“Well, that was relatively painless,” Christopher sighed once they were back in the carriage and on their way home.
Rose laughed. “Oh, it wasn’t that bad. I rather enjoyed myself.”
“I am sure you did,” he snorted.
“What does that mean?”
He rolled his eyes. “My aunt. The two of you have a little too much in common.”
“Such as?”
He looked at her flatly. “For one thing, you both have the unique ability to make me feel uncomfortable. I might have guessed it was done on purpose.”
Rose laughed as she took his hand and placed it in her lap. “Come now, we both know I am far more adept at making you feel uncomfortable than your aunt is.”
“You almost sound proud.”
If Rose had not known Christopher as well as she did, she might have thought it strange how different he acted now that they were alone. He wasn’t as stiff as he had been all evening, and he looked nowhere near as uncomfortable.
For whatever reason, being reminded of his childhood brought out the worst in Christopher, and Rose knew that they would never be truly comfortable with one another until she knew why that was.
“I am still rather impressed by that garden,” Rose said, thinking it best to change the topic. “It was beautiful.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” A smile touched his lips.
“Although I did notice that one thing was missing.”
“And what is that?” he laughed curiously.
“I noticed it in your garden too. In fact, I am inclined to feel insulted by the omission.” She shifted herself to face him, and she raised a judgmental eyebrow.
“Omission?” He frowned and leaned back. “What are you talking about?”
“Of all the flowers and plants that you and your aunt have managed to cram into such a small space, I did not see a single rose anywhere.” She scowled at him as if upset. “No wonder you were so against marrying me.”
He laughed and kissed the back of her hand. “Would you be upset if I told you how much I hate roses?”
She gasped. “How dare you!”
“How about, how much Iusedto hate roses…” He kissed her hand again. “Lately, I have started to come around on them.”
“Is that right?” she grinned.
He shrugged. “Even I am capable of change.”
“When pressed hard enough…”
“When there is a good enough reason to be,” he countered.
They sat looking at one another. It was dark in the carriage, so that only the Duke’s eyes were truly clear. But in them, Rose saw his smile, and she felt it in her heart. Despite how strange tonight had been, and despite how much she still had to learn about her husband, it was undeniable how far they had come together.
And because of this change between them, when she noticed Christopher leaning in closer, she did not start in surprise. Rather, Rose beamed, and her heart swelled, and she moved forward to meet his lips as if on instinct.
They kissed passionately in the back of the carriage. A kiss not brought on by anger or emotion, like the last time. A kiss not done to change the subject or confirm anything between them. It was a kiss that was perfectly natural, which is why it felt so right.
Rose was well past the point of ‘falling for’ her husband. She had already fallen, head over heels, and the kiss confirmed it. Like a flower given sunlight and soil, their love was blooming in real time, and Rose could not wait to see where it led them next.
What was more, based on the way that her husband kissed her, Rose sensed that he was of the exact same mind.
