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“But-”
“Life is too short, Willie,” he said, determined not to allow her a word of disagreement, “and we’re not getting any younger. Let’s make the best of the years we have left to us, which, God willing, are many. No more excuses. No more regrets. We shall have a lifetime of love and happiness instead. And I won’t be convinced by any more of your flimsy arguments this time, or let you sacrifice yourself to them, either. Come, let’s see what sort of life we can make together.”
“And what about all those scandalous years behind me?”
He gri
Wilhelmina smiled. “You are making quite a leap, Captain, from a roll in the hay to a lifetime commitment.”
“Take my hand, Willie, and we’ll make that leap together.”
She studied him for a long moment, a moment during which Sam ceased to breathe. Then she reached up to take his hand, and his world changed again, forever.
When she was settled beside him, he kissed her softly on the mouth. “No looking back, Willie.”
“No looking back.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“Say it again.”
“No looking back.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her more thoroughly. “I’m proud of you, my girl. I knew you could not be so hen-hearted. You always had spunk.” He smiled so broadly, he thought his face might crack. “Dear God, I am surely the happiest man alive! I love you, Wilma Jepp. I always have. And I always will. I’m hoping you love me a little, too.”
“More than a little.”
He gri
“Then what are you waiting for, Captain? Let’s get this pitiful excuse for a carriage to Town and start that new scandal you were talking about.”
Sam threw back his head and laughed with pure joy, gave the horses their heads, and set sail for London and a new life with the only woman he’d ever truly loved.
About Candice Hern
CANDICE HERN has always enjoyed escaping into the history and literature of Regency England. After years of rereading the novels of Jane Austen and other women of the period, she by chance discovered the great Georgette Heyer-and all her contemporary stepchildren-and was instantly hooked.
Candice lives in San Francisco in a house cluttered with African violets, orchids, Regency-period antiques, and mountains of reference books. She loves to hear from readers. Contact her via email at [email protected] /* */, or the old-fashioned way at PO Box 31499, San Francisco, California 94131. Please visit her website at www.candicehern.com.
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. “The Fall of Rogue Gerrard” Copyright © 2008 by Savdek Management Proprietory Ltd. “Spellbound” copyright © 2008 by Mary Balogh. “Only You” copyright © 2008 by Jacquie D’Alessandro. “From This Moment On” copyright © 2008 by Candice Hern. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Mobipocket Reader August 2008 ISBN 978-0-06-170820-6