“Probably not. But a man can hope. Cinderella and the Prince lived happily ever after, did they not?”
Adele sat up a little straighter and spotted the paper-wrapped parcel he’d brought up with him. “What have you brought for me?”
“Oh, this.” He picked up the parcel. “This came while the doctor was seeing you. I think it was from one of the shops you visited earlier today.”
“Oh!” She took the package and peeled off the paper. Inside was a jewelry box. “I bought this for you, actually.”
“Oh?”
“I wanted to give you a present. You’ve been so good to me, Hugh, and you’ve been stressed out lately, and I wanted to do something nice.”
He accepted the box from her and opened it. Inside were two emerald cufflinks.
“They go with my necklace, don’t you think?” Adele said.
He was touched that she had thought to find something like this for him. They might yet live happily ever after. He kissed her, hard and fast, and said, “Thank you, my love. These are spectacular. They shall look nice with a few of my shirts. I will think of you every time I wear them.”
“You’re welcome.”
Servants appeared with Adele’s dinner then. Hugh sat with her as she ate—he tried to feed her, but she waved him off and told him she could do it herself. As she finished her soup, she said, “I didn’t realize you and Lord Beresford were such good friends.”
“We aren’t, but he’s Lark’s friend. Apparently he was at Lark’s house when I sent my secretary to fetch Lark. I needed someone with a level head, you see.”
“Is that how you came to have a whole troop of men come in to rescue me?”
“I was a mess, Adele. I couldn’t think straight. Lark thought I would be a liability if I went by myself.”
“Thank the Lord for your friends.”
“Yes.” Hugh was indeed grateful. Lark had been right about Hugh being unable to do anything but make a larger mess. He was glad Lark had taken charge and that Beresford had been so convincing and that Owen had kept Adele safe and that Fletcher had caught her when she’d fainted.
Adele ate some chicken and said, “Are Lark and Beresford lovers?”
Hugh was surprised by that question, but Adele had asked it calmly, without recrimination. “Yes,” he said. “I confronted Lark about it about a month ago and he confirmed it. What made you ask?”
“You’ve suggested a few times that you suspected Lark may have, er, romantic interests in other men. That seems very odd to me, but as long as they’re happy and not hurting anyone, I can’t find fault with it.”
“You are more enlightened than the Crown. They will both be hanged if discovered.”
“I promise to keep quiet next time I dine with the Prince Regent.” Adele raised an eyebrow. “Although don’t you think there is something romantic about that? Two people who loveeach other enough to stay together even though their lives are in danger?”
“I suppose, although I’d really rather both stayed among the living. And you joke, but we may well have to dine with Prinny one of these days. He is my cousin, after all, if a distant one.”
Adele leaned back against her pillows and laughed softly. “This is not the sort of life I ever imagined for myself.”
“I hope this is better.”
She smiled. “Beyond my wildest dreams.”
Epilogue
Hugh never recoveredhis memories entirely, which taught him to savor each moment as it came because each memory was precious.
He was reminded of this as he and Adele arrived at Swynford House at long last a week after Collingswood abducted her. The expression on her face as the carriage approached the house was priceless.
“I’m reminded again that I am a duchess,” she said. “Is this really your home?”
“It is. Mother mentioned at least three times in her last letter that it has been in the family for generations, although according to the records it looks quite different now from its original state as a castle. The records also indicate that I made a number of improvements prior to meeting you, although I cannot recall all of them.”
