Hesitancy shadowed the hint of hope in her eyes. The time for courage had come.

“I liked having you here, and I certainly didn’t want to you leave. But I was also worried you would remain here out of obligation. I didn’t want to take away your autonomy the way your father had. I wanted you to have choices.”

She watched him, silently and perfectly still.

Barnabus took a slow, lung-filling breath. “It tore me to pieces when you left. And though I didn’t realize it then, I understand better now.” He looked more deeply into her eyes, needing her to feel his sincerity. “I loved you. I told myself I didn’t. Worse, still, I believed myself. But it was folly. I loved you, and I wish I had told you that.”

“Loved?” She repeated, emphasizing the past tense of it.

He raised her hand once more to his lips and gently kissed it. Somehow he would make right all he’d mangled these last three years. He wouldn’t rest until he did. “I never stopped loving you. I never will. Not ever.”

Tears started in her eyes. Gemma never cried. The pain he’d caused ran deep. He knew that. But now that they were being honest with each other, he could start to make things right. He could try.

“I will understand if you can’t believe me yet,” he said. “I know I broke your heart. But I will do whatever I can, give you whatever you need from me.”

She pressed her fingertips to his lips, stopping his words—and nearly his heart with that personal touch. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that.”

Warmth filled Barnabus’s chest, both from her touch and with relief that she was willing to forgive him for having been so thickheaded for so long.

“I love you, Gemma. I’ll tell you that every day for the rest of our lives.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Stay with me, love. Let’s build a life here. We’ll look out for each other, work together, love each other.” He slipped his arms around her. “I can introduce you to the man who might very well be my uncle, and we can have friends over for supper. We can waltz in the library as often as you’d like. We would be together. I can’t imagine anything better than that.”

“I love you, Baz,” Gemma whispered.

She kissed his lips lightly, but he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, reveling in the feel of her in his arms. Their marriage had begun on a difficult footing, but they were finding their way. They were finding reason to hope. They were finding love.

Chapter 23

Chapter 23