He hadn’t even hesitated. That was good, wasn’t it?

“I want a long engagement,” she added.

“One month,” he said promptly.

“One month? That’s not long enough,” she protested, though she had to laugh a little, too. It was flattering that he was so very, very eager.

“Kat, my love, trust me on this. A month will seem very long to both of us since I daresay your brother is even now looking for an ax to chop down that damnable tree.” Devon captured her hand and placed a kiss on the back of her fingers. “A month may seem like a year under such circumstances.”

Her fingers tingled where his mouth moved over her bared skin and she shivered. “You are right, as usual.”

He grinned. “Mmmmm! I like the sound of that. Say it again.”

“When you’ve earned it, and not before,” she said, trying to be severe, though her grin would not stay contained. Smiling up at him, she traced a finger over the pocket of his waistcoat where the talisman ring was tucked. “You once said this was cursed.”

“I was wrong. It was, and is, blessed.” He took the ring from his pocket and slid it over her finger.

It rested there, warm and gleaming. This time, its effect was gentler, softer, but more lingering.

She ran a finger over the silvered runes. Perhaps that was a sign. A sign to open the cold, frozen doors of her heart and let in the sunshine, one gentle ray at time. A sign to let in Devon.

The warmth of the ring seemed to sense the change in her, for it began to tingle, running up her arm and into her heart.

She looked down at the ring. “I suppose I have no choice. The ring has decided.”

Devon nuzzled her ear, a flare of delicate fire flickering over her. “I have decided. To hell with the blasted ring.”

She peeped up at him through her lashes. “If I refused you, would you haunt me?”

“For the rest of my days.”

“And make my life a living hell?”

Devon’s lips quirked. “I wouldn’t say that, precisely. I believe that parts of it would be very enjoyable indeed.”

Kat laughed then, and it seemed that the ring warmed even more with the sound. “Yes, my dear. Parts of it would be very enjoyable indeed.”

Epilogue

I love surprises. I love large ones. Small ones. Ones that come in boxes with bows. You simply cannot have too many surprises.

Mrs. Montesque-Drumme to her daughter, Lady Mountjoy, while playing cards at the Westons’ rout

A short time later, Devon pulled Kat into his arms and danced with her around the ballroom at Kilkairn.

People were still whispering, but Kat no longer cared. “I cannot believe you wished to return here. Everyone is talking about us.”