford has been a good friend to both of us as well. And I'll have to have two matrons of honor, and two bridesmaids, if Elizabeth and Sarah will agree. I know it will be unusual, but it's what I want."
He took her hand in both of his own. "There's nothing wrong with an unusual wedding, for you're no ordinary woman, Pamela Ashton, soon to be Deveril. You never gave up on me, even when I hurt you terribly. You believed in me when any other sensible woman would have turned her back and fled. You risked your life to save a child you didn't even know. There's nothing I can possibly ever do to make it up to you, but as your husband I'm going to spend every day for the rest of my life trying."
She smiled. "You don't even have to try to make me happy. I love you, Jonathan. It's enough."
He kissed her again until she tingled from head to toe.
"Gadzookers, I've lost my peruke."
Pamela burst out laughing. "Your favorite play, The Rehearsal. But I'm glad you don't wear a stuffy old wig. So you have nothing to lose except your heart."
"I already have. To you."
She stroked his cheek lovingly. "And I lost mine a long time ago, though I was too silly to realize it for ages."
"So long as you're sure now."
She nodded. "I am."
He smiled with such joy, she was sure she had never seen him look more handsome. "I'm glad. Oh, and there is one other wonderful thing that the Duke of Buckingham said."
"What's that, Jonathan?"
"'For all true love is grounded on esteem.'"
Pamela grinned back at him, she stroked his sensual lower lip tenderly with one forefinger. "Then I truly esteem you."
"As do I you."
He kissed her again. "This is just the beginning, my dearest Pamela. There will be a lifetime more. And for me, it will never be enough."
She sighed, and tugged hard on his lapels, overbalancing Jonathan and yanking him into the bed beside her. "Nor for me. I want you now. This Society Miss has most certainly met her match, my darling. I don't want to be without you a moment longer."
"Then you shan't be, now or in the future. I'm all yours, my dearest love," he vowed, glad he had had the foresight to lock the door behind him as she began to strip his clothes off with trembling hands.
Her cheeks flamed, but she did not hesitate.
"There's only one problem. Who on earth is going to marry us? You can't preside at your own wedding."
"I know no one can ever do so fabulous a job as my good self," he said with a wink, "but I dare say Mr. Grayson from over Barton way won't mind.
"I have the special license all ready right here," he revealed, patting the pocket of his jacket happily before stripping the garment off and tossing it onto the floor.
Her eyes widened. "You really love me? Want to marry me in spite of everything?"
"Of course. What did I just tell you, foolish love? I tried to hold back, but I just couldn't help myself. I knew I couldn't live without you a moment longer. You were a terrible temptation almost from the first. I wanted to keep my faith with Jane. But she never kept it with me. And you were also such a treasure in my life, a gift from God."
"Oh, darling."
He kissed her hard on the lips for a fleeting moment. "Not seeing you after Bath, well, it was like cutting off my right arm. I held back for as long as I could, but it was no use. I came up to London expressly to tell you my true feelings. To see if you could forgive me.
"I didn't even stop at a hotel or Thomas's townhouse, I was so wild to see you," he admitted. "I went to the Eastons' to propose to you, but of course you weren't there. Aunt Susan laid into me in no uncertain terms. Wolf in sheep's clothing, knave, varlet, you can imagine the sort of thing."