“I was afraid that you might be upset with me for marrying again,” he muttered somewhat bashfully.
“No, Papa,” she whispered as she gave Constance a big smile. “You deserve every happiness in the world. Mama has been gone from us for so long. It will be easier knowing that you’ve found a new kind of joy with Lady Ridgewood at your side.”
“She looks too young to be my stepmama,” Ryan said as he heartily shook his father’s hand before reaching for Constance’s and lifting it to his lips for a kiss.
Constance immediately laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Ryan.”
William stepped forward next to offer his congratulations while Lucy walked over to Constance and put her arm around her waist in a little sideways hug. “I’m so pleased for you,” she said. “I have every confidence that Lord Moorland will be the perfect husband for you.”
“Thank you, Lucy.” Judging from her smile, there was no doubt that Constance thought so too.
“What a lot of weddings this year has had to offer,” Alexandra exclaimed as she took baby Claire back into her arms.
“We’re not married yet,” Lord Moorland muttered, though the gleam in his eyes told everyone that he intended to marry Constance at the first available opportunity.
“No,” Alexandra agreed, “but I was also thinking of my brothers and Michael’s sisters.”
“Lady Caroline and Lady Cassandra?” William asked.
“Quite so,” Lord Trenton remarked, looking rather pleased with himself, “though I still have to meet the men who captured their hearts. I’m not familiar with either one, and from what Alex tells me, Cassandra’s wedding was particularly rushed.”
“Well, Ryan and I attended both weddings with Alexandra,” Mary piped up, “and I must say that both men looked rather…ahem…handsome. Is that not so, Alex?”
“Most assuredly,” Alexandra quickly agreed, “although Cassandra’s wedding did have a bit of an unfortunate incident, so to speak.”
“What?” Lord Trenton asked, his head snapping around to stare at his wife. “You mentioned no such thing before.”
“Forgive me, my love, but everything has been so rushed since your arrival, and besides, it’s nothing for you to worry about now. Rest assured, I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Lord Trenton frowned. He did not look convinced but was afforded with no opportunity to press the matter any further when Ryan suddenly said, “Oh, I almost forgot!” Reaching inside his jacket pocket, he pulled out something green, holding the object high in the air for all to see.
Lord Moorland frowned. “That looks suspiciously like a sprig of mistletoe.”
Ryan’s smile widened to a grin. “So it is, and I say that you and Lady Ridgewood will be the first couple to kiss beneath it.” And without further ado, he held it over their heads, leaving them with very little choice but to comply while everyone else cheered and clapped in support of the newly engaged couple.
“Give me that,” William muttered, snatching the sprig from his brother’s hand. He then reached for Lucy, whose heart had begun that old familiar fluttering beat that it always made right before William kissed her. And then he did, and it was the most marvelous kiss of them all, for she was home now, spending Christmas with her family and with the man not only whom she loved but also whom she knew loved her in return.