Anastasia jerked upright so abruptly that Breanna started. "That's it!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet, shading her eyes as she peered across the manicured grounds. "That's absolutely it!"
"What's it?" Breanna demanded, rising as well.
"Grandfather's money. That's what we'll do with it." Anastasia turned, gripped both Breanna's hands in hers. "Damen said the answer would come with time, and it has. Breanna, let's build another manor, several more manors, right here on these grounds. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres here, more than enough to accommodate a half-dozen houses. The first will be for Damen and me—our new home. Oh, I know his Town house is right near the bank, but this is one inconvenience I know he won't mind suffering. Besides…" Her grin was impish. "…I have a feeling my soon-to-be husband will be spending a lot less time at his desk and a lot more time working at home. Building a home in Kent will ensure that."
She paused, only to suck in her breath. "Anyway, after our new manor is complete, we can wait awhile, then begin construction of the others—the ones for our children and their families. Each manor will have plenty of privacy, yet be part of the growing Colby circle. What do you think?"
Breanna's mouth finally snapped shut, and joy exploded across her face. "I think you're more brilliant than Damen, after all." She whirled about, surveying the grounds, then turned and hugged Anastasia fiercely. "Choose the spot for your manor," she urged, drawing back to regard Stacie with spiraling exhilaration. "Now. Immediately. If we hire an architect right away, he can begin while you and Damen are on your wedding trip. You'll be able to move in that much sooner."
An emphatic nod. "Damen will be here in an hour. I'll talk to him the minute he arrives."
Anastasia fell silent, feeling a sense of rightness so profound it made her ache. Slowly, she raised her eyes to the heavens, sharing the feeling with the man who'd inspired it.
"He knows, Stacie," Breanna whispered, following her cousin's gaze. "Grandfather already knows. He's sharing our joy, just as he always will."
* * *
Breanna's words sang inside Anastasia's heart a week later when, on the arm of a proud, beaming Wells, she walked down the aisle and joined with the man she loved.
The chapel was filled, the approving murmurs and stares all directed at her as, clad in a shimmering gown of silver and white, Anastasia took Damen 's hand, declared her vows to him, and he to her.
The wedding breakfast, held in the very spot where Stacie and Breanna once climbed, and where they'd made their all-important decision last week, was a veritable paradise of flowers, an endless stretch of manicured greenery.
One that was theirs forever, Anastasia reflected joyously, separating herself from the throng of guests long enough to gaze across the grounds, to savor the fact that her future with Damen lay right here.
"Admiring the site of our new home?" Damen asked huskily, coming up behind his bride and wrapping his arms about her waist.
"Treasuring it," Anastasia amended, leaning back against her new husband's solid strength.
"I love you, Lady Sheldrake," Damen murmured solemnly, burying his lips in her hair. "More than you'll ever know."
Anastasia turned, gazed up at him, all the love in the world shining in her eyes. "And I love you. More than I ever dreamed possible."
A wicked gleam. "Enough to slip away from your own celebration?"
An impish grin. "Definitely enough." She traced his lapel with her fingertip. "See? If our new manor were already completed, we wouldn't even have to waste time riding to London."
"If our manor was already completed, I would have whisked you into it an hour ago."
Anastasia searched Damen's face, a trace of anxiety clouding her own. "You really are pleased about the way Breanna and I are spending Grandfather's inheritance, aren't you?"
A look of fierce pride darkened Damen's gaze. "I'm more than pleased. I'm so bloody proud of you I could burst. You picked the most fitting tribute, the most rewarding investment in yours and Breanna's future that your grandfather could ever wish for. He was blessed to have you. And now, so am I."
Tears dampened Anastasia's lashes. "Damen…"
"Come, my beautiful bride," he breathed, brushing her lips in a soft, poignant caress. "It's time to seal our vows in the most magnificent way possible." He glanced beyond her, at the very spot where their manor would soon stand. "Those workmen had best toil round the clock," he muttered. "Because by the time we return from our wedding trip…" An insightful spark flickered in his eyes, and he drew Anastasia to him, his hands settling on her waist, his thumbs skimming the layers of her wedding gown that covered her now flat abdomen. "Let's just say that my Town house is far too cramped for what I have in mind."
A watery smile. "And what is that, my lord? A dividend from our joint venture?"
"Oh, more than one, Mrs. Lockewood," Damen assured her. "This ultimate partnership we just committed ourselves to is going to reap more rewards than you can begin to imagine." He held her stare, his expression profound, utterly certain. "In fact, my instincts tell me that we're going to give your grandfather every bit of the extensive, loving family he prayed for."
The End
Andrea Kane, The Gold Coin
(Series: The Colby's Coin # 1)
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