“No. I’m suggesting that you be part of it.”
She stopped dead in her tracks, confused. “You want me to support your business being run from here?”
“That would be nice.” He smiled.
How could he be so relaxed with this when her emotions were all over the place?
“I was hoping for more than that, though.” His expression grew serious. “Carmen, I want you to be my wife.”
She stared at him, astonished.
Rex laughed softly and took both her hands in his. “Carmen Shelby, will you marry me?”
She opened her mouth, but she was too stunned to speak.
“Hold that thought,” he said, and pulled his phone from his pocket. It was vibrating. He looked at the screen. “I need to answer this, it could be important.”
Carmen watched, bewildered by the turn of events as he took the call. She turned her face to the breeze coming up from the river, and tried to breathe evenly. When he ended his call, he looked concerned.
“That was Chris Montague with news for us.”
She tried to focus.
“Olivia Fordyce is currently giving a new statement to the police. It’s about your mother’s car crash.”
Carmen covered her mouth with her hand.
Rex nodded. “She was behind it. We’ll know the full story soon, but for now...it’s enough.”
“I always thought there was more to it....”
“You were right. I went to see her in prison, and it was obvious.”
“You did that...” Finally she had the truth about her mother’s death. It was upsetting, but it was a relief, too. “Rex, hold me,” she begged.
“Always.”
She clung to him, her face against his chest. She wept silently for her mum, the innocent victim, and emotion poured out of her.
He held her tightly to him all the while. “Come on, let’s go inside,” he encouraged eventually.
She wiped her face. “How did you get her to confess?”
“I offered her a deal, a new life for Jason in the Channel Islands, the property Dad left me there.”
“You did all that for me?”
“I told you, I love you. I’d give up everything I owned for you to be happy. I’d even give up Burlington Manor to make that happen.”
She shook her head and wiped her face with her hands. “You will not, ever!”
“Does that mean we’re going to share the playground, after all?”
That made her smile, but she lowered her eyelids. “Oh, you’ve got me all emotional and I can’t think straight.”
“Trying hard to think of an excuse, huh?” He raised his eyebrows and gave her a chastising stare.
“Rex!”