At least this time, Alastair was properly dressed. In the apparel Daisy had mended, he looked every inch the duke.
Daisy, on the other hand, hadn’t had a moment to fix her hair or change into a clean gown, but she made no apologies as she endured Mrs. Farley’s inquisition.
Which was more than a little tricky, considering her neighbor still believed Alastair to be her long-lost husband.
Daisy carefully confessed that Alastair had not, in fact, been sailing around the world. And that he wasn’t really a commoner but was—well…a gentleman.
But as the minutes dragged on, Alastair’s patience thinned.
The moment Mrs. Farley set down her empty teacup, he seized the opportunity to bring the visit to a close.
“Thank you so much for your concern,” he said smoothly, already guiding her toward the door. “Daisy will send for you if she finds herself in need of your sage wisdom.”
Before the older woman could utter another word, he had her outside, bid her farewell, and shut the door with a decisive click of the lock.
Rather dashing of him, really.
Daisy exhaled. “Thank you.”
“You never have to thank me,” he said, watching her intently. “For anything.” A shadow passed over his face. “In fact, all of this is my fault. I put Gilbert in danger. I put you in danger. And it wasn’t the first time.”
“You were fighting for your life, and your uncle was all you had left. How could you have known he would betray you like he did?”
“I took him at his word,” Alastair admitted. “I shouldn’t have. Deep down, I should have known that you never would have left if you hadn’t had to.”
Daisy swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I could have followed you.”
But she hadn’t. She had let fear and uncertainty hold her back.
“We were too young to know what we had or how to hold onto it.” Alastair pushed off the wall and crossed the room. But instead of sitting beside her, he swept her up into his arms.
Right where she wanted to be.
“We’re wiser now,” he murmured, carrying her effortlessly from the dining room and up the stairs.
“I should hope so,” she teased, looping her arms around his neck.
His lips quirked, but there was something fierce and determined in his gaze as he lowered her onto the bed.
Then, sitting beside her, he took her hand, tracing the lines of her palm with his fingertips, as if mapping out their future.
“I believe I’ve had enough of London to last a lifetime,” he said, voice low.
Daisy tilted her head, waiting. “Oh?”
His eyes lifted to meet hers, raw and sincere. “I want to spend time in the country.With my wife. I want her to have time to come to terms with being my duchess.”
The depth of his conviction took her breath. It reminded her of the boy she had fallen in love with—a young heir who had spoken of forever with the certainty of a fairy tale. But back then, his promises had been woven with hope, not experience. And in the end, it hadn’t been enough.
Now he was a man. A duke. And this time, he would see it through.
Daisy licked her lips.
“You wish to take a wife to Woodland Priory?” She was ninety-nine percent sure of his meaning, but she needed to hear him say it.
Because yes, he’d said as much before—but that was before…
“I do,” he confirmed. “Because it’s where we fell in love. And I’d like to renew our vows.” One side of his mouth curved into a wry smile. “With a vicar who isn’t a cat. And a legal certificate. We’ll make it official.”
