James’s mouth curved faintly. “I have found that I no longer care where I do things, only that I do them properly.”
Her lips curved into a smile that reached her eyes. “I suppose that is one advantage of marrying a duke.”
James chuckled under his breath. “If that is the case, I am disappointed you waited this long to wield it.”
She laughed softly, then grew serious again. “Thank you.”
“For what?” James asked.
“For seeing her,” Eleanor said. “For not dismissing her wishes as inconvenient.”
James’s gaze softened. “I saw myself in her. Cornered. Spoken over. Told that obedience was virtue.”
Eleanor’s fingers brushed his sleeve. “You could have chosen the easier path.”
“I chose you,” James replied simply.
The words seemed to settle between them, weighty and certain.
Eleanor shifted closer, her knee brushing his. “You keep doing that.”
“Doing what?” James asked.
“Choosing me,” she said quietly.
James turned toward her fully now. “I intend to keep doing it.”
Her breath caught. “Even when it is difficult?”
“Especially then,” he said.
She smiled, that small, knowing smile that had undone him from the start. “I love you.”
James felt the words land in him, steady and grounding, not a blow but a truth he had been carrying for weeks without naming.
“I love you too,” he said.
Eleanor’s hand came to rest against his chest, over his heart, as if confirming it was real. “Say it again.”
James leaned in, close enough to feel her breath. “I love you.”
She kissed him before he could say more.
It was unhurried, full, nothing stolen or restrained. Her fingers curled into his coat, and James responded instinctively, one hand at her waist, drawing her closer. The world beyond the carriage ceased to exist entirely.
When they parted, Eleanor rested her forehead against his. “We are going to have to stop meeting like this in enclosed spaces.”
James smiled. “I am not convinced that is a problem.”
Her laugh was quiet and warm. “You say that now.”
He brushed his thumb along her jaw. “I say it sincerely.”
She tilted her head, eyes darkening just slightly. “We are alone. For the moment.”
James’s pulse quickened. “Are you suggesting something, Duchess?”
“I might be,” she replied.
