Page 68 of Married to the Ruthless Duke

“I will increase his monthly allowance to make up for my deception. That is the best I can do.”

She shook her head at him, and in a moment of weakness, she rested her head on his shoulder.

“You make me so happy that I’m almost scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Scared that we won’t always be like this.” She sighed. “Happy and in love. I’ve seen what marriage does to people.”

“Yes, and I’m a product of one such marriage, which is exactly why I will do my best to keep us happy and in love.”

She smiled broadly at him as his words tugged at her heartstrings again.

“I love you, Alex,” she said finally, giddy she could say it without feeling fear anymore.

“And I love you more, my Helen.”

He placed a kiss on her forehead, and then she turned her face up to him, and he placed a chaste kiss on her lips, which turned heated quickly.

“Ouch!” Helen exclaimed when he laid her across his lap and spanked her bottom.

Apparently, it was still hurting from the brutal beating it had received from the carriage seat.

“What is wrong?” Alexander asked, worrying over her.

“My bottom hurts.” She sighed, resisting the urge to do something even more unladylike by rubbing it. “Our journey was not a smooth one, to say the least.”

She noticed he had a faraway, naughty look on his face and slapped his arm.

“You can at least say sorry.” She pouted.

“I am sorry, but it’s hard for me to hear my wife has a sore bottom which is not of my own making.” He laughed.

“You’re a cad.” She slapped his arm again.

“But you love me anyway.”

“Indeed.” She smiled as he embraced her, placing a warm kiss on her neck that had her sighing in pleasure. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

Epilogue

“Idon’t think it is proper for us to be lazing around so much.” Helen sighed, lying on Alexander’s chest. “Don’t you have work to oversee?”

They’d extended their month-long honeymoon to five months and had made good use of their time away from the eyes of the ton, getting to know each other better and in more intimate ways that would have made Helen blush months ago.

Her husband had proven himself more than capable of loving, spoiling her with gifts that were so thoughtful that she was always at a loss for words. And he’d begun to open up about his past, letting her into the dark recesses of his mind. It hadn’t been easy walking down that path with him, but with honesty and a few letters that had arrived from his brother, he walked around with more light than she’d seen in him before.

“I do have work to oversee, but my wife’s needs will always come first,” he said, kissing her forehead.

“You are a silly, silly man.” She laughed. “But I love it, and I love you.”

“I know.”

He sat up gently as a knock sounded at their chamber doors, and he donned a robe to go answer it.

He returned a few minutes later with a tray laden with breakfast and a bunch of correspondence.

Seeing as they were delivered to their chambers, they knew they were from family, and he handed Margaret’s letter to her as well as one from her father. Her friends’ letters were also a reminder that Helen hadn’t seen or written to them in almost an age, and she opened theirs first. They both had matching sentiments, anger and excitement being the most prominent, about her marrying the Duke without them being present, but they also gushed about how their best friend was now a duchess.

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