feeling as if I'm under sentence of death—and praying to be
pardoned, or put out of my misery? Because it's you I want,
Alexandra, as my wife, now and forever, as long as we both shall
live.'
She said simply, 'And I want you, more than anything else in the
whole world,' and kissed him.
A long, slow, sweet time later, he said lazily, 'Are you sure you
don't mind not being a concert pianist?'
Curled up on his lap, wrapped warmly and securely in his arms,
Sandie smiled into his eyes. 'That was an ego trip I recovered from
long ago, darling, and you know it.'
'But now you have this teaching career planned. Your mother was
telling me about it. There might be some way you could go on with
it.'
'I can always teach our children.'
'So we're going to have children, then?'
'You know we are. And horses too. All the things you dreamed
about.'
'My only important dream has come true already.' Flynn's mouth
caressed hers softly, and she surrendered to his kiss with a sigh,
winding her arms round his neck.
When she could think again, and speak, she said, 'Flynn—will we
live at Killane?'
'I don't think so, sweetheart. I love the place, but until Magda's
prepared to relinquish her grip, I think we'd better find another home
to start our married life in.'
Sandie stroked his cheek. 'Then—could we haw the twins to live
with us? They need somewhere too—and someone they can count
on.'
'They've been in my mind as well.' He kissed her hair. 'We'll talk to
them—see what they say. And now that I'm courting you officially,
Alexandra, I'd better take you decorously home.'
She sat upright with a jerk, staring at him. 'You don't want me to'
stay with you? But you—we— haven't…'
'I know,' he said grimly. 'And I'm suffering the tortures of the
damned at this moment through wanting you. But I love you,
Alexandra, and you're going to be my wife, and I don't want even
the least shadow over that—no guilt, no furtiveness, and no
embarrassing your parents, who strike me as the old- fashioned
kind. So I'm prepared to wait for you until our wedding night.'
'Do you think your self-control will last that long?' Sandie asked
demurely. 'After all, a wedding takes months to arrange. The church
is always booked ages ahead, and there are the caterers, and my
dress...'
She broke off with a little squeal as Flynn's mouth came down hard
on hers.
'We shall be married,' he told her when he raised his head, 'by
special licence, my darling, as soon as it can be arranged. It's only a
formality anyway. Our real marriage took place on
Oilean an
chroi—
and you didn't bother with a dress on that occasion, or
anything else either,' he added, his hand tracing a delicate and
tantalising path from her breast to her thigh. Sandie sighed
unsteadily. 'First my career, and now my big white wedding! I can
see my life with you is going to be one long series of sacrifices,
Flynn Killane.'
'I'll try and make sure there's adequate compensation,' Flynn
murmured, his teeth tugging sensuously at the lobe of her ear.
'But there's one sacrifice we'll both have to make.' Her voice was
suddenly serious. 'Flynn, if we move away, we'll lose the island.
We'll lose
Oilean an chroi.'
'No,' he said. 'No, my darling.
Oilean an chroi
has served its
purpose. From now on, wherever we are together, that's where our
island will be.'
'In our hearts.' Her eyes shone at him with an abiding joy.
'You're right entirely,' said Flynn, and kissed her.