“I didn’t see the dowager for years, I’m ashamed to say,” Adam continued. “I began to wonder if she wanted anyone to know that she’d had a hand in raising me. Perhaps she didn’t approve of the person I became. Perhaps she would be embarrassed for people to know of our connection.”
Artemis’s heart broke for him. She had known Adam during the years he was referencing and would never have guessed he’d felt any of these things. He kept so much of himself hidden.
“I left it to the dowager countess to determine how much of our history was known,” he said.
“You must have missed her,” Artemis said.
“Terribly. Which is why I can appreciate what you have felt the past thirteen years.” Adam met her gaze. “If you had told me of your search, I would have moved mountains to help you. You struggle to trust, but please trust me and trust your new husband, and I implore you, trust his family, especially his mother. I promise that you can.”
“I will try.”
He pressed a brotherly kiss to her forehead, something he had never once done. She almost didn’t recognize her brother-in-law in that moment. She was more than a little shaken by the inexplicable transformation.
“Now.” His gruff tone returned as he pulled back and dropped his hands. “You have been too distracted to notice, but there is a great deal of chaos nearby, and I think it best if you join in.”
“Chaos?” She turned in the direction he indicated.
Her family. Herentirefamily. Persephone and her two children. Athena and Harry and their four children. Linus and Arabella. Daphne and James and their two little ones.
“We were all in Lancashire,” Adam said. “It was the family’s hope that once your business here was completed, Charlie would bring you to visit there. But when the dowager’s letter arrived, the Lancaster sisters would hear no arguments. The entire brood was packed up and traveling in a matter of moments, trusting on the generosity of the Jonquils to make room for us all.”
“They came because... of me?” she asked.
“Because they love you.”
“Doyou?” She allowed a bit of a laugh to enter her tone.
“I tolerate you,” he muttered.
She saw through his grumpiness. To an extent, she had for years.
From behind them came light footsteps. They both looked back. Mater was there, coming up even with them.
“Thank you for allowing us to descend upon you without warning,” Adam said. “I will, of course, thank your daughter-in-law as well.”
She smiled at him. Artemis, seeing the interaction, wondered how in the world she had missed the deeply caring, maternal way her mother-in-law looked at Adam. It had likely always been there, but she’d missed it. She had been so wrapped up in her own loneliness and fears for so long that she’d missed so very many things.
“Let us go join your family, Your Grace,” Mater said. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am that they are here.”
In the very next moment, Charlie rushed over, Hestia in his arms. “Look who’s come, Artie.”
Her heart was still weighed down by her loss and by the uncertainty of all she faced, but seeing her family there, knowing they’d comefor her, and having Charlie nearby, as loyal and unshaken as ever, buoying her with a smile, she found she could breathe again.
Charlie bounced Hestia a little, having stopped directly in front of Artemis. “I mean to introduce this darling angel to Kendrick and Julia. I am determined that they will be friends.”
“You said that if we ever had all our nieces and nephews together, we would play an enormous game of catch us, catch us,” she said. “I think—” Her voice broke, but she pushed on. “I think Papa would have liked that.”
Charlie set his free arm around her. “He would havelovedthat.”
Artemis leaned against him, resting her hand against his chest.
He held her quite as if she were the most precious thing in all the world. “I’ve missed you this past week, Artie. You’ve felt terribly far away.”
She closed her eyes, shutting out every sight and sound but him. “My heart hurts so much. I will struggle with this for a long time, I fear.”
“I am not going anywhere,” he said. “And I’m not leaving.”
She’d spent so much of her life imagining a love story fit for a gothic novel and assuming that was what she wanted. This moment, though, this gentleman, this feeling of being cared for and cared about and important, topped every version of her own love story she’d ever imagined.
