Jasper cocked a brow. “A rule, eh? What would that be, wife?”
And then she turned to her sister. “No more interruptions.”
And there were not.
Finally.
Epilogue
Five Days Later
After a surprisingly romantic wedding ceremony, the newlywed couple remained in Gretna Green rather than resume the journey home right away. It went without saying that the details required some untangling, but for a few days anyhow, they took time out and spent their days walking, exploring the area, and lounging over good meals.
And in bed, of course.
Goldie and Lord Standish had remained three of those days, but they needed to return to London to look in on Standish’s mother and sisters. Nia had hugged her sister tight knowing, however, that they would not be estranged. That they always had one another.
And now, Jasper and Nia took their leave of Gretna as well. Returning to real life was a little sad, but also exciting and not nearly as frightening as she’d once imagined. She would avoid her father in the near future, and possibly long after that, and Jasper had already sent word to his man of business to address any legal issues surrounding her widowhood. He’d assured her that if any issues arose, he’d sort them out.
And there was always Malum to help, if necessary.
“I wouldn’t have thought a man could make for such an excellent chaise,” Nia teased as she reclined against Jasper’s chest as they embarked on the journey to Somerset Castle.
“It’s my greatest achievement.” His chest rumbled behind her.
In this position, she could make out the tops of the trees as they drove south, this time under far happier circumstances than the last time she’d made this trip. So much had happened! She was married! She had a husband—a man she loved so much she thought her heart must surely burst.
She would spend a lifetime endeavoring to know him completely, to loving him.
And there was still so much to learn.
Which reminded her.
“You never told me what it is, exactly, that you do for the Duke of Malum—nor how you came to be acquainted with such a man.” She uttered the question vaguely, unwilling to push, but not afraid to ask, either.
Because this was Jasper, and she hated to imagine some part of him being hidden from her.
Jasper lazily stroked the back of her hand, his arms keeping her secure from behind, and she felt a sigh.
“I told you I was bullied at school.”
“And that it was Lord Standish who helped you deal with them,” she supplied.
“Yes, but there were a few other boys involved. Reginald Preston was one of them. We banded together against our sworn enemies. I highly doubt any of us could have overcome them alone.”
Nia could hear a smile in Jasper’s voice as he reminisced. She wanted to turn around to see his expressions, but she didn’t want him to become distracted. Something that happened all too easily when one of them got a suggestive look in their eyes.
So she remained resting against him and listened.
“But Reg. There was something special about him. He could make a game of anything. And smart as a whip. Never failed to get the highest marks in our class. He saw the best in all of us. It didn’t matter that his father was a duke, he treated everyone he met with respect.”
Nia sat up at this and turned around. “What duke?” Because she’d never heard of this young man.
“He was Malum’s younger brother.”
Was.
“What happened to him?” she asked, beginning to get a hint of the connection.
