Authors: Sally Wentworth
She gave a small shrug. 'I knew he was lying. When he ran out of money he would have come back, made me go through it all again. I would never have been free of him. And he kept threatening Sam. I was left with only two choices, and I decided to take a chance, find out where he was going and then stop him so he'd go back to prison.'
'Two choices? What was the other?'
She lowered her eyes. To make sure I was out of his reach—permanently.'
'Lucie! No!' Seton's arms went round her and he held her very tight, his face filled with horror. 'How could you even think of doing such a terrible thing?'
'I didn't, not for very long. When I thought of you and Sam... I'm such a coward.'
'No, never that.' He kissed a tear that trickled down her cheek. 'How can you say you're a coward when you tried so hard to protect us, making yourself ill, trying to cope alone?'
Pulling her onto his lap, he encompassed her in his arms, trying to make his strength hers, kissing her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks. 'If s over,' he told her. 'No one will ever know. Our friends, my parents, they thought you were at your aunts. We can pick up our lives again. You're safe now. You're home, my love. No one will ever hurt you again. I'll take care of you, you know that. Sam and I, we'll always be here to protect you. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world.'
His lips moved to her mouth, so that he couldn't speak any more, but his deepening kiss, the passion that grew out of it, was a greater reassurance than any words.
After a while Seton rose, still holding her in his arms, and carried her towards the stairs. When they were in bed together Lucie gave a great sigh of content and said, 'I feel as if I've been on a very long journey and have come safely home.'
'I know how you feel.'
'I wish I could make it up to you.'
'You can.' Seton whispered in her ear. Lucie laughed. 'I'll do my best.'
And a few months later, on a frosty night when the moon silvered the trees, she made it up to him in full measure when she gave Seton what he'd asked of her: the daughter that he had so longed for to mate their family and their happiness complete.