Elise clipped her long hair at the nape of her neck and checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. Drake would be coming to find her soon. The thrill of anticipation seized her. She was looking forward to a lazy afternoon with him and the picnic the servants had set up near the estate’s large fish pond.
God had been faithful, just as His word promised. The Lord truly had seen them through their darkest hours. Now their lives overflowed with goodness. In the eight months since she’d arrived at Hawk Haven, the sprawling estate had become the home of her heart. Though she occasionally missed the warmer climate of South Carolina, England possessed its own lush beauty. Prin, Kane and their new son, Robert, thrived in their own spacious cottage down the lane. Elise had made friends, including Drake’s impish sister, Eva, whom she’d come to love as her own.
She smelled one of the vases of sweet red roses displayed in artful arrangements on the side tables and atop the mantel. When the clock struck noon, she grew impatient and went in search of her husband.
She found him in the nursery across the hall. Through the open window, light streamed into the luxurious space decorated in soft shades of yellow and cream. His black hair loose around his shoulders, Drake rocked their sleeping daughter in the crook of his arm, despite the capable nanny who read a book in the corner.
At three months old, Olivia was the darling of the household and the axis of her parents’ world. A wave of tenderness engulfed Elise as Drake slipped his large fingertip into the baby’s tiny grasp. She memorized the loving expression on his face and wished somehow she could capture the unguarded moment on canvas.
Not wanting to interrupt him, she turned to go, but the floor creaked, giving her away. He looked up and smiled with obvious pleasure. “At long last.” He placed the sleeping baby in a crib frothed in cream lace and yellow silk before gently covering her with a soft blanket.
Meeting Elise in the doorway, he pulled her close and bent to nibble her ear. “Are you ready to leave? I’m starving.”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered with a smile, careful not to wake Olivia.
“You were reading a letter when I came to find you earlier.”
“That was ages ago.”
“How odd.” He grinned. “I thought it less than half an hour. Who wrote to you?”
“Tabby,” she said. He held her hand as they walked down the hall. “She says all is well in Charles Towne. Moira’s nearly a year old and as fat as a sausage. Josiah is well. The Rolling Tide is flourishing. Zechariah has use of his hand again and Christian has left to come here for a visit.”
Drake’s brow arched. “Come again?”
Elise tried not to laugh at his aghast expression. “Drake, please don’t make a fuss. Christian has been my friend for a long time.”
His brow drew together. “I don’t like it. I still say he’s in love with you—”
“Don’t you trust me?”
The scowl returned. “Don’t be a simpleton. You know I trust you. I love you more than words can say.”
“Then don’t worry about Christian.” They started down the grand, winding staircase lined with the portraits of Drake’s noble ancestors. He seemed to relax and Elise continued her account of Tabby’s letter. “Tabby asked me to thank you again for releasing Josiah last fall. She’ll be your loyal friend forever.”
“It made you happy. That’s all that mattered to me.”
Elise’s merry laughter filled the foyer as he swept her off her feet and out the door the butler held open. Bright sunshine surrounded her the same as her love for Drake filled her heart. She flung her arms around his neck, savoring the knowledge that he was hers.
He glanced down at her, a smile warming his face. “Love me, sweet?”
Her arms tightened. “You know I do, my darling. Today and every day for the rest of my life.”