"Perhaps you might join me in my bed chambers tonight," he said finally.
Alethea now understood why he had been blushing prior, for she was having the same reaction now.
"I.." she tried to say, unable to keep the smile off her face. "Well."
"I understand that married people sometimes do such a thing," he teased her. "Would you like to accept my invitation?"
A laugh burst out of her before she could stop it. She covered her mouth with her hand, but the laughter only grew.
"Is that a no?"
"It is not a no," she managed, her voice shaking with laughter still. "But if I recall correctly, you asked me to wait until Clara had grown up a little more."
"Children grow up fast," he said solemnly. "Have you not noticed?"
She laughed again, and he reached for her, his hands sliding to her waist as he drew her close.
"I think," he murmured, "that you are enjoying this at my expense, Duchess."
"I am," she admitted, still breathless.
He kissed her again. Her laughter faded into a sigh as she curled her fingers into the front of his coat. When he pulled back, his expression was one of sincerity.
"I love you."
"I love you," she whispered back.
These were the three words that she was certain that she was never going to grow tired of hearing, or saying. Every time they said it to each other, it felt the same as the first.
"Do you really mean that?" she asked, "about me joining you in your well, you know."
"Yes, I believe I cannot wait anymore," he said, as his thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. "You have changed everything for me, and I think is this the right time for us to take the next step in our union."
"You have changed everything for me," she echoed. "But we need not rush, truly…"
"Alethea," he said to her, smirking. "You were the one who convinced me of children. Are you now deferring?"
"I would not say defer," she clarified. "Only that I wish for you to be sure."
"I am sure," he said, and then with a teasing smile he glanced over to his bedchambers. "And I would prefer that we not defer at all."
Alethea's eyes widened as she took in the meaning of his words. Surely he did not mean…
"You mean now?"
"Now is as a good time as ever," he said.
"But there are guests downstairs," she tried to argue, though she could not help but chuckle through it.
"They will not be looking for us," he shrugged. "I believe that they are already quite occupied. So, what do you say? Shall we?"
"Shall we what?" she could hardly believe her own ears. Though it was hard for her to turn him down.
"Step into my bedchambers, together," he said, as though it were the most reasonable suggestion in the world.
Alethea tried to look scandalized, but her smile betrayed her. In earnest, she did not really care enough to return back downstairs to join the guests.
"Perhaps," she said lightly, "if you ask nicely."
