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"Well," she said, gesturing toward the inn, "you certainly went beyond the terms of our agreement when it came to the dress and jewelry."

James laughed. "Did you think it was too much?"

"For an elopement?" She raised both eyebrows. "I thought we were meant to be disappearing quietly, not making an entrance worthy of the Prince Regent."

James leaned against the stable door, enjoying the return of her humor. "One only gets married once."

"That sounds dangerously sentimental coming from you."

"I assure you, I am capable of sentiment on rare occasions."

Olivia smiled. "Then I am honored to witness one."

"I wanted our elopement to be as elegant as possible," James admitted, allowing a smile to touch his face. "There are worse crimes."

Olivia laughed, shaking her head. "You do realize most women would be delighted to hear that."

"And you are not most women." He regretted the words almost immediately, because her eyes met his and the air between them seemed to shift.

James felt that familiar heat return, irritatingly immediate and entirely beyond his control. He cleared his throat and looked toward the horses. "Besides, the jewelry seemed appropriate."

"Of course," Olivia said solemnly. "A duke cannot possibly permit his bride to marry without pearls."

"It would have been a scandal." He said.

"Far worse than stealing your horse?" she asked.

"Considerably."

They laughed together, and James felt the tension inside him ease once more. He was not thinking about everything that could go wrong. He was standing beside Olivia beneath the quiet stars, listening to her laughter and discovering that his mind did not always need to be controlled. Occasionally, it simply needed the right person beside it.

The thought was unsettling, but James found that he did not dislike it nearly as much as he should have.

Olivia became acutely aware of how close James stood, and the silence between them felt entirely different from the easy quiet they had shared moments before.

She looked at him, then away, before gathering the courage to ask the question that had been troubling her since their conversation in the library.

I must ask him now. If not the night before our wedding, then when?

"Did you truly never consider having a child?" she asked softly, twisting her fingers together.

James's expression became serious. He looked toward the darkened yard rather than at her. "I am certain," he replied.

His answer was so immediate that Olivia felt something inside her sink. He was not uncertain, conflicted, or merely reluctant. He had made his decision long ago.

James drew a slow breath and turned back toward her. "Which brings me to something we should have discussed earlier."

Olivia frowned. "What is that?" she asked, her voice cautious. He hesitated for only a moment before continuing, and Olivia sensed that whatever he intended to say would not be easy to hear.

"I had thought it might not be necessary to explain," James said, his tone controlled, "but I want to make certain I have made myself clear." He paused, then looked directly at her. "I will not risk having a child."

Olivia's stomach tightened. James continued before she could respond. "I do not know what your expectations are regarding our … marital duties, but you will be free from them. I do not expect you to consummate the marriage."

Olivia's eyes widened. For several seconds, she simply stared at him.

Of all the things I had imagined James might say, that had not been among them.

She had expected an arranged marriage to contain certain obligations, even if theirs was founded upon an unusual agreement. She had never considered that he might intend to remove even that part of marriage from their relationship.