Lewis’s head grew heavy on his ribs and Joshua as well as Brenna felt their son drift to sleep. He knew his wife knew this when her head lifted from his shoulder, her neck arched back and her eyes found his.
Joshua bent his neck and touched his mouth to the sweet one of his wife. And when he did, he noted it tasted no less sweet than he remembered, even centuries later.
As he pulled away, he felt Myrtle’s head had come up from his stomach and he looked down at his daughter.
“I knew, I just knew I always loved you, Jack.”
Joshua smiled through the shadows and whispered, “Sleep, Myrtie Mine.”
He watched his daughter smile.
Then she whispered back, “All right,” and settled in.
His eyes went to Brenna and he also happily took in her smile.
Then she settled in too.
Their weight heavy and beautiful on his body, he felt his girls drift off, the youngest, first, the older, second.
Not long after, Joshua Bennett’s eyes closed.
Hours later, the sun shining bright against his eyelids, Jack opened his eyes and found himself and Belle alone in their bed, Belle snuggled close in his arms.
Dog tags jingled on Belle’s side of the bed and Belle stirred.
His arms tightened.
She lifted her head, looked down the length of his body then her head swung to him. He noted her eyes were sleepy but that didn’t mean they didn’t hold wonder along with sorrow.
“They’re home,” she whispered.
“Indeed, poppet,” Jack whispered back.
He watched the tears fill her eyes.
When the sob hitched in her throat, he pulled her over him and caged her tight in his arms as she burrowed her face in his neck and cried.
Jack sighed.
Last one down.
Epilogue
The Perfect Plan
Jack
Mostly as guard, Jack stood on the steps of his ancestral home beside the relatively attractive, definitely pale woman who stood at his side but she still appeared to be shrinking away.
“My PA will contact you,” Jack stated. “Her name is Olive Mayfair. When she does, you’ll need to give her the number on an account that’s in your name only. Once you do, she’ll deposit money into it. It will be enough that you can comfortably set up a new life in a place of your choosing. However, if you’re with him, in contact with him or if this account also bears his name, you’ll be on your own.”
“I won’t leave him,” she muttered to the steps.
“That’s your choice,” he replied. “It’s the wrong one but it’s yours.”
She was silent.
Jack turned his eyes to the lane, willing the taxi to come down it.
That was when he heard the whispered, “He’ll come after me.”
Jack looked back at her. “He won’t.”
She pulled in breath and he actually noted the effort it took her to lift her chin but she didn’t catch his eyes.
His heart clenched when her eyes came to rest on his shoulder and she declared in a soft voice, “He will.”
“Trust me,” Jack stated firmly. “He… will… not.”
Her head jerked at his tone, her eyes flashed to his then she looked away.
Jack turned his gaze back to the lane and waited.
“Tell your Olive person to call.” He heard her mutter and Jack sighed with relief he felt for a woman he didn’t know, a woman who had harmed his Belle but still a woman who was broken.
“I will.”
“And tell… tell…” she hesitated then said quietly, “tell Belle that I didn’t… I’d had enough… last night, I wasn’t exactly my –”
Jack looked down at her. “If there’s anyone on this earth who understands your behaviour of last night, it’s Belle. Don’t worry. Heal and live your life. But, I will say, do it elsewhere. I will give you money to start a new life but that’s it. There will be no more. Further, I never wish to see you again. And you will not like the consequences if you ever see Belle again.”
She nodded immediately.
Jack sighed again, turned his head and finally, thank God, he saw the taxi coming down the lane.
Then, softly, he said, “You will heal. She did.”
“She found a good man.”
“She found her strength and it did indeed come from love but not simply mine. You’re smart enough to surround yourself with people who care about you, genuinely and healthily, you’ll do the same.”
He looked down at her to see his eyes on his face.
Then she whispered, “I’ll try.”
“Good,” Jack whispered back.
She pulled her lips between her teeth but still, even with that, the ends curled up in a small smile before she quickly looked away and Jack watched her run to the taxi, throw open the door and fold inside.
Then he watched the taxi drive away.
And after it was gone he realised he didn’t ask her name.
He turned and walked up the steps as he looked up them noting that Lila was standing at the top, arms crossed on her chest, head turned, eyes aimed at the now empty lane.
When he arrived at the top, he stopped close to her and her head tipped back so she could catch his gaze.
“You’re a kind man, Jack Bennett,” she said quietly.
“She’s been living enough of a nightmare. I saw no need to add to it,” Jack replied.
“As I said,” Lila began, “you’re a kind man, Jack Bennett.”
“My thanks, Lila,” he muttered, feeling his lips twitch and he threw out an arm to the door for her to precede him.
She didn’t move.
Instead, she informed him, “I came out to watch, of course, but I also came out to tell you that beyond those doors lies drama.”
Slowly, Jack closed his eyes.
He opened them and asked a question he didn’t want to ask, “And that would be?”
“Yasmin,” she answered.
“Again, that would be?”
Lila grinned. “Yasmin of the, she’s come to the realisation after the events of last night that Quincy is the love of her life and she doesn’t want to let him go so the first thing she did this morning was inform him of this fact to which he told her to go jump in a lake variety of drama.”
“Fucking hell,” Jack muttered, his eyes moving to the door.
“It’s full blown and she has Cassandra, Joy and Rachel in attendance in the morning room so, advice, avoid that room,” Lila told him.
“So noted,” Jack replied.
“Personally,” she went on in a conversational way that made Jack look at her, “I’m considering finding Miles and sending him in to comfort her. I’ve heard he’s at the stables. That’s my next stop. What do you think of that idea?”