Page 58 of The Duke's Spinster

“Tell me.”

“We each have plans to snare ourselves a duke.”

He waved his hand in the air. “That is nothing new.”

“By any means necessary.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll use your discretion.” He looked up at her solemn eyes. “Won’t you?”

“I can’t speak for the other three, but I don’t regret my actions.”

“Neither do I. Now, really, I have something of utmost importance to ask you. I can’t imagine another day without you. The last week has been hollow. I have missed my time with you. You are the most incredible woman I have ever met. You will make an excellent wife, an inspiring mother, and a formidable duchess. I have never told a woman this before, but…I love you.” His heart was pounding, waiting to see if she felt the same way and to see if she would take the leap.

Her hand cupped his jaw, and he had to still his breathing.

“I love you, Wesley.”

He gazed deeply into clear blue eyes, envisioning himself with her forevermore. “Will you marry me?”

Her brows knit together as she looked around the room and then caught his eye, “Wait, did you not bring me flowers?”

*

The next eveningBoudicca sat at the dinner table with her family laughing about the previous weekend.

She was recounting all of the events to them. “And he didn’t return until he had flowers—”

“Pink peonies,” Wesley pointed out.

“And chocolates.”

“And a gift.”

“Oh yes, a gift.” Boudicca smiled.

“A gift? Bodi, it was the gift of the century.”

“The century, really? Isn’t that a bit overreaching?” she challenged him.

“Well, what do you call it when someone gifts his betrothed her dream gift? A building that she can use for fencing to her heart’s delight? And so that she doesn’t always have to comerunning home to her father’s house—no offense Humphrey—to do what she loves?”

The sisters around the table let out soft chuckles.

“When did you tell him about your dream to open a fencing school for girls?” Mimi asked.

Wesley dropped his fork. “She never told me that.” He turned to stare at Boudicca. “You want to instruct young girls to rebel against societal structures and follow in your footsteps?”

Boudicca nodded firmly.

He stroked his jaw. “So what you’re saying is, I really did buy you your dream gift, and you didn’t even have to ask for it?”

She nodded again.

“So it is actually the perfect gift for you?”

She nodded a third time. This time with tears in her eyes.

He reached over and pulled her into an embrace. “You silly gel. Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

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