“And I you,” Madeline said, her tone gentle as she squeezed Amelia in return. “But I promise, I am more than happy with my decision.”
Amelia nibbled on her lower lip as they eyed the stacked trunks around them. The larger stack was Amelia’s—her trousseau had been waiting quite a while for this move, but she did not imagine her mother or her father had imagined these trunks would be headed to Italy when they were finally removed from this house.
“Are you certain?” Madeline asked.
Amelia nodded quickly and without hesitation. “Oh, yes. Very much so.”
Madeline gave her an indulgent smile. “Even after a year, you look as though you might swoon at the mere thought of your husband.”
Amelia pretended to be offended, when in fact she knew quite well that her cousin only spoke the truth. “In my defense, he has only been my husband for a fortnight.”
Madeline laughed with a shake of her head. She’d thought their prolonged engagement to be the height of silliness, whereas Amelia saw Royce’s determined quest to woo her properly for what it was—a romantic gesture from the kindest, most loving suitor a girl could ever ask for. Now she shrugged. “It was not my fault he insisted on courting me all season.”
Madeline grinned. “Oh no, it was quite obvious how much you detested being swooned over for all the ton to see.”
Amelia was smiling at the memory as well. It was true. After years of being mocked, she had thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle Royce had put on for all of society. He had not just come back to the ton, he had rejoined society with all the charm and grace befitting a young, handsome duke. She still felt a jolt of joy at the memory of how green with envy her peers had been when he’d returned and fallen hopelessly in love with the lady he was to wed.
Oh yes, she had certainly enjoyed each and every waltz this past season, not merely because of the jealous whispers, but because they gave her the delightful pleasure of being held in the arms of her heart’s true love. A man just as romantic as she.
So romantic, that when she requested that they spend their honeymoon traveling the continent, visiting all the places he’d gone without her, he was eager to oblige. “I cannot wait to see the world,” she said now with a happy sigh. She squeezed her friend’s hand. “My only regret is that you will not come with me. You do know that Royce would love to have your company as much as I—”
“Not this again,” Madeline said with a good-natured groan. “I promise you, when Lady Charmian asked if I would be willing to work at her new school for young ladies, I felt…” The normally placid lady lit up with an excitement that Amelia well understood. “I felt as though perhaps I have found a path for myself. A place where I might belong and help others and—”
“You are too good, cousin,” Amelia interrupted, embracing her friend once more. “And I am too selfish, I suppose.”
“Who is selfish?” Royce’s indignant voice behind them had both ladies spinning to face him.
“I am,” Amelia said resolutely. “I hate to lose my very best friend.”
“You shall not be losing anyone,” Madeline reminded her. “I will be here—” They all cast a quick look around the nearly barren drawing room. “Well, I shall be close by, at least.”
“A school of charm,” Royce mused. “I can think of no one better to head such an undertaking.”
Madeline’s smile grew at the praise. “Thank you, Your Grace. And I can think of no one I would rather take my place at Amelia’s side than you.”
He tipped his head in acknowledgment as Amelia sniffled, trying to fight the tears that she knew would come with this goodbye. “But are you certain?”
Madeline squeezed her hands, not deigning to answer the question Amelia had posed no less than twenty times this morning alone. “We shall be together soon, my dear. Of that I have no doubt.”
Amelia nodded and squeezed her friend’s hands in return as Royce wrapped a supportive arm around her. They both watched Madeline walk away to say her goodbyes to the servants, though her move would only be to a new part of London where she would reside at the new school that the Earl of Charmian had obtained for his wife, and which would now be overseen by Madeline.
Royce leaned down slightly to drop a kiss on the top of Amelia’s head. “And now it is my turn, love.”
She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Your turn?”
“To make sure that you are certain…” He gestured to the trunks ready to be loaded. “We do not need to flee London for my sake. You know that, do you not? I meant it when I said that I no longer fear my duties or my past.” He stroked her cheek gently. “So long as you are at my side, I am home.”
She smiled up at her beloved new husband. “I know that, Royce. But I meant it when I said that just because we are married, and just because we have duties and obligations, that does not mean we have to follow in anyone’s footsteps but our own. You may be a duke, but you can still forge your own path.”
His eyes were filled with such warmth she could feel his love to her very core as he held her tight. “Our path,” he reminded her.
“That is right, our path.”
“These days I cannot imagine anything better than a comfortable life with you, at our home in England, surrounded by our friends and…” He dropped his gaze to her belly. “Hopefully surrounded by our family.”
She bit her lip with excitement at all that was to come—the family, the home, the love. Going up on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his as tears of joy threatened to spill. “When we return, we shall make ourselves a home here,” she promised. “And we will create our own family and make new memories.”
She vowed to herself right then and there that she would ensure that their home was excised of any bad memories they might hold for her dear husband. They’d fill it with laughter and romance and unconditional love.
He lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “I can hardly wait.” Tipping his head down, he rested his forehead against hers. “And I promise to never let my fears overwhelm me again. You can rely on me, my love. I will never run away again…not from you. Never from you.”
“I know,” she said with a happy sigh. Their romantic whirlwind year of courtship and wooing had done more than just make her peers jealous. It had built a solid foundation of trust and loyalty. She had no doubts about him, or their future.
He pulled back slightly, his hands gripping hers. “Are you ready for the first step of our grand new adventure, my love?”
Joy rushed through her, leaving her dizzy. “I can hardly wait.”
* * *
Thank you for reading Charming the Runaway Duke! If you enjoyed it, reviews are greatly appreciated. Be sure to sign up for Maggie Dallen’s newsletter for a FREE sweet regency romance: http://eepurl.com/dgUNif
Want to read more about Lady Amelia, Madeline, and their friends? The Earl of Tolston will find love next in The Misadventures of Miss Adelaide, the first full-length sweet regency romance in Maggie Dallen’s new School of Charm series:
Miss Adelaide is down on her luck and on the run when she finally collapses at Evercliff Manor. Perhaps it's exhaustion that has her spilling her secrets to the kind doctor tending to her—or maybe it's his warm, compelling eyes. Then again, maybe it's just another case of sheer bad luck.
It turns out the kindly doctor who now knows her deepest, darkest secrets is not really a doctor at all. He's an earl. Worse, he's her employer. And he's decided that Adelaide will be his next project. With his assistance, and the help of her newfound friends at the Lovelace School of Charm, Miss Adelaide might just land on her feet. If only she doesn't lose her heart...
If you missed the story of how the idea for the school began, be sure to check out The Earl of Charm.
ends
Charming the Runaway Duke Page 9