Page 72 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
After a few minutes of rest, Eleanor propped her head on her left hand with her elbow on the bed.
“Anthony, you never finished the story about how you were injured on the ship. Do you feel like telling that tale to your new wife?”
William moved closer to her and kissed her on the nose.
“The storm that night was so strong that it mercilessly tossed our ship for hours. Months before then, we decided to stop transporting gunpowder, but we still had a small amount stored below. Something must have hit the powder magazine, the lowest level of the ship, that caused the gunpowder to explode.
Had we carried a typical load, it would have destroyed the entire ship. Fortunately, the small blast didn’t cause much damage to the keel or the hull. So we stayed afloat long enough to reach the nearest port that wasn’t all that far away. And somehow, I managed to be standing behind some metal sheeting that mostly shielded my body, but my face was unprotected from the blow.”
“How horrible! William, you are lucky to be alive!”
The duke smiled at Elle’s use of his first name for the first time.
“Yes, I am. Even more so because the ship’s resident surgeon was passed out drunk, and the men could not rouse him. In the end, it was up to the ship’s gunner to stitch me up, as he was the only one available with a steady hand.”
Eleanor slid closer to William and pulled him into her body again. “I’m so glad you survived, my dear husband. And I love your face exactly as it is. You look just like the pirate I’ve always craved.”
William laughed. He kissed her softly, then kissed her again.
“I am so glad that you love me, Your Grace.” William tested her new title and loved how it sounded.
Eleanor giggled, then wrinkled her nose.
“That’s Elle to you, my captain. And I am forever yours.”
THE END?
