Page 101 of The Duke Not Taken

Amelia couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She curtsied.

He came forward, the girls moving with him, getting in between them.

“You brought the flowers?”

“I had considerable help from Lady Aleksander and Mr. Puddlestone.” He looked around them, as if searching for something. Then at her. “You’re leaving.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Before you go, I have something for you.” He held out a piece of paper. It was thick cream vellum, and she recognized it at once. The old crone had finally written her. But how...?

She took the letter. It was addressed to The Iddesleigh School for Beautiful, Extraordinary, Exceptional Girls.

She broke the seal and opened the letter.

From a Concerned Resident of Devonshire,

I hope you read this letter, but if you prefer to burn it, I will understand. I beg your pardon for taking so long to respond to your last letter, but I wasn’t certain what to say.

A shiver of surprise ran down her spine. Amelia glanced up to search his face. “You’re the old crone?”

“Pardon?”

She continued to read.

I might answer with the story of a man who had the world. For many years, he had no cares but to drink all the wine and to woo all the women. One day he met a woman he thought he might like as a wife. But his past behavior had been so reprehensible that her family wouldn’t allow a match. It happened that later, he unexpectedly became a duke. He needed an heir. He married another women whom he didn’t love, and who didn’t love him. They had an agreement—she would be a duchess in exchange for children. Not just the obligatory heir, but a house full of children. The man wanted the children and a family more than anything else in the world. He didn’t want to tour the Continent, he didn’t want to game. He wanted to be with a family at his hearth.

Amelia looked up. He steadily returned her gaze. She continued reading.

The duchess tried to meet her end of their bargain. Two of the children were lost before they were fully formed. The man convinced her to try again and when she appeared reluctant, he pressed home the issue and reminded her of their agreement. But this time she and the child were both lost. And the man decided he could never love again, as he could never risk something so precious as another life again. He couldn’t even bear to hear the sound of children, because it reminded him of his loss.

But then he met someone who turned his world upside down. At first, he was afraid to admit his feelings. Then he was afraid to act on his feelings, for fear of losing her, too. But as time went on, he realized that he’d allowed his life to turn fallow. There was nothing left in him. The moment love touched him, his hope began to grow again, like the garden you see here.

Amelia looked around at all the flowers. She could feel hope growing in her, too.

To answer your question, maybe compatibility doesn’t lead to love. Maybe compatibility is love, and it only grows stronger. How do you know it is love? When you find the courage to face your fears because she is the only thing that matters.

You are the only thing that matters, Amelia. Allow me to love you. Allow me to take you to Wesloria, or wherever in this world you want to go. Allow me to listen to your stories and tell you mine. You were not expected. You have surprised me. You endeared yourself to me the moment we met on that road. And I can’t bear to lose you, too.

Allow me to be with you, always,

A Concerned Citizen of Devonshire

Amelia’s heart was beating out of her chest. She could feel tears burning in the back of her eyes as she calmly folded the letter. She felt on the verge of hysterical laughter or a scream or maybe even an impromptu dance—her heart was so full she could hardly contain it. She looked into his gray eyes, and she could see the love swimming there.

Joshua slowly went down onto one knee. Then the other. “Will you allow me?”

“Je,” she said. “Be with me, always.”

His smile was full of relief.

“Are you going to kiss?” one of the girls asked.

“Miss Frame, that is an inappropriate question,” Mr. Roberts said.

“I most certainly am,” Joshua said, and hopped to his feet, wrapped his arms around Amelia, and kissed her fully on the lips, much to the frenzied delight of all the girls gathered.

Amelia laughed when he lifted his head. “I can’t believeyou’rethe old crone,” she said incredulously.

---