Chapter 26

“Where have you two been?” Ezra asked, only loud enough for Duncan to hear as he and Alice rejoined the party.

“Mind your business,” Duncan retorted with a warning glare.

“Mind your trousers,” Ezra shot back with a careless shrug as he lifted his glass to his lips. “Someone’s left them open.”

Duncan couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that spread across his face as he subtly turned away from his friends and fastened his trousers. There really had been no light in whatever room they’d stumbled into, and when he and Alice finally stepped out into the hallway, they were too worried about sneaking back into the party to hide any signs of their little erotic rendezvous.

As he turned back around, he caught Alice’s eyes immediately, her green orbs sparkling with arousal and mischief.

“Your fault,” he mouthed to her, winking.

“Alice!” a girlish voice yelled joyfully, sending all of Duncan’s dark thoughts back toward their hiding place.

A paternal smile spread across his face as he saw little Camilla and Thomas bounce toward them, Camilla’s arms wrapping tightly around Alice’s waist. Immediately, he freed Alice from her bangle, then himself, and tucked the piece safely into his pocket before the children could see it. He caught Ezra giving him an amused look, and he only smirked before turning his full attention to Thomas.

“Where have you been, lad?” Duncan asked, clapping a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Camilla was insistent on trying on every single one of her dresses,” Thomas said in a voice far too mature for his young age.

“Sisters will do that to you,” Ambrose agreed, approaching them again. “Put that wretched thing away, I see,” he murmured in Duncan’s ear.

“Lick a brick, mate,” Duncan murmured back, then smiled at Thomas. “How are you feeling about our most recent decision?” he asked him.

“We shall see when you return,” the boy replied warily, still sounding far too old. “When do you leave for Italy?”

“The day after tomorrow—Sunday,” Duncan informed him. “But we will be back, Thomas.”

Thomas looked up at him hesitantly, still not used to trusting adults. “Then we will talk again when you return,” he replied. “Until then, I am not going to get my sister’s hopes up.”

Duncan nodded, understanding that that was as far as the boy was willing to go. “We’ll talk then,” he said with an affirmative nod.

After messing it up the first time, Duncan was taking Alice on a honeymoon, and he was doing it right. First, they were going to sail to Italy in the finest of ships, and there he planned to spend three weeks with her before taking her to his estate in Greece for four weeks. They would finish their honeymoon with a three-week stay in Paris before taking a rather slow cruise back to England.

The new carriage was another present to Alice, much more luxurious for long travel and very, very private. It was going to take a good week or so to get back to Baxter, and he hoped that the two of them would be naked for most of it.

“Darling, it’s time,” Alice said softly, slipping her hand into his.

Just the slightest feel of her skin against his had his manhood hard and his dark thoughts released, and he smiled wolfishly down at her as he clasped her hand tighter into his.

“Let’s make this quick, shall we?” he asked in a sensual voice only loud enough for her to hear.

Alice nodded her head subtly as a seductive grin spread across her face, and they walked together to the edge of the staircase balcony. Duncan signaled to the band, who immediately ceased their playing. Below, the crowd stopped and turned to look up at them, and he pressed her tighter to his side.

“Dear friends, associates, family,” he began, his eyes raking over the smattering of faces. Some were allies, most social enemies. There was no longer a glimmer of spite in their eyes, but more a grudging respect. Not just for him, but for the woman by his side. “We cannot thank you enough for your attendance this evening. This summer has been a…”

Duncan continued with his speech, speaking of unity and friendship through hard times as Alice stood next to him like the pillar of support that she was. When he finished with the announcement about the fireworks, their guests erupted with applause and shouts of joy, and within minutes, the sea of people below were making their way outside.

“Fireworks!” Camilla said excitedly, clapping her gloved hands together. “Oh, let us go see them, Alice! Quickly, so that we may get a good view of them!”

For a moment, Duncan’s heart faltered as he thought of Alice disappearing outside with the guests instead of upstairs with him, but he should have known better.

“I am afraid the Duke and I must retire for the evening, my sweet,” Alice said lovingly, cupping the girl’s cherubic cheek. “To get ready for our honeymoon. Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow, though? Just us ladies in my chambers?”

“Can Juliet and Helena come?” Camilla asked excitedly.

Duncan let out a breath of relief as Alice laughed affectionately and hugged the young girl to her. “Of course, they can!” she promised. “I shall go speak with Mrs. Fletcher immediately so that invitations can be placed in their rooms. Perhaps we should have a bit of cake as well. Just to be a little naughty.”

She winked and smiled down at the little girl.

If Camilla was sad about Alice not joining her for the fireworks, she certainly did not show it. Duncan watched with happiness as his wife leaned down to kiss the little girl goodnight, and after one more hug, Camilla reached for Thomas’s hand and started yanking him toward the doors.

Duncan was awestruck for a moment as Alice turned to smile at him. Flashes of her holding their own daughter—a miniature version of her, he hoped—filled his mind.

He’d been so afraid of having children. Of having them, loving them, and leaving them in an early death. Or worse, of them leaving him in the same manner. But now, that fear was securely tucked away—perhaps not even in existence anymore—and he wanted a family. A daughter. A son.

Whatever children Alice would give him, he would be happy, because they would be theirs.

“Take me upstairs, my love,” Alice purred, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I hope you are amenable to getting no sleep tonight,” Duncan murmured, cupping her cheek before kissing her lips sweetly. “Because I have many, many plans for you that will no doubt fill this little book you are writing about us.”