Page 84 of His Scottish Duchess

“I had no idea London was so… vibrant.”

“You should see it in the summer and spring. That’s when we have festivals, house parties, and such. I have a house in the countryside that is close to a town that hosts a pastry festival every spring. I am almost certain that you have not tried anything as delicious as what they serve there. And it runs well into the night.” Sampson grinned.

After breakfast, Sampson thought they could promenade around the streets of London, to pass the time before their play began in the afternoon. Catherine, who hadn’t had the chance to explore London yet, was thrilled by the suggestion.

Whatever storefront or stall caught her attention, Sampson was all too happy to guide her to it. It gave him no small joy to see her so excited.

“Into the night? Did you stay the whole day?” she asked, stopping by a cart of flowers to purchase a single daisy, which she tucked into the front pocket of his jacket with a pout. “The flowers you got me were much prettier, but I wanted to give you one too.”

“This is just perfect, darling,” Sampson told her sincerely. “And no, I never attended during the day. I’d set out in the evening and spend the night roaming the festival grounds. It seemed like the best use of my time, considering that I couldn’t sleep either way.”

Catherine’s slight pout turned into a frown. “I’m sorry. You struggled so much in the past—even after we got married—and I did not know the extent of it. I am really sorry, Sampson.”

Sampson exhaled and pulled her closer. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Perhaps if I had been more willing to have an honest marriage with you, the burdens I had endured would not have persisted to this extent. And you have brought me so much comfort in the last few weeks than I have had in the last ten years of my life. I cannot even begin to thank you for the peace you have brought me. I am grateful, my love, for everything you have done. For what we have to look forward to, as well.”

“Thank you for trusting me to take care of you,” she sighed softly.

Sampson still could not believe that the experiences he had gone through in the last few days were real. He couldn’t believe that she loved him and that she had chosen to stay. While he had no doubts about it, everything still felt too good to be true.

He felt confident that his nightmares would not haunt him for much longer, and he was eager to spend the rest of his days gazing upon his wife’s face. He wished to spoil her, to ravish andadore her. And he had no plans to restrain himself from doing precisely that.

He spotted a jewelry shop and grinned as a thought occurred to him.

“Come with me, my love,” he crooned, gently leading Catherine through the streets.

Her eyes lit up as they walked into the shop, and he let her roam around, watching as she admired the glittering pieces.

Sampson had long since considered buying her something as a reward for successfully hosting a ball, and now he wished to adorn her with a token of his love.

But back then, he did not want to risk buying her something she might not like. Now, he could get her something she would definitely like.

“But what are we?—”

“I want to give you a gift. Whatever you want, whatever your heart desires. Pick it and I’ll buy it,” he urged.

“But—why?” She blinked at him, confused.

“Because you are beautiful and the love of my life,” he murmured, leading her to a display that had all sorts of pendantsand earrings behind it. “What would you like? A bracelet? A necklace? A pair of diamond earrings?”

Catherine’s eyes darted around the shop, and she gasped when something caught her eye. Before he could ask what it was, she pulled him in the direction of what she was looking at. He followed her obediently, a little surprised when they ended up before a display of rings.

“I want to have something that would connect us. We don’t have wedding rings, so I thought…” she trailed off, looking uncertain.

“You want us to have the same one?” Sampson asked, a little surprised.

“Do you not want to?—”

“No, darling. No. I want to. I’m just… I didn’t expect you to think of me, much less pick an item we could both have.”

Catherine’s face flushed a shade he was far too fond of, and she lowered her gaze shyly.

“Well… I would like something that will make me think of you whenever I look at it, and something that will always make me feel connected to you. I want it to be obvious that I belong to you, and no one else.”

Sampson grinned wolfishly, leaning closer to whisper in her ear, “Knowing that you wish to wear my mark so visibly makes me happier than you’ll understand. I am quite touched, Duchess.”

Catherine took a step back and continued to avoid his gaze, pointing to the display as her cheeks reddened further.

“Wh-Which design would you like?”

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