Page 89 of A Night of Passion with the Duke

“Shut up and kiss me before we get interru?—”

He leaned over and kissed her deeply.

“Have you written to your family?”

The words evoked deep guilt and sadness in her as she realized that in the past three months, she hadn’t written to her family.

Edward, knowing her moods quite well, squeezed her softly. “Don’t worry, Arabella,” he soothed. “They’ll understand you’ve been basking in marital bliss.”

She tried to laugh, but it was difficult with the guilt gnawing at her.

“How about this?” he added. “I’ll give you space to write it now. Once you’re done, I’ll help you send it.”

“How can you be so sure I’ll write it?” she asked, pouting.

“I’m sure because you’re no coward, and you’ve always spoken your mind.” He smiled. “You might as well write it now.”

She sighed. “All right.”

“I’ll be back within the hour.”

He gave her a kiss before he left her with her thoughts and a blank canvas on which to express her thoughts, for which there were many.

Arabella started writing, not knowing what she should say, crossing out the first few words she’d scrawled on the paper. How could she best convey her thoughts without exposing the truth of their marriage?

She shook her head. She and Edward had decided to stop lying to the people around them, and that included her family. She poured her thoughts into the letter, starting from the beginning.

She hoped Leonard didn’t end up having an apoplexy when he found out the truth, but she was sure Sarah and Madeline would found it a riveting tale. She surely hoped they’d forgive her for nearly forgetting them, and she didn’t forget to mention she was expecting come fall.

She smiled when she was done, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.

She stepped out of her chamber, intent on finding Edward, and was surprised by the familiar voices coming from the drawing room.

“Ara has always had a taste for adventure,” she heard her brother say, his voice full of humor.

But it wasn’t possible. Her brother should be at home, shouldn’t he?

She stepped into the drawing room, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle a loud scream.

Her siblings sat there with Edward’s family for tea. They were interspersed with each other—Sarah and Harriet; Madeline, Beatrice and Noah; Charles and Leonard; and last of all, her husband, who was smiling at her.

“Ara!” her sisters yelled, running to hug her.

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she hugged them. To think she’d dreaded reuniting with them, fearing their censure, but here they were, as warm and loving as ever.

“How?” she asked once she was finally able to speak.

“His Grace invited us a week ago,” Sarah explained. “We arrived last night and had to hide to surprise you.”

Arabella looked at her husband, her heart swelling with love and anger in equal measure. He knew they were around and still asked her to write that letter.

“How could you?” she asked, glaring at him.

“It’s oh so fun to annoy you.” He laughed, coming to press a kiss to her cheek.

She watched as her siblings grinned like Cheshire cats.

“I will leave you to visit with Ara. I will be back to collect her later,” Edward said, before ushering his family out of the drawing room.

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