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“Come, wife.” He smiled. “We’ve put on a good show for the woodland creatures. Let’s head home before they decide to invite us for dinner.”

She laughed and then fell into step with him, talking as they made their way back to the castle.

When he bid her a good rest of the day with a soft kiss on her lips, Arabella knew she was going to have a difficult time saying goodbye to him.

* * *

Edward smiled, walking down the corridor after seeing Arabella safely to her room. It was no small feat leaving her at the door and not going in to finish what they’d started.

“Someone looks happy,” he heard a familiar say once he stepped into his study.

“Joana.” He smiled at his ward. “It’s been an age since I saw you.”

“Yes, it has.” Joana smiled. “You’ve been enjoying marital bliss, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

He settled in his seat, arranging the papers on his desk.

“I thank you then for your consideration,” he teased. His answer apparently shocked her, for he asked, “What is it?”

“You finally have a sense of humor.” She smiled. “Marriage becomes you.”

“You say it like I didn’t have a sense of humor before.”

“You didn’t.” She laughed. “You always walked around like you had a stick up your arse.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve pulled it out, then.”

They shared a laugh, and he resumed his work, not bothered by her presence in his study.

“I really am happy for you, Your Grace,” Joana said after a long minute.

He smiled up at her as she curtsied and left the room.

He was grateful for the silence, as it let him think back to his day with Arabella.

She was indeed much braver than him by admitting her struggle with keeping up their charade. But once again, he was grateful for her strength.

If she weren’t right though, he would have thought her a very good match.

ChapterThirteen

“You’re always arguing with Eddie. That’s why you keep having headaches,” Emily scolded as she poured Arabella a cup of chamomile tea.

It wasn’t a lie, Arabella thought as she sipped her tea.

Ever since she and Edward had decided to put on a show in front of his family, they’d bickered nonstop, earning themselves concerned looks and advice over the last few days.

“He just gets on my nerves,” she complained. “How could he think I’d like to go and see a Shakespearean play after I’d told him several times that I don’t like Shakespeare?”

Lies!

She absolutely adored the play, as she adored Shakespeare, but they didn’t need to know that.

“But you stayed for the whole play,” the Dowager Duchess pointed out.

“I didn’t want him to feel bad about wasting the ticket money,” Arabella argued.

The women rolled their eyes.