Page 87 of A Duchess to Reclaim

Amelia groaned as she dropped her head back down to Dominic’s chest.

“What was that?” Dominic asked, looking toward the door.

“The girls,” she replied. She burrowed deep into his arms one last time, kissed the center of his chest, and then, begrudgingly, pushed herself out of the bed to gather her clothes.

“I usually join them for breakfast so they are probably worried that they haven’t seen me yet,” she explained. “I should go before they find their way in here.”

She turned back around just in time to see Dominic watching her intently from his bed, and smiled seductively. He gave a charming smile back, and rose to help her string her corset.

“I should come, too,” he told her as he tightened her strings, “They should know that their brother-in-law is officially- andpermanentlygoing to be living with them.”

Amelia’s smile widened as the word permanent was emphasized; her heart overflowing with happiness.

“Be prepared,” she warned him, “They will want to show youeverything.All of their new clothes, their projects. Papa- Felton- was never good at showing them much attention. Your approval will be important to them.”

“And they will have it,” he told her, helping her into her gown next.

“Speaking of projects. How is your aviary coming along?”

“It is finished,” she said proudly, turning to face him. “The girls and I ordered the birds together and they should be coming any day. We should be receiving our first Scarlet Macaw, a Cynopsitta, a Hahns Macaw, and a Black Parrot.”

“Aside from the Black Parrot I cannot fathom what the others look like,” Dominic confessed as he dressed.

“One is red, one is blue, and one is green,” Amelia explained, grinning wide.

Dominic chuckled, and pulled her in for another kiss.

“AMELIAAAA!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!”

They broke from their kiss with laughter, and together, they left Dominic’s bedroom to go search for Lydia and Sarah.

* * *

“Where is he?” Dominic demanded, back to his usual gruff demeanor.

From across his desk Everett looked just as on edge as Dominic felt. It was two days later, and Everett had finally joined them in Ellsworth. Dominic had spent the last two days dividing his time between making love to Amelia, and learning how to be a guardian two young ladies. Now, though, it was time to deal with what had happened in London.

“I put him on a ship booked for the Americas myself,” Tristan reported. “I had to pay him off a bit.”

Dominic bristled.

“You rewarded him for assaulting my wife?”

“Trust me it wasn’t a reward,” Everett said, his deep tone assuring. “Old Rollie and I had a chat before he departed. The reason why he made Amelia a target again was because he was quietly disinherited for crimes he committed in Italy. Had some sort of blackmail plan I could not quite follow. He hasn’t been off vacationing in the sunny valleys. He’s been in prison, and his family has been paying everyone off to keep it quiet.”

“For what?” Dominic demanded.

Everett raised a brow.

“What do you think?”

Dominic didn’t have to say a word. After what Roland had try to do to Amelia, it was obvious.

“I gave him the money- which was a pittance, I might add, because he was threatening to go to the constable over what you did to him,” Tristan explained.

“With everything you and Amelia just dragged yourself out of I did not think it would be prudent to have an investigation regarding you two going on. Besides, with him being in America we won’t have to worry about him coming back. Getting out of prison. Or making any more messes. He is simply gone.”

Dominic would have preferred to make Roland disappear another way, but he had to admit that what Everett’s plan was solid.

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