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“Your arm is bleeding again,” she noted, twisting around to examine it.

“To hell with my arm. It is your fault the wound has opened again, and it shall open more than once over the night, I can assure you. You are not leaving this bed.”

Alicia pushed him onto his back, shocking him by climbing on top of him and straddling his torso.

Seth felt an intense rush of desire at the position, particularly when she gave him a commanding glare.

“I will see to your arm,” she said sternly and set about redressing the wound whilst stark naked.

Seth bit his tongue to keep from flipping her onto her back and taking her all over again.

She would not be deterred, however, and it seemed to take an age before she was satisfied.

With the constant press of her body on top of him, he was hard again by the end of her ministrations, the evidence of his desire poking her back as she smirked down at him knowingly.

“I thought you would be uncomfortable or in pain,” she said playfully.

Seth gripped her hips and pushed her slightly down his body. “Iamin pain, Duchess.”

She looked concerned. “Truly?”

“Yes,” he said, taking her hand and pushing it between his thighs. “I have an ache.”

Alicia laughed, and the joy in the sound made him smile.

“Are you sure you do not wish to have your bed to yourself, Your Grace?”

She gasped as he grabbed her hand again.

“I am quite certain,” he murmured. “I am sleeping beside the woman I love tonight.”

Her expression softened, and she stroked his face.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, and Seth captured her lips in a soft kiss.

EPILOGUE

SIX MONTHS LATER

Radcliffe Manor looked glorious beneath a blanket of snow as Alicia made her way carefully down the steps of the terrace and onto the lawn.

The swell of her belly was becoming more obvious by the day, and her whole body felt as if it were on fire most of the time. She barely felt the chill and was even more grateful that she was not plagued by sickness as her sister had been.

She smiled, resting a hand on her bump, feeling a faint kick against it. The baby had been moving more and more lately, and it was a wonderful thing to feel a life growing inside her.

Turning toward the house, Alicia breathed in the crisp winter air as the sun attempted the shine through the canopy of clouds.

She could hear cutlery clinking from inside the house, and she could see the shapes of servants through the doors of the terrace, preparing the drawing room for their guests.

Alicia was looking forward to the grand breakfast they were hosting. She could see the servants carrying trays of bread and pastries to the tables.

She spotted crumpets on one of them and was determined to steal one before the bell rang for breakfast.

It would not be long before the guests arrived, and she watched as bacon, tongue, cold partridge, and a long cheeseboard were carried to the table.

Mrs. Timmons appeared on the terrace, rubbing her upper arms against the cold and waving a hand to her.

“Are you well, Your Grace?” she asked. “Do you need anything? A cup of tea perhaps?”