‘It seems my enemies are the least of my worries. Your own relations are the ones most determined to harm you and I cannot keep you safe if you are not living beneath my roof. And I know you will not agree to do that indefinitely without my ring on your finger since you are an infuriatingly independent woman!’
‘I might consider marrying you, if I thought your declaration came as a result of undying love; a word I have yet to hear pass your lips.’
‘My sweet, how could you ever doubt it?’ His eyes glistened with emotion. ‘When I knew you had gone with Molly yesterday…when we arrived at that cottage and I saw what Grantley was about to do to you out of malignant spite; what he would have succeeded in doing had we been a few minutes later, I wanted to die. He would have had to kill you, you know.’ Olivia swallowed. She did know, but preferred not to think about it. ‘He could not have allowed you to live after that because he knew that I would put all of my resources into unearthing him and exacting revenge.’
‘Very likely, but he was so enraged that I think he acted without thinking things through properly.’
Jake nodded. ‘I realised in that shabby cottage that my life has been half-empty without you and that it will not be worth living if you will not share it with me.’
‘Jake, I—’
Jake quieted her by placing his finger against his lips. ‘Say you will be my wife, my love, and I will devote the rest of my life to making you and Tom happy. We will fight off our enemies together, have a dozen more children and be the happiest couple in all of England.’
‘Oh, Jake!’
‘As to Tom, I would be privileged if you would permit him to take my family name. He would be Thomas Morton, you would be the Countess of Torbay, and we need never hear the name Grantley mentioned again.’ Jake’s eyes glistened. ‘Do you suppose Tom could be persuaded to address me as Papa? I cannot make him my heir; that is not possible, but I can provide for him, protect him and love him as much as I love you.’
Tears spilled from Olivia’s eyes. ‘Then yes, I will marry you with gladness in my heart, but we’d had best make it soon.’ She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. ‘If you want our first child to be legitimate, that is.’
Jake looked at her aghast. ‘Are you saying—’
‘Yes, I have been waiting for the right moment to tell you. It is the result of our intimacies in this house two months ago. I did not want you to think I was trying to trap you into matrimony, you see.’
‘Oh my love!’ Jake’s smile was broad and infectious as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her witless. ‘I shall arrange a special licence and we will be married this week.’
‘And you will give up working for Thorndike, we will retire to Torbay and grow those roses together?’
He chuckled. ‘I shall certainly give up working for Thorndike but I cannot promise to stop righting individual wrongs.’
‘Ever the vigilante,’ Olivia said, sighing.
‘Bear in mind, that is how you and I met, so I have a great deal to thank my vigilante tendencies for. When I heard what had happened to you, I sensed a potential miscarriage of justice and could not help involving myself.’ He spread his hands. ‘There are bound to be other instances…’
Olivia nodded. ‘Very well, but you must promise to talk to me about any rescue missions you plan to embark upon.’ She touched his face. ‘No secrets, Jake.’
‘No secrets,’ he promised, kissing each of her fingers in turn and sending her a wolfish smile. ‘But as to the roses, I cannot promise you that I will embark upon that particular project with much enthusiasm. I can think of much better ways for us to occupy our time.’
Olivia laughed because she could not seem to help herself. She was the happiest, the most fortunate woman in the entire Empire and had every reason to laugh.
‘We shall see,’ she replied.
When Parker entered the room a short time later, Jake grinned at him.
‘Fetch champagne, Parker. You may be the first to congratulate us. Olivia has graciously agreed to become my countess.’
Parker flashed an ear-splitting smile as he pumped Jake’s hand and placed a kiss on Olivia’s cheek. ‘About time an’ all,’ he said as he disappeared to fetch the champagne.
The End
Author’s Note
Madame Céleste was a French dancer and actress who made her debut at the Bowery Theatre in New York. In America she aroused such enthusiasm that her admirers carried her on their shoulders and took the horses out of her carriage in order to pull it themselves.
Having made a large fortune, she returned to England in 1837, gave up dancing and appeared as an actress, first at Drury Lane and then at the Haymarket. In 1844 she joined Benjamin Webster in the management of the Adelphi. I feel perfectly sure that she did so with distinction.
Her assistant Melanie DuBois, on the other hand, is a product of my imagination and her activities—either real or alleged—are entirely fictitious.
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About the Author
Thank you for reading With Good Grace. If you want more from Jake and Olivia, check out the rest of the novels in the Victorian Vigilantes series, together with the rest of my offerings, listed below.
I was brought up on the Isle of Wight, off the Hampshire coast of southern England, surrounded by castles, stately homes and history at every turn. I must have unwittingly absorbed the historic atmosphere because I write mostly about bygone days, living vicariously alongside my strong heroes and independently-minded heroines.
When not letting my imagination flow over a hot keyboard I spend my time walking my beloved dog – a rescued mutt of indeterminate pedigree – and make half-hearted efforts to hold back the years through regular visits to the gym.
Follow me on Twitter @wendyswriter
Find me on Facebook Wendy Soliman – Author
Check out all my books on my website: http://www.wendysoliman.com or on my Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JJ5WRC
Regency and Victorian Series
Mrs Darcy Entertains Series
Miss Bingley’s Revenge
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Dilemma
Miss Darcy’s Passion
Kitty Bennet’s Despair
Pemberley: The Next Generation Series
Emma Bingley’s Romantic Nature
Naomi Sanford’s Compassionate Nature
Bella Darcy’s Impulsive Nature
Eleanor Bingley’s Rebellious Nature
Rosie Turner’s Contrary Nature
Susie Darcy’s Tenacious Nature
Ducal Encounters Series One
At the Duke’s Discretion
With the Duke’s Approval
Portrait of a Duke
For the Duke’s Pleasure
In the Duke’s Estimation
Captivating the Duke
Ducal Encounters Series Two
Reunited with the Duke
Christmas with the Duke
Representing the Duke
Safeguarding the Duke
Acting for the Duke
The Forsters
Compromising the Marquess
Beguiling the Barrister
Finessing the Contessa
Romancing the Runaway
Victorian Vigilantes Series
Saving Grace
Heirs and Graces
With Good Grace
Fall From Grace
Stand-Alone Regencies
To Defy a Duke
The Duke’s Legacy
Lady Hartley’s Inheritance
Duty’s Destiny
; A Duke by Default
A Scandalous Proposition
Of Dukes and Deceptions
The Perfect Impostor
Forgotten Heiress
For Want of a Reputation
Christmas at Castleray
Contemporary Titles
The Deadline Series
A Date to Die For
A Contest to Kill For
The Hunter Files
Unfinished Business
Risky Business
Lethal Business
Stand-Alone Contemporaries
Topspin
Downsizing
A Class Apart
Shalimar
Silver Lining
The Name of the Game
I was brought up on the Isle of Wight, off the Hampshire coast of southern England, surrounded by castles, stately homes and history at every turn. I must have unwittingly absorbed the historic atmosphere because I write mostly about bygone days, living vicariously alongside my strong heroes and independently-minded heroines.
When not letting my imagination flow over a hot keyboard I spend my time walking my beloved dog – a rescued mutt of indeterminate pedigree – and make half-hearted efforts to hold back the years through regular visits to the gym.
Follow me on Twitter @wendyswriter
Find me on Facebook Wendy Soliman – Author
Check out all my books on my website: http://www.wendysoliman.com or on my Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JJ5WRC
Regency and Victorian Series
Mrs Darcy Entertains Series
Miss Bingley’s Revenge
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Dilemma
Miss Darcy’s Passion
Kitty Bennet’s Despair
Lydia Wickham’s Journal
Pemberley: The Next Generation Series
Emma Bingley’s Romantic Nature
Naomi Sanford’s Compassionate Nature
Bella Darcy’s Impulsive Nature
Eleanor Bingley’s Rebellious Nature
Rosie Turner’s Contrary Nature
Susie Darcy’s Tenacious Nature
Ducal Encounters Series One
At the Duke’s Discretion
With the Duke’s Approval
Portrait of a Duke
For the Duke’s Pleasure
In the Duke’s Estimation
Captivating the Duke
Ducal Encounters Series Two
Reunited with the Duke
Christmas with the Duke
Representing the Duke
Safeguarding the Duke
Acting for the Duke
Emulating the duke
Ducal Encounters Series Three
Conspiring with the Duke
Dedicated to the Duke
Impugning the Duke’s Honour
By Order of the Duke
The Forsters
Compromising the Marquess
Beguiling the Barrister
Finessing the Contessa
Romancing the Runaway
Victorian Vigilantes Series
Saving Grace
Heirs and Graces
With Good Grace
Fall From Grace
Social Graces
Elegance and Grace
Riley Rochester Investigates Series
Death of a Debutante
Death of a Courtesan
Death of a Prosecutor
Death of a Scoundrel
Stand-Alone Regencies
To Defy a Duke
The Duke’s Legacy
Lady Hartley’s Inheritance
Duty’s Destiny
A Duke by Default
A Scandalous Proposition
Of Dukes and Deceptions
The Perfect Impostor
Forgotten Heiress
For Want of a Reputation
Christmas at Castleray
Ava’s Passion
Lady Mysterious
Divided Loyalties
Disinherited
Game of Dukes
Contemporary Titles
The Hunter Files
Unfinished Business
Risky Business
Lethal Business
Stand-Alone Contemporaries
Topspin
Downsizing
A Class Apart
Shalimar
Silver Lining
The Name of the Game