Page 112 of Crash Landing
She hugged him and cried some more as he led her to their carriage, lifted her in, and climbed in after her.
He wrapped his arms around her as the carriage rolled away from the Newton townhouse. “I’ll be meeting your father tomorrow to discuss this further. He and I alone.”
“And then we need to discussusand where we go from here. What will your mother think once word is out? Your sister? Your cousins?”
“Are you serious? First of all, word is not getting out. Your father and Celeste are not about to say anything and ruin their social standing. As for my mother, we are talking about a woman who named her children Trajan and Persephone, and loved and supported my father’s eccentric ways. Make no mistake, he was eccentric.”
She could not help herself, and laughed.
“Persephone is going to love you because you make me happy,” he said gently. “My cousins already adore you. They think you are Queen Boudica reincarnated, a dazzling warrior who managed to single-handedly bring down Frampton when England’s Home Office had tried for months and gotten nowhere.”
“But I am nobody.”
He growled. “You areeverythingto me.”
“You are acting on impulse. We don’t have to resolve anything right away, although we should not take too long to come to an agreement.”
“Florence,” he said sternly, “I am playing my duke card here.”
“What do you mean?”
“The matter is resolved. I order it so by ducal edict. We stay married. We remain deliriously happy being married to each other. There will be no talk of ending this marriage. There will be no talk ofseparate sleeping arrangements. We are going to share the same bed. We are going to share everything until the moment we take our last breaths.”
She wiped her tears and stared at him.
He cast her the softest smile. “We are going to kiss each other each night before we fall asleep and do whatever else of an amorous nature we are of a mind to do. In the morning, I shall wake to your happy, smiling face. No frowns allowed, even if you are peeved at me.”
“I must still smile?”
“Yes, even if peeved. Do you accept these terms?”
“Need I? Are they not decreed by ducal edict?”
“Yes, but I still want your willing acceptance.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and let out a shuddering sigh. “You have my willing acceptance and my gratitude. You have my heart for always. I love you beyond measure. But—”
“That’s all I need to hear. Edict, remember? High-handed duke here. Discussion is over.”
“But not our marriage?”
“No. That is unbreakable and unconditional. We stay married.” He arched an eyebrow. “Just how grateful are you?”
“Seriously?” She laughed again. “Very, very grateful. I will show you tonight.”
“You will?”
She nodded. “Better have a libation for your throat.”
“Why?”
“Because I shall have you howling until you are hoarse.”
“Tucker!” he called to their driver with a hearty laugh. “Get us home fast!”
Epilogue
Gull Hall
