For them, their world was right here, created out of hard work, clever planning, and love.

"I have something to show you," Brenn said. He took her hand and pulled her toward the house.

"I have something to tell you," Tess said.

"No, mine first," Brenn said. "I've been keeping this secret for almost too long. They've finished and I

can't contain myself a moment more."

He led her up the steps of the house. "Close your eyes."

She did as he asked.

Taking her by both arms, he guided her up the front step and into the hall. "Open them," he whispered in

her ear.

Tess did and then drew back with a gasp of wonder. There, inlaid into the unfinished wooden floor, was

a pattern of dandelion leaves stained a darker color. The leaves connected into a huge circle in the middle of the room.

"It's the fairy ring!" Tess tilted back her head and laughed. "It is the most marvelous thing about the

house.""I knew you would like it. I've been working on it for weeks. You've been too busy writing to notice."She stepped into the center of the ring. "It's the best gift I've ever received, especially after you hear my news.""What is it?""We're having a baby."Brenn almost fell over. "Tess? Did you say what I thought you did?""Ummm hmmm.""A baby?" he repeated incredulously, as if he still couldn't believe the good news.Tess turned in a circle inside the ring. "I think he may have been conceived the night we made love right here.""He?" Brenn's face broke out into a huge grin. "A boy, Tess?""Or a she. It will be one or the other, won't it?" she teased.He moved then. With a big whoop of joy, he swooped her up in his arms and twirled her around until they were both giddy with happiness."We'll name him John, after my father," Brenn announced, his arm proudly draped around her shoulders."Why not Harold after my father?""It'll be a girl," Brenn continued, as if she hadn't spoken."Then we will name her Ariana.""Why Ariana?""Because it means silver," she said with a sly smile.Brenn laughed. "I like it, too." Then he turned serious. "I love you, Tess.""I love you, Brenn."They kissed, right there in the middle of the fairy ring...and it was wonderful.

Epilogue.

The baby was born healthy and strong a week before Easter. It was a boy, just as Tess had antic.i.p.ated.

She and Brenn did not name him after either of their fathers. Instead, they chose a name that would be uniquely his own, and indicative of their great love. They called him Drake, the Old English word for dragon.

Erwynn Keep thrived, and Tess sold her first book to a modest Liverpool publisher sometime after their third child was born. Brenn did the ill.u.s.trations and nothing much had been expected to come of it. Nothing would have, if someone hadn't given the book to the daughter of the duke of Kent. The young Victoria adored Tess's stories of fairies and dragons and they became a resounding success.

When Victoria herself was crowned queen of England and became a mother, she insisted on copies of the books for each of her children. Fashionable mothers followed suit and Tess's books became cla.s.sics.

Years later, when a reporter asked Queen Vic toria about her favorite reading material, she included

Tess's fairy books.

Asked why, she answered, "They are love stories. And each has a happy ending."

And so they did.

About the Author.

CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question "Why do people fall in love?"-which remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, cats and a husband who drives her crazy in all the best ways.

Fans can contact Cathy at www.booktalk.com/cmaxwell or PO box 1532, Midlothian, VA 23113.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Books byCathy Maxwell.

TEMPTATION OF A PROPER GOVERNESS THE SEDUCTION OF AN ENGLISH LADY ADVENTURES OF A SCOTTISH HEIRESS THE WEDDING WAGER THE LADY IS TEMPTED THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT A SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE MARRIED IN HASTE BECAUSE OF YOU WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN YOU AND NO OTHER TREASURED VOWS ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL.

Copyright.

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

MARRIED IN HASTE. Copyright 2006 by Cathy Maxwell. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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