Page 54 of The Jilted Duchess
Hector laughed, too. “Happy to indulge ye, lass.”
He leaned over and pulled her into his arms.
Alexandra didn’t know which of them closed the distance between them first, whether he leaned in or she did, but their lips met in a kiss, and it was the very first one they had shared that made her feel free to go on enjoying it as long as she liked.
She threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, and he hummed with soft pleasure and approval. His tongue parted herlips. She gave up all resistance and allowed him to claim her, thinking that if this was what marriage was going to be, she was very grateful indeed that she had decided to give it a chance.
EPILOGUE
TWO MONTHS LATER
“Louisa, I feel as if I haven’t seen you in months,” Alexandra said, embracing her sister.
Louisa laughed. “Well, it’s so difficult for me to get out of the house these days! Rosemary keeps me very busy, as you can imagine. But Cedric and I are so glad to have you all here this week. It means the world to us that you came.” She winked. “I’m looking forward to spending some time really getting to know this new husband of yours. I know him mostly by reputation right now.”
Alexandra laughed. “If all you have to go on is his reputation then I’m afraid you don’t know Hector at all,” she said. “He’s nothing like we feared.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Though you know I’ve never set much store by the opinions of the ton,” Louisa added. “It’s our sisters’ opinions I refer to when I say I’ve heard about his reputation.They have plenty of opinions, and I trust those are a little more balanced than society gossip.”
“Perhaps a little,” Alexandra was forced to concede. Her sisters could certainly be gossips—that was undeniable. And yet she knew they had, for the most part, been quicker to warm to Hector than she herself had. She recalled Evelina telling her to take a risk and trust her husband. Not something a sister would have said if she didn’t have faith that there was something about him worth trusting.
“Look at how Eliza leads those boys around,” Louisa said, indicating Evelina’s stepdaughter—Gabriel’s from his first marriage. Eliza had organized some sort of game with Evelina’s and Margaret’s sons and was giving instructions. “They follow her like ducklings, don’t they?”
“They certainly do,” Alexandra agreed fondly. “I suspect that by next year, Rosemary will have joined their brood. And by the year after that, Margaret’s new baby will be a part of things as well.” Margaret was currently expecting her second child, and Alexandra thought her elder sister looked positively radiant.
“And what about the year after that?” Louisa asked, raising an eyebrow at Alexandra.
“The year after that?” Alexandra repeated. “I’m not sure what you mean, Louisa.”
“What I mean is, when can we expectyourfirst child? Now that you and your husband are so happy together, I assume you’ll betalking about starting your own family. I can’t wait to see your baby, and to add your son or daughter to this little collection we sisters have begun.” She beamed. “Aren’t you excited for it?”
Alexandra laughed. “Don’t rush me, Louisa.”
“Well, I’m not trying to rush you! But come along, now, even Flick has had puppies. We’re all starting our families. It’s time for you to join us in that.”
“I may do so when I feel ready,” Alexandra said. “But not until then. One of the wonderful things about Hector is that he isn’t rushing me or pressuring me. He’s allowing me to come to things in my own time.”
“Well, that is lovely, of course,” Louisa said. “But surely you want a child? I know you’ve had hesitations, but isn’t it different now that you’re married to a husband you truly love?”
“It is,” Alexandra agreed, surprised that she found herself able to admit that so readily. It reallywasdifferent now. And while she was in no particular hurry about it, she did imagine herself having a child with Hector.
There was plenty of time.
“Ah,” Louisa said. “Here comes Father.”
Alexandra felt herself grow tense at the realization that her father was drawing near. Even though things had been muchbetter between the two of them as of late, she was still hesitant about being around him.
But he defended me when Benedict harassed me,she reminded herself.He took it upon himself to come and tell Hector what had happened, and it’s really thanks to him that Benedict was forced out of the country, and I’ll never have to see him again.
It had been a complicated relationship to be sure, but she could no longer tell herself that her father didn’t care for her. He did. He always had.
He approached and put his hand on her arm. Alexandra couldn’t help noticing the pallor in his cheeks. She recalled what Penelope had told her, that he hadn’t been well lately, and frowned. “Perhaps we ought to sit down, Father,” she said.
“That would be welcome,” he agreed, offering her a smile.
She led him over to a pair of chairs, and they sank into them. Her father closed his eyes briefly. “It’s good to be off my feet,” he murmured. “Never grow old, Alexandra.”
Alexandra chuckled. “You’re not so old, Father,” she said, but she couldn’t suppress an undercurrent of worry. Suddenly, hedidlook old. She hadn’t ever thought of him as such, not really, but his face was lined and weathered, and he looked truly exhausted.
