Page 79 of Dancing with an Enigmatic Duke
“Do you want to simply take a nap?”
Emmeline laughed. “Ah, your devious plans are unravelled, Lord Torrington. You are tired!”
“You caught me out,” he said with feigned disgrace. “Or am I really just pretending to be tired so that I can catch you unaware?”
Emmeline gave a little yelp in play as Nash pulled her to him. “I surrender.” She gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Actually, I think it is I that have trapped you.”
“I never doubt for a moment that you were the mastermind behind all of this.” Nash gave her a roguish wink before he fell over onto the bed, taking her with him in a cascade of satin and laughter.
Epilogue
(Two months after the wedding)
“We are going to be late,” Emmeline said as she peered out of the carriage window.
Nash was reclining in the seat next to her with his boots propped up on the seat in front of them. He looked to be asleep. “I am going to get out of this carriage and drag that cart out of the road myself,” Emmeline threatened.
“That should be quite the sight,” Nash said without opening his eyes.
Emmeline hit him on the leg. “Well?”
“Well, what? These things happen.” Nash sat up and stretched. “Do you want me to go thrash about like some deranged bear?”
Emmeline laughed. “No, of course not. But you could show some interest.”
Nash sighed, but eventually exited the carriage to try and light a fire under the men who were removing the broken down cart that was blocking the street. Much to Emmeline’s amusement she watched as her husband, in his newly tailored suit, set about helping to pull the cart out of the road. With a nobleman deeming to get out of his carriage, it seemed others were more willing to help the labourer move his cart.
By the time, Nash came back to the carriage, his coat was off and Emmeline could tell that most of his good humour was gone. She offered him a sweet smile as he climbed into the carriage. Once he had collapsed onto the seat next to her, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“That was as heroic as any rescue in a fairytale,” Emmeline whispered to the grumpy duke.
He tried to eye her with irritation, but Emmeline saw the man had already lost most of his steam to her sweet administrations. “I shall sleep from here to the Granton estate,” he proclaimed loudly before he pointedly closing his eyes.
Emmeline giggled softly. She whispered, “I shall protect your sanctuary with my very life.”
“Shush,” Nash grumbled as he pulled her on top of him.
Emmeline shook her head at him, her hair already coming out of the pins that Jasmine had worked so hard putting in. “You shall have me looking as if you had ravaged me in the carriage.”
“I think the driver is used to that,” Nash said in amusement as he opened his eyes to look up at her.
Emmeline glared at him and took a playful swat at his head, which he fended off easily enough. “What about a house full of partygoers? Do you wish them to think you a rogue?”
“A rogue? A rogue does not ravish his own wife, a rogue ravishes some other man’s wife.” Nash rolled his eyes at her preposterous claim.
Emmeline primly moved back to her seat and straightened herself as best as she could. “I should have insisted Jasmine ride along with us. At least then I could be certain my hair stayed in its proper place.”
“And your corset too,” Nash offered helpfully.
She knew he was in a mood and when Nash was in a mood nothing dissuaded him. Emmeline thought back to him in other situations, less scrupulous ones, and she smiled.
“Keep smiling at me like that, and we might miss the party altogether, wife of mine,” Nash said as he closed his eyes yet again.
Emmeline toyed with the idea of testing his resolve to that statement, but she was quite excited to go to the party. They had received a special invitation from Lord Hawley and his parents, so that could really mean only one thing, even if the invitation did not state it specifically.
She chose the safe option and let Nash doze. Only when they were driving into the Granton estate did she nudge him awake. “We are at the party.”
Nash sat up and stretched. He pulled on his coat as the footman opened the carriage door. Emmeline was so excited she did not wait for Nash to exit first. He did not seem offended by it. “In a hurry?” he asked with a grin.
