“She approves of this,” Victoria whispered, a grin lighting up her face to the point that the dark circles around her eyes were almost unnoticeable.
“Of course, she does, but now, she’s wide awake,” Richard murmured.
Richard and Victoria rose from their position together and walked toward the cradle. They were surprised to see Melody sleeping soundly once more.
“She woke up only to tell us she agrees that we should be together,” Victoria commented.
“That’s the best blessing you can ever get. One from a baby,” Richard said, feeling happiest in years.
“I will have to call on Mrs. Hughes to watch over her now,” Victoria declared, heading for the bell pull.
“Ah. We do need to rest.”
Richard missed sleeping in Victoria’s bedchambers, where he could inhale the soft fragrance of her hair and skin throughout the night. He was glad to be home.
“Are your men still watching over Hawksford House?” Victoria asked, breaking the silence they had formed as they walked side by side to her bedchamber.
“Yes, they are. However, they are no longer preparing for a war zone. They are here for security throughout. Some will have to be moved to my other business or to the country estate,” Richard explained.
The duchess smiled. She understood him well enough now. “You wanted to ensure they have employment,” she mused.
“Y-yes. Precisely.”
“Sending them to the estate, which is bigger and far away, seems like a wonderful idea, Richard,” she praised.
“I guess it is.”
Inside her room, the fire was low the way she wanted it. There was just enough warmth and light to make sleep easy. She was tired. She watched as Richard undressed, starting with hiscravat. His movements were unsteady and stiff. She flinched when he let out a hiss of pain. If he would let himself make such a noise, it meant that it was too much.
“Let me,” she volunteered, walking closer to him.
The duchess worked on his clothes methodically, undoing and removing with great care. She unbuttoned his shirt almost reverently, her fingers almost afraid to graze his battered skin. As she gently removed his shirt, she let out a soft gasp as she saw the bruises on his body and the fresh bandage on his side. She didn’t want to ask about them anymore. She wanted him to be distracted from his pain.
Richard watched her. His eyes were probing, as if he, too, was tearing each of her garments off her body. She liked how he could do that without even touching her. Without even saying a word.
Victoria found loose nightclothes for him to wear, and he let out a sigh of relief. Then, it was her turn to undress. He watched her closely, then. She hesitated, wondering if it was a good idea.
“Go ahead, Victoria. I can’t touch, but I can look,” he said good-naturedly.
She giggled nervously as she let her gown fall to the floor. She knew she would just put both of them into a lot of pain and disappointment, but she liked standing before him naked. She was now his, as he was hers. His eyes watched her hungrily, even as she slipped on her nightgown, but he didn’t move toward her.
They didn’t seek passion that night. Both of them were exhausted to the point of collapse. However, Victoria loved how Richard climbed into bed with her, his back to her. She understood why. It was too tempting to embrace and forget the wound. So, she had to make adjustments. She turned toward him, pressing her body to his back. He groaned at the contact.
“You are a tease, Victoria Weston,” he muttered. “But it’s time to sleep now. The war is over.”
She would like to say she had other kinds of warfare in mind as she pressed her breasts to his back, torturing him. Torturing herself.
But even with such thoughts in her mind, both the Duke and Duchess of Hawksford gave in to sleep, bodies entwined.
Epilogue
A WEEK LATER
The blood-stained carpet in Richard’s study had been replaced.
Not that it would stop the Brightons from coming over to Hawksford House. The children had heard about the incident, and the older ones, like Hector, would want to know and see more.
A resoundingnohad met each of these children, but at least they would be watching another play starring their favorite aunt, Victoria Weston, Duchess of Hawksford.
