Chapter 16

Phileas came into Melody's room. She was sleeping again. He knelt beside the bed, prayed over her for her health, the child's heath and a second chance.

Melody woke, placed a hand on his arm.

He took her hand and kissed it, just staring at her.

"Melody, I didn't do anything right the first time," he had admitted. "As I recall, I bullied, manipulated, and then stooped to scaring you into accepting our engagement. This time, I am asking, properly humbled, for you to agree to be my wife. Forget what happened in the past, all that is over. But for now, for whatever time we have for the rest of our lives, if you would be Mrs. Melody Fogg, you would make me the happiest man in England."

He reached into the breast pocket for the box, opened it, and laid beside her, in view.

Inside was a small ring with a large flawless oval ruby surrounded by diamonds glittering and twinkling up at her. Between Phileas's speech and its beauty, she was too stunned to speak. She looked up at him unbelieving, not willing to accept. But instead of the kindly formal Phileas she had become used to; in his eyes she had seen green fire again.

Her Phileas was truly back!

Her eyes and expressive face lit up like golden candles in response. She started crying, holding his hand as tight as she could. They spilled over a river as she had cried for joy.

"Madam, you really must get over this tendency to cry when I offer you presents," Phileas said, half teasing as he tried to stop the deluge.

"I'm sorry," Melody apologized. "You told me about this ring, about what your grandfather said about rubies and wives. You said you were going to give me a ring like this when… well, when we… I thought you had changed you mind."

Phileas choked on a laugh. "Changing my mind would require remembering what I said in the first place, which I still don't. I am not usually so awkward. But, if it took getting bashed in the head to gain me a woman willing to put up with me at my worst, then grandfather was right. A devoted wife is worth far more than rubies and I have gained a great treasure in you. You have my word as a gentleman, here and now, that I shall endeavor to be at my very best from now on."

"May I ask one thing of you, though?"

"What is that?"

"Just before your brother left the Quest, what did you say to Charles?" Phileas said. "He had been ready to carry you off, regardless of our marriage. But you said something that made him leave you with me. What was it?"

This question had been nagging him for over a month. Had it been a young Rebecca in that situation, Fogg would have removed her from said new husband's reach, no matter what Rebecca might have said.

Melody smiled and laid her hand on his face. "I told him I loved you. I told Charles you had been the best of husbands to me and that I wanted to stay with you. Your memory loss would be temporary and when you were yourself again, he would see that you loved me and that you would be everything he would want in a husband for me."

Another lone tear trailed down her cheek. "For a while there, I was afraid you were going to make a liar of me."

Phileas pulled her to him and kissed her. When he raised his head again, he had said, "I would never make a liar of a lady."

Melody's eyes glistened like molten gold, but they were drooping again. "Stay with me."

Phileas removed his shoes and laid on the bed beside her.

Epilogue

There were two weddings that fall for Rebecca to attend. One was in Paris, France, for Jules Verne and Honorine Deviane. Phileas and Jules had reconciled after their earlier argument. Jules apologized for speaking too sharply, and Phileas admitted again to having been a damned fool.

He, Melody, and Rebecca had sat behind the Verne family to see their friend and his lady say their vows. It had been a simple church ceremony with an intimate lunch afterwards. Rebecca had considered it quite charming. Small ceremonies were often the best and proved more binding than fancier affairs. Jules had beamed with happiness throughout the event. Rebecca couldn't help but tear at the sight of him as if it were her own brother being married.

Charles Anderson had become reconciled to his sister's marriage, but insisted on the second ceremony for her sake and for the two families. "Simply put, you robbed me of the chance to give her away and now I am insisting you grant the right back to me," Charles demanded. "Besides, in light of your rocky start, I think a new beginning might be just the thing."

So, the second ceremony happened in London, England. It was grander, as would be proper, for a couple of Phileas Fogg and Melody Anderson's station. A church in London had been reserved for the event, along with a hall to accommodate the guests coming in from both Derbyshire and Kent.

As Charles Anderson suggested, the ceremony became a rededication. The church had been filled with flowers and a who's who of English society, including a representative for Queen Victoria. Jules had stood beside Phileas with Rebecca standing as Melody's maid of honor. They had all watched Melody walk up the aisle on her brother's arm, welcoming her with open arms into their lives.

All who attended had kindly overlooked the fact that the bride was three months pregnant. It didn't show at all the way the gown had been cut. Everyone by then had been told the story of their whirlwind romance at sea and had teased the very formal conventional Phileas Fogg unmercifully about it.

Rebecca and Jules kept the reception going after the bride and groom disappeared. Phileas and Melody had slipped away during the dancing to board the Aurora for their wedding trip. There was no set destination. They intended to just let the winds blow them where they would.

As the sun dropped below the horizon, turning the Atlantic Ocean into a dark gold, Phileas locked the controls for the evening. Turning, he looked at Melody, who was looking out at the sunset. Her hair was glowing red gold like a low-banked fire. Phileas just stood staring for several moments, not believing that she was truly his. Then she turned to him and smiled. Again, he felt his bones melt into a puddle on the deck.

Phileas joined Melody at the rail, handing her a glass of champagne. Passepartout had spirited it aboard, along with the top of their cake, along with some caviar and other samplings from the wedding feast. He toasted his lady, saying, "May our adventures together be just beginning."

The End?