‘Good afternoon, Harold,’ she said with as bright a smile as she could manage.
‘A pleasure to see you again, Ms Rossi. Mr Byron is in the main reception room and I am to take you directly there.’
‘Thank you.’
His dignity unbent enough to give her a nod of approval with the comment, ‘May I say your red dress is very becoming.’
‘I’m glad you think so,’ she replied, surprised and pleased by the compliment.
He escorted her down the great foyer to the designated room, remarking, ‘I believe it’s called power dressing, wearing red.’
‘Well I’m not into waving a rag at a bull today, Harold,’ she said dryly.
‘I doubt that will be necessary, Ms Rossi.’ His mouth twitched. ‘The bull has you very much in his sights.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘You are awaited,’ he said, opening the double doors to the reception room with a flourish.
Merlina shot the butler a puzzled look as he waved her forward. He gave her a benign nod and accepting that he was not about to explain himself, she walked on into the room.
It was full of people.
Her feet faltered to a halt.
Her heart slammed around her chest.
She could hardly believe what her eyes were seeing.
The entire Rossi family from Griffith was grouped around Jake and Byron—her parents, her brothers and sisters, their spouses and their children, all of them grinning at her as though this was a surprise party.
Which it most certainly was!
Jake had Mario and Gina’s baby son cradled in his arms.
And Rosa was hugging one of his legs—her champion!
‘Good afternoon, my dear,’ Byron rolled out in his usual charming manner. ‘I thought since you’d already had an engagement party in your family home, you should have one here, as well.’ He turned to his grandson and like a five-star general directing manoeuvres, waved him to take over. ‘You have the floor, Jake.’
‘Thanks, Pop.’ His dark eyes bored into Merlina’s. ‘First things first. Proof I have no objection to having a baby. I can handle a baby just fine as Gina and Mario will testify.’
‘Taken to it like a duck to water,’ Mario chimed in, clapping him on the back.
‘And children have an instinct about adults not liking them. Rosa has no problem with me.’
‘I’m on Jake’s side,’ Rosa piped up.
‘I’m having him on my side for the next soccer game,’ Genarro slung at his little cousin.
‘Hush, children,’ Merlina’s mother commanded.
Jake nodded respectfully to her. ‘Your mother is in agreement with me that you shouldn’t get pregnant until after the wedding, at which time you will have my full cooperation in that particular enterprise.’
There were a few sniggers around the room.
‘Your father says a wedding in September will suit everyone,’ Jake went on. ‘Given you’re happy with that date.’
Merlina was totally speechless, amazed by what she was hearing.
Jake had no speech impediment whatsoever. The words kept coming at her. ‘I don’t know how many children you have in mind for our family, but I figure we should be able to fit in three or four before the healthy birth statistics start worrying you.’
He was willing to have three or four?
Merlina’s mind reeled at this whole-hearted embrace of fatherhood.
‘I have your family gathered here as witnesses to what I am laying out to you, Merlina, and they have given me to believe they trust my word. The only question left is—’ he paused, gathering up a bolt of energy to pierce her heart ‘—will you trust it?’
There was an impassable lump of emotion in her throat. He had gone to so much trouble—bringing her whole family up from Griffith—to prove she could trust him to be all she wanted him to be. Shame at having judged him so meanly brought tears to her eyes. She had been so wrong, not giving him time, linking herself to his other women, turning him away, denying him the love she should have declared because it had to be love for her driving all he’d done to organise this moment of truth.
He passed the baby to Mario, then walked towards her, holding out the ring she’d rejected. ‘I’m offering this to you again, Merlina. Will you take it, wear it, knowing that it means all it should mean for our life together?’
Her blurred vision fastened on the glittering engagement ring on his open palm. She reached out, her right hand tremulous as she picked it up, then slid it slowly onto the third finger of her left hand. ‘Thank you,’ she managed to whisper huskily, her gaze turning up to his in an almost blind pleading for forgiveness. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you before, Jake.’
‘Now is what matters,’ he said gruffly, sweeping her into his embrace and holding her tight.
She hid her tear-streaked face on his shoulder as applause broke out and her family gathered around them, throwing out happily approving comments.
‘Good man!’ from her father.
‘And don’t you ever take that ring off, Merlina,’ from her mother.
‘I think I should be appointed master of ceremonies at the wedding,’ Byron slid in. ‘Which reminds me. Afternoon tea awaits us in the banquet room. Come everyone. Let us leave these two lovebirds alone. They can feast with us when they’re ready.’
Merlina heard them all trooping out amidst laughing remarks to each other, heard the doors closing, then heard Jake teasingly murmur, ‘Does this mean I’ve won, Merlina?’
She sucked in a deep breath to ease her choked up feelings, then lifted her head, wanting him to see that she meant every earnest word she said. ‘I won’t ever doubt you again, Jake. That’s a solemn promise.’
He lifted a hand to tenderly brush the trails of moisture from her cheeks. His eyes were soft and warm. ‘You are different, Merlina. I’ve been obsessed with you, too, always seeking a way to know the person you were behind the barricades you put up. My instincts told me you had something I wanted and when the heart of you was finally open to me, it answered the needs I’d buried in my own heart. I’m sorry it took so long for me to see your light for what it truly was. All I knew for certain was I didn’t want it to go out.’
‘Oh, Jake!’ She heaved a rueful sigh. ‘I was about ready to set aside having a family, I wanted to be with you so much.’
He shook his head. ‘That wouldn’t be you, Merlina, and it’s all of you I love. I don’t want to change anything about you. Not one thing. I want you as my wife, as the mother of my children, as my partner in everything.’ He smiled, his dimples deepening with pleasure in her. ‘Though you could grow your hair long again. I would like that.’