At Last Read Online Free PDF

and
Sophia’s breath caught when he gently brushed his fingertips over
her cheek. “That first magical afternoon with you was the first
time in a year I’d felt anything other than pain and misery. You
saw only Ian--no title, no wealth. You cannot imagine how
refreshing, how liberating that was. Plus, you were clearly no more
anxious to speak of the past than I was, a relief to be sure. After
you agreed to send for your things at the inn and stay with me in
the hunting lodge you believed was the groundskeeper cottage, I
decided there was no immediate need to tell you. I knew in my heart
I needed to, but as the weeks passed I was not only unsure how to tell you, I also
feared you’d be so angry I hadn’t been honest from the beginning,
you’d leave. And I wanted you to stay. More than I wanted my next
breath. But you left anyway. And I had to find you. To tell you the
truth. To beg your forgiveness for being less than completely
honest. And to let you know how much our time together meant to
me.” He regarded her through solemn eyes. “Everything, Sophia,” he
said softly. “It meant everything.”
    Hot moisture pushed behind Sophia’s eyes.
Framing his face between her hands, she said, “I knew the moment I
saw you that you’d suffered great loss--it was the source of the
immediate kinship I experienced with you. I simply didn’t know how
very great that loss was. I’m sorry for all you’ve suffered. Sorry
you still blame yourself. It was God’s will, Ian, and something
only He understands. Please don’t blame yourself for living.
Embrace the gift of life you were given and live it to the fullest.
You’re a wonderful man. In every way. And you deserve every
happiness.”
    A shudder wracked his large frame. He closed
his eyes and turned his head to press a fervent kiss against her
palm, a gesture that made the area surrounding her heart go hollow.
“Thank you, Sophia. Telling you everything...I feel as if a weight
has been lifted from my shoulders.”
    His whispered words blew warm against her
palm, and unable to stop herself, she touched her lips to his
forehead. “I’m glad. And for that reason alone I wish you’d told me
sooner. And now I owe you the same courtesy--the truth.”
    After pressing another kiss against her
palm, he leaned back. “I’m listening.”
    “ I traveled to Scotland
because I was desperately unhappy. And lonely...so horribly lonely.
Even when I was surrounded by people I felt alone. Not even the
company of my closest friends brought me comfort. I prayed a
holiday somewhere I’d never been would cure my melancholy. That a
complete change of scenery, where I knew no one and no one knew me,
would help me regain the part of myself that had died along with my
husband.”
    “ You must have loved him
very much.”
    “ Yes...but not at first.
My father, who wasn’t titled, inherited a great fortune when I was
fifteen, one he was determined to use to marry his only child into
the peerage. I was apprehensive, especially as Robert was nearly
thirty years my senior, but my fears were allayed when I met him.
He was very kind and needed to marry an heiress to fill the empty
family coffers. It wasn’t a love match, but our affection grew into
a mutual love and respect. He was an exceptional man. Intelligent
and witty. A loving husband.” She hesitated, then added softly,
“And father.”
    Ian went perfectly still. “Father? You...you
have children?”
    “ A son.
Edward.”
    “ How old is
he?”
    “ Fifteen.” As it always
did, her heart swelled at the thought of her son. “He’s a
compassionate and extraordinarily bright young man. After Robert’s
death, Edward became the only bright spot in my existence, which I
learned is a terrible burden to place upon a child. Rather than
concentrating on his studies at Eton, Edward spent his time
worrying about me. I was bereft last year at the thought of once
again being alone when the new school term commenced after his
summer holiday.