Page 107 of A Deal for the Duke’s Virgin

Christian, with his breeches undone and his shirt loose and creased around him, gave her a mischievous grin. “Going? I am going nowhere.”

He padded to a washbasin in the corner and poured water into it. It must have been warm, for she could see steam curling up from the bowl. Then he dipped a clean cloth into the water, wrung it out, and returned to the bed.

“Let me,” he whispered, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

He wiped between her thighs, cleaning her up. When he was done, he used the cloth on himself and then returned it to the basin.

“Remind me not to use that water for washing in the morning,” he murmured, clambering onto the bed beside her.

Thalia turned to face him. “Will I be here in the morning?” she whispered.

He watched her for a long moment.

“That is up to you,” he replied eventually. “For such a long time, your life has been dictated by others. I don’t wish to take any more choices from you. But I shall tell you now that I will never be truly happy without you by my side. The fact is, Thalia, I love you. I am not sure that I have ever been in love before. Alex’s mother, Sophie, she… she and I were fond of each other. At that age, it felt like love. But she was always cleverer than me. I think she understood that it was not love, and even if we’d been able to marry, our feelings for each other would not have survived. I’ve gone all these years believing that I knew what love felt like. How could I have been so blind?” He whispered the last sentence in a rush that made her shiver.

She reached forward, trailing her fingertips down the curve of his cheek.

“I have never been in love either,” she confessed. “I rather thought it was something to avoid. I thought it would clip my wings. But when I’m with you, Christian, I fly higher than I ever could alone. I love you, too.”

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Then stay,” he said simply.

She gave a tired smile. “I am not sure I could leave even if I tried.”

He grinned. “Is it selfish to say that I’m glad of that?”

She cupped his face in her hands. “Yes,” she whispered, biting back a grin. “Extremely so.”

Then she kissed him, hard. After all, if one felt that one wasn’t very good at the thing, the only thing to do was practice.

EPILOGUE

THE FOLLOWING DAY

“Idon’t think we should all gather in the foyer while we wait for them,” Thalia said. “It’ll be off-putting. They’re only children.”

She glanced around, a little tense. Had she said the right thing? Laura and Celestia wanted to wait outside. They were so excited to greet the children. Could it be that she was in the wrong?

“She’s right,” Christian said sternly, shooting Hooves an apologetic look. “Take the servants back downstairs. They aren’t going to be able to gather on the front steps to greet the children.”

Hooves pressed his lips together, but that was the only sign of his disappointment.

“Very well,” he sighed. “May I take the children downstairs one day to greet the rest of the staff? The servants are very keen to meet them.”

“Naturally,” Christian promised. “But for now, this is their first day. Let’s take it slow, eh?”

The butler bowed and retreated.

They were all sitting in the drawing room, which afforded the best view of the driveway. Laura had claimed the window seat, half pretending to read a book. Celestia sat by the fire, not even bothering to conceal her excitement.

“I shall meet my grandson at last,” she whispered, biting her lower lip. “And the other children, of course. Think of it, Laura! Children, in the house! Christian, dear, should I go up and check their rooms once more?”

“Everything looks perfect,” Christian promised.

Thalia shot him a quick smile. “I can assure you all that this place will look like a palace compared to the orphanage. Most of the rooms in there are in need of repair, but perhaps with our patronage, things will change.”

She didn’t mention that Jonathan had asked her about the orphanage when he visited that morning. The purpose of his visit was ostensibly to bring Orange, who had at once made himself at home.

However, he had asked several questions about volunteering at the orphanage. She’d told him to speak to Sister Abigail, and he said that he would. Only time would tell what would come of that.