Page 33 of A Duke in Autumn

They both spoke at once, then stopped.

She blushed, her eyes going to their joined hands for a moment, then up again to meet his, filled with something almost like defiance. He waited. She cleared her throat, as if nervous, then spoke, all in a rush.

“I have met your challenge, in however small a way. I have seized greater pleasure from my days, by stepping outside the bounds of being ‘perfectly, proprietously, ladylike’. Even if all I have done is reveal my designing of gowns to others. Gowns like the one that you so very improperly had made for me, to my own design!”

It was spoken as if she expected him to make little of that achievement – instead, he found himself utterly delighted – that she had found the courage to seize what she truly wanted was wonderful! He used the hand that he still held to pull her towards him, into his arms, and lowered his lips to hers. Let the maid be scandalised, he did not care.

She was stiff for a moment, but only a moment, then she simply melted into his arms, her body pressing against his, and her lips opening to him on a sigh of pleasure. He deepened the kiss, and savoured the taste and feel of her – after so many days dreaming of it, the reality was even better than he had imagined. Finally, they drew apart a little, both breathless and flushed. He smiled down at her.

“Oh yes, I will always remember that evening. That gown, which you wore spectacularly, catching the eye of every man present. Thank you for choosing to wear it. But you were right – there is more to life than pleasure, as well as more than propriety. There is a balance between them, which fills life with surprises and delight. Lady Eugenia, will you marry me? Can we explore that balance between us, every day?”

~~~~~

Eugenia’s head was spinning, after that remarkable kiss, but his words… she looked at him, as shock and joy flooded her veins – he had said… he had asked…. she wasn’t dreaming, was she? The little gasp from Maisie, where she sat in the corner, confirmed that it was real.

She looked up at him – so very serious for once, and laughed with the joy of it.

“Yes, oh yes. It was only once I came home that I realised how foolish I had been, how much I cared for you. And I thought that I would never see you again… so yes, I will marry you.”

As the words left her mouth, and she flung her arms around his neck, rising on her toes to bring her lips to his, she saw, over his shoulder, her mother, her brother, and Juliana enter the room. As was to be expected, her mother spoke first.

“Is that the promise of a wedding I hear?”

Oakthorpe released her, and she felt the loss of his arms around her acutely, but then he took her hand in his as he spun to face her family.

“It is – that is to say, Kilmerstan, if you give your consent? I should, of course, have spoken to you first, but, well, I wanted to be sure of the lady’s feelings, before I did so. I believe that I am quite certain of her feelings now…”

Garrett laughed, and clasped Oakthorpe’s hand. Juliana was smiling broadly, and her mother looked inordinately pleased. Eugenia felt rather as if it was all a dream – one which she did not wish to wake from.

“I most happily give my consent, Oakthorpe. Just the fact that you have managed to convince the most well-behaved of my sisters to throw away propriety to the extent of kissing you in front of us tells me that you are, of a certainty, the right man for her.”

Oakthorpe looked at her for a moment, and his golden eyes sparkled with that mischief which delighted her, then he turned back to Garrett.

“Perhaps she will be successful at helping me be better behaved, where my mother has always failed? It would only be fair return for me leading her delightfully astray.”

It was Garrett’s turn to laugh. The Dowager Duchess was beaming at everyone, and beckoned Maisie over.

“Go and fetch a celebratory drink for everyone, and let the staff know the happy news.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The girl bobbed a curtsey, and almost ran from the room. They all moved to the couches and chairs, and sat. Eugenia still felt as if it was a dream from which she might wake at any moment, so often had she actually dreamed and imagined such a thing since leaving Bath. But it was real – the heat of his hand on hers, the scent of him, the taste of him still on her lips – all of it confirmed that her dream had just come true.

She leaned against him, as her mother launched into asking him all manner of questions, to allow her to begin planning the wedding – Eugenia suspected that this wedding would be a major production, as she was the last of her siblings to marry – but so be it, if it made her mother happy.

Oakthorpe smiled that mischievous smile, then spoke quietly.

“I, for myself, am happy to abandon all control of the wedding planning to you, dear lady, in conjunction with my mother – for I know that she has long hoped for this day – that is, of course, if Eugenia agrees?”

Eugenia looked into those wonderful golden eyes for a moment.

“I agree – but with one proviso. I wish to design my own wedding gown.”

Epilogue

The wedding was held in St Cuthbert’s church in Upper Nettlefold, as had become a family tradition. The church was crowded, for everyone in the district had come to see her wed, from the lowest of the maids to the highest nobility – as had also become somewhat of a tradition in the town – a town which respected a person’s position in life, without being overawed by it. All of the local business owners, who supplied Kilmerstan Castle, made it a matter of principle to see ‘their’ local nobility wed.

And that was especially true for Mary Merton, who had made the wedding gown, faithfully to Eugenia’s design, and with a few enhancements made in consultation. Mrs Merton stood proudly by and watched her walk from the church, newly married, and felt nothing but satisfaction. That dress, she was sure, had made her reputation for the next ten years. And she so very much wanted the chance to make more of the new Duchess of Oakthorpe’s designs.