“You won our wager, so, of course you shall go, and your husband will be very pleased indeed, as long as his extraordinary wife is happy. But if you like, I’ll also give you fencing lessons of my own.” He caught her against him and nuzzled his face into her neck. “Very, er . . . particular fencing lessons.Corps-à-corps, you know.”
“Corps-à-corps?”
“That, Your Grace, is when two fencers come into physical contact with each other.” He caught her lower lip between his teeth, nipping gently. “The literal translation is ‘body to body.’ It’s never appealed to me much, but suddenly I find it a great deal more intriguing.”
“Body to body?” She gave him a saucy little grin. “But can’t I learn that at Angelo’s?”
He tumbled her onto her back on the bed and fell on top of her. “No, you may not. Only I will instruct the Duchess of Montford incorps-à-corps.” He dropped a kiss on her nose. “It’s safer for everyone that way.”
“I love my gift. Thank you, Jasper.” She reached up and dragged her fingers down his cheek, pausing to caress the corner of his mouth. “I’m quite madly in love with you, you know.”
“How fortunate, as I’m quite madly in love with you, as well.”
She gave him such a sweet smile his chest pulled tight. Later, he’d tell her again just how much he loved her. Or maybe he’d show her, and she’d smile like that, just for him.
“And there will be no more wagers between us,” she murmured, stroking the hair on his chest. “Not now that we’ve broken the one rule of wagering.”
“Oh?” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “What rule is that?”
“Never wager anything you can’t afford to lose.” Her hazel eyes were shining as she gazed up at him. “I have your heart now, Jasper, and I will never risk it. Not for anything.”
“I lost it before I realized I’d risked it at all. I lost it to you.” He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips, his eyes finding hers. “I lost it to you.”
EPILOGUE
Montford Park
Seven months later
“Keep your eyes closed.” Jasper wrapped his arm more firmly around Prue’s waist as they neared the carriage house, guiding her over the rough cobblestones. “My dear duchess, do you imagine I can’t see you peeking?”
Prue laughed, her fingers tightening around the sleeve of his coat. “I’m only peeking a little!”
“Peeking is peeking. I won’t hesitate to blindfold you, if necessary.” He brushed his lips over the smooth skin of her cheek, inhaling the scent of honeysuckle. “In fact, this can wait until the afternoon, surely? Perhaps I’ll take you back to our bedchamber right now, and—”
“Certainly not! You’ve been teasing me with this surprise for weeks.”
“Patience is not your virtue, Your Grace. Very well, then. Here we are.” He nodded to Whit, Montford Park’s coachman, who was waiting for them beside the open door of the carriage house.
“Can I open my eyes?” Prue was hopping up and down. “I can’t wait another moment.”
To be fair, it had taken him a bit of time to decide on this particular purchase, as he’d wanted it to be just right, and he had been teasing her rather mercilessly in the meantime, but really, that was her own fault, because she made it so delightful to tease her.
“In a moment. Stand right here. No, just a little to the left—”
“Jasper!” She stamped her foot. “I’m opening my eyes.”
He laughed. “Alright, no more teasing. You may look, Your Grace.”
She opened her eyes, blinking for an instant at the elegant, high-perch phaeton standing in the carriage house courtyard, before she let out a gasp. “Oh! My goodness, Jasper!”
“Do you like it?” God, he hoped so, as he’d gone to a good deal of trouble to find just the right carriage for her, and driven both Franny and Basingstoke mad in the process.
“Likeit? Of course I do, you silly man! How could I not? It’s perfect!”
She gave him a smile that dispelled any last lingering doubts he had. “That’s fortunate, because Basingstoke forbade me from saying another word about it, which is bound to prove awkward when they come to dine on Sunday, and you insist on showing him your new phaeton.”
“I can hardly wait to take Franny driving! What a pretty color it is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a carriage this color before.”
