"What do you want to do today?" Jennifer asked as they sat later in their hotel robes and ate the wonderful breakfast that Max had arranged for them at the hotel. Her robe was a bit wrinkled after Jonathan had removed it from her body and tossed it on the ground yesterday afternoon. But still comfortable and perfectly serviceable for the time being. Eventually she'd need to go to her flat and get some other clothes. For now, however, she was perfectly content.

"Well, we could get married," Jonathan suggested flippantly. "Or at least find a proper engagement ring for you."

"Let's start with the ring and see where the day goes," Jennifer replied with a little laugh.

A part of her did like the idea of just going to a registry office or something and getting married here in London and going back to the States as husband and wife and surprising everyone. But that also felt extremely reckless. And she could only imagine how Pa and Aunt Renee and every single other person in her life would feel if she got married before anyone even knew she got engaged. As it was, she had posted that picture on Instagram yesterday and gotten about a dozen comments from people asking who the guy was. Obviously they hadn't seen the society blogs recently. Or else they didn't recognize Jonathan Hart in profile kissing her cheek like that. Regardless, she needed to remember that she had people outside herself and Jonathan to consider in all of this. Best start slowly.

"Are we going to buy something or do you have some incredible family heirloom to pass along?" she asked, directing her thoughts back to the ring. She had never actually thought about an engagement ring before, so she wasn't entirely sure what she would want or expect. It might even be easier to get an heirloom, because then she wouldn't have to think about it. On the other hand, if she hated it, she was stuck and ran the risk of offending this sweet, perfect man she was so madly in love with.

But to Jennifer's surprise, Jonathan's face fell and his expression went grave. "No family heirloom," he answered in a flat expression.

Jennifer didn't like that one bit. She had been teasing him slightly about buying a ring versus him giving her his grandmother's ring or something like that. Isn't that what all wealthy people did, pass along some incredible antique ring? But Jonathan's reaction indicated that there was clearly a story here, something that she, as the woman who was going to marry him, should know. She tried to focus on that and not think about the shiver of apprehension that passed through her, realizing that she had agreed to marry a man she knew so little about. Was she insane?! But Jennifer just put that aside for now. One issue at a time. "No family heirloom?" she pressed.

"I…" Jonathan hesitated, and his shoulders sank. His eyes were fixed on a bit of egg on his plate as he avoided her curious gaze. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't have anything from my family. I don't have any family. I was orphaned at three years old and grew up in a group foster home."

That was certainly news to Jennifer. In her research for her attempted article about Jonathan Hart, Jennifer hadn't actually come across anything related to his family or his background or anything before his college years and military service. Which, in the modern world of the internet, was actually quite a feat. Jennifer was fairly certain that some quick googling could reveal her childhood home address and her high school transcript.

But the issue here was not Jennifer's failed background research.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked. She wanted to reach out and lift his chin to look at her, but she held back to see his response.

Jonathan did look up to tell her, "I wish I had more I could give you. I mean, the money is one thing, but it's just me and Max."

Jennifer shook her head incredulously. "Every single thing I learn about you is just more and more impressive," she said.

"How is that impressive?" he countered.

She gestured to the penthouse suite of The Ritz around them. "You said it yourself. The money. You came from nothing and now you're here! That's pretty damned impressive, Jonathan. Nowadays, every successful person got a million-dollar loan from daddy or had connections through Harvard or Yale or whatever. But to start from so little and make yourself into one of the most successful businessmen in the world? You're incredible. And that along with everything else makes me so proud to get to marry you."

Jonathan smiled after her little speech, which was what she'd hoped for. "So you don't mind that I don't have any family or any kind of legacy or anything else?"

Jennifer scoffed, "Oh please, like I need more relatives to worry about? Now neither of us has a dreaded mother-in-law. I think you and Max are the only family you need. And besides, all I want from you is you, Jonathan."

His smile grew. "I love you," he said simply.

"And I love you, too." With a satisfied nod, Jennifer went back to her eggs and bacon.