He smiled to himself at the evidence of the generations rolling on. He’d just taken another sip of the very fine burgundy he and his brothers had unearthed in the manor cellars when his sister, Therese, swanned up and joined him.
She halted beside him and, in her usual fashion, critically surveyed the scene. Then she smiled. “I always thought a June wedding in the Peak District would be spectacular, and you and Sophy have proved me right.” Therese cast him an affectionate look. “I’m not sure you noticed—you didn’t seem to be focusing on anything beyond your bride—but the church was packed. To the rafters. You are clearly a much-loved person in this town.” She nodded at him approvingly. “You’ve found your place.”
He met her gaze for an instant, then gestured to the crowd. “We all have, haven’t we?” His gaze deflected to Sophy and Toby. “All except…”
Therese had followed his gaze. “Indeed. But he, too, will find that Fate chooses her own time and, ultimately, will not be gainsaid.” Her gaze wandered farther, seeking out other heads in the melee. “Just think of the surprises in that branch of the family. First Pru, then Nicholas and Meg. None of us foresaw any of those matches, yet once they occurred, you had to wonder at the inevitability of the connection. It seemed so obvious once they found their other halves that those people were the right ones for them.”
He grunted softly. He had to agree.
His brothers ambled up, and the talk turned general, the siblings sharing what they and their burgeoning families had been up to and also how their expanding interests were faring.
Inevitably, however, given the reason for the gathering, their thoughts turned to who would be next—a game Christopher, Gregory, and Therese’s husband, Devlin, who by then had joined them, had played at every wedding since their own.
“No contest, this time,” Devlin pointed out as they all looked to where Toby was now chatting with Sophy and several others. “He’s the last one.” Devlin glanced at Martin. “He’s the same age as you, isn’t he?” When Martin nodded, Devlin stated, “In that case, he’s running out of time.”
Christopher nodded. “It’ll be soon. He just hasn’t realized it yet.”
Gregory tipped his head, considering. “Or is it a case of he knows and is taking devilish good care not to stumble into any of Fate’s traps?”
Therese made a dismissive sound. “How many more times do I have to remind you? Fate is female, ergo, she’ll snare him in the end.”
All four males looked at her, then as one, grunted and didn’t argue.
* * *
Later, when the guests had dispersed and the sun was dipping toward the peaks to the west, Martin and Sophy stole away to the old walled rose garden. It had become their place, their private retreat; other than them, only Old Joe and his brother, Reggie, ever went there.
The wending path lined by massive old rosebushes led to an alcove in the rear wall that housed a stone bench, warmed by the sun.
They sat, and Sophy sighed contentedly and leaned into Martin’s side. He raised his arm and looped it about her, settling her comfortably against him.
At first, they simply sat and let the peace and tranquility of the setting steal over them, soothing away the last remnants of tension instilled over the past hectic hours.
Eventually, Sophy softly said, “We’re here. Finally.”
Martin understood exactly what she meant. He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. “We are. And our future lies, bright and beckoning, before us.”
They were looking forward to plunging in, hand in hand, hearts committed, and minds as one.
He rested his cheek against the silk of her hair and raised his gaze to stare over the rosebushes at the manor’s roof.
To date, he’d lived a full, exciting, distinctly varied, and unexpected life. Now, he was looking forward to all the other excitements he’d never thought would be his to experience—being a husband, experiencing fatherhood, crafting a life within a growing family—with a partner the likes of whom he’d never imagined existed, much less might be by his side.
“You,” he murmured. He glanced down at Sophy and, when she turned her face his way, smiled into her turquoise eyes. “You’ve made my future possible. You’ve opened the door to a future I never knew might be there.”
She smiled beatifically. “You’ve certainly done the same for me.”
“And now…?”
“Now, we go forth and claim that future and make it into what we wish it to be. Hand in hand, heart and soul.”
“Together,” he stated.
“Forever,” she replied. She shifted, stretched up, and kissed him.
And as the sun dipped low, they set out to explore all that Fate had gifted them as they started the journey to ultimately realize all the promise their future might hold.
* * *
