Page 71 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
“Why not?” he asked playfully. “I can send for all your belongings and you never have to leave my side again.”
“You are mad, you know that?” She laughed again, cupping his face with the palms of her hands.
“Mad about you,” he whispered, kissing her softly, and she knew this was just one in an endless sea of kisses that he would keep bestowing upon her for the rest of their lives—a path she couldn’t wait to start.
Chapter 37
The following two months simply flew by. Alexander and Anna had agreed on a small, intimate wedding, and he could see how much joy it brought her to oversee everything. There was still time before that momentous day, and Alexander discovered that he could barely wait.
It was still morning when he found himself in his study, surrounded by the weighty volumes and the muted ambiance that characterized that room. He had always relished silence and solitude, but with Anna around, he found himself opening up to people, to life, to… her. She was all that mattered, the one thing that made him truly, profoundly, infinitely happy. In turn, he did his best to ensure her own happiness.
It seemed there was not a cloud in the sky, apart from the letter he had received several hours prior. It was from Lady Genevieve. Alexander refused to acknowledge it. Opening it would mean entertaining her mad obsession, so he simply cut it up and threw it away. He wanted it out of sight.
However, this meant that she had not let go of everything. The truth was that she posed no danger to either him or Anna any longer. Their wedding preparations were well underway, and whatever she chose to divulge to thetonwould make absolutely no difference. Still, he needed to speak to her father, man to man.
Yes, that would be the best option. He was sure of it. Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, he opened his binder and started to go over the recently acquired debts and their collections. Usually, Tom would be there with him for such work, but he had asked for a day off to take Eliza to meet his sister and her family. Alexander was happy to see that his steward, his best friend, had found happiness as well.
Engrossed in his work, he was interrupted by the gentle creak of the study door. He lifted his gaze to meet Anna’s as she looked at him with a beaming smile. The morning glow of the sun that flowed through the open windows illuminated her features as she approached.
“Are you busy?” she asked, still with that enchanting smile.
“For you? Never, my love,” he said, closing the binder before him. “What can I do for you?”
“I simply wished to talk to you about the wedding and the preparations,” she divulged.
He smiled. “I told you that you have free rein over the whole thing. I want whatever you want.”
“What if I want clowns?” she teased.
“Then our guests had better prepare for tons of laughter,” he replied, which made them both burst into a chuckle.
“Ah, Alexander,” she gushed. “You are too good for me.”
“No, it is you who is too good for me,” he corrected her. “Now, tell me about your vision, my love.”
She was still standing as she extended her arms high up into the air, her eyes gazing at an obscure dot somewhere in the distance, visible only to her. “Just imagine,” she started, painting a vivid picture of the wedding preparations, “a pathway adorned with delicate rose petals leading to a charming flower arch, where we’ll exchange our vows.
Eliza is working on the most exquisite floral arrangements, a tapestry of colors that will weave through the entire garden.”
As she spoke, Anna’s gestures mirrored the beauty she described, her hands moving gracefully to emphasize the enchanting scene she envisioned.
“And the cake!” she exclaimed. “Oh, it is a true masterpiece! Eliza and I have decided on layers of vanilla and elderflower, adorned with cascading flowers and a hint of gold leaf for that additional touch of elegance.”
Her words filled the room with the scent of blooming flowers and the sweet promise of a celebration to come. Alexander, captivated by her vision, couldn’t help but marvel at the passion and creativity Anna infused into each element of their impending union. It made him ecstatic to see that she was as excited to commence their life together as a married couple as he himself was.
“What do you think?” she asked once her monologue had come to an end.
“I love it.” He beamed. “I really do. Everything about it.”
“Do you really?”
“Of course, my love,” he assured her. “It will be the happiest day of my life.”
“Mine, too,” she gushed. Then her eyes widened as if she had suddenly remembered something. “Oh, silly me!”
“Why?” he asked, looking at her in playful confusion. “What happened?”
“I came in here for a completely different reason!”
