Page 77 of His Duchess in Disguise
Laughing with relief and happiness, Leo Brady, Duke of Menhiransten, pulled with all his might for the closest shore. Dutifully, he unloaded all his passengers, before pulling Emma into a close, possessive embrace.
“I love you, Miss Emma Hoskins. I love you more than Menhiransten, more than the standing stones, and more than all of England. Will you please be my wife? Your father is here and looks like he might give consent so we can get a special license and be married forthwith.”
“Your Grace, I think there might be something treasonous in that statement, but since I love you more than the whole world, I’ll let it stand. And of course, Father will give his consent, won’t you Father?” Emma looked meaningfully at her parent.
“Consent? The Duke of Menhiransten? Of course, I will. Hey, everybody,” the Baron wobbled a bit but stood on his own two feet, “My daughter is marrying the Duke of Menhiransten! My little girl bagged herself a Duke!”
Emma leaned her head, face first, into Leo’s shoulder. “I am going to absolutely die of embarrassment,” she murmured into his soaked shirtfront.
“But you’ll marry me?” Leo persisted, with his arms still around her.
“Absolutely,” Emma said, “Yes, I will. Forever and ever, until death do us part.” And they completely missed Percy Harlow’s groan as his ship sank below the waters of the harbor, and quite ignored the cheers and catcalls from soldiers, sailors, and passersby. It was entirely scandalous and made the front page of all the gossip sheets. But all either of them cared about was the warm glow of happiness that surrounded them both, just as their arms encircled each other.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Emma sighed with satisfaction as the drapers finished hanging the rich velvet tapestries over the library windows. Leo was seated on a new leather wingback chair in front of the library fire. Their daughter, Beverly, was seated on his knee, and he dandled her up and down. “This is the way the farmer rides,” he chanted.
“’obley ‘oy, obley ‘oy,” the toddler chanted back, giggling. The baby had Emma’s golden curls, but Leo’s dark blue eyes.
Emma pulled the ottoman up beside the wingback chair and leaned on the arm. Leo stopped bouncing the baby, leaned over, and kissed Emma. “Do you like it?” Emma asked.
“It is magnificent,” Leo replied. “My father completely missed the boat with refurbishing the old armory and neglecting this room. It is very difficult to cuddle up with an old set of armor or a sword.”
All around them the old books were arranged in an orderly fashion on the shelves, without a single cobweb or bit of dust anywhere. On the lower shelves, there were new books, including some hand-painted picture books designed for the enjoyment of the youngest member of the household.
Leo shifted, making room for Emma to snuggle in beside him. Emma gladly curled up against his side in the spacious chair, and Beverly wriggled up from her father’s knee and sprawled across both her parents.
“I have a letter from Reginald,” Leo said.
“Do you?” Emma looked up with interest.
“He says that he is enjoying Australia and that the land I purchased is just what he wanted.”
“So, he is becoming an able steward?”
“Amazingly, yes. Although he twits me about still being my heir, even if he is in exile. You really do need to do something about that, my love.” He gently patted her tummy, which was just beginning to grow round with their next child.
“Why, certainly, Your Grace. I’ll put an order in with the stork to be sure to deliver a baby brother for Beverly. Or should I order up two?”
“Why not three? That way, they could all be out of short pants and leading-strings at the same time and cut the work of raising them by at least two-thirds. And what did I do this time to be ‘Your Grace’.”
“Perhaps dictating to nature as to the gender of our next? Quite presumptuous of you, Your Grace. But perhaps Mother Nature wasn’t listening and will forgive arrogance.”
“Oh, my dear Emma,” Leo said.
“Yes, my dear Leo?”
“I do love you so very much. What did I ever do for amusement before you wandered into my life?”
“Perhaps you ordered armies and ships and such about. And astonished poor Mr. Hamilton on a regular basis. I’m not sure he has yet quite forgiven you saddling him with Robbie for an assistant.”
“Why? What has the young rapscallion done to enliven my secretary’s life this time?”
“Oh, something about slipping off with Melissa’s younger brother to go fishing.”
“Oh, dear. Was the youngster supposed to be doing something else?”
