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“I am delighted to hear it again,” she said, grinning lazily. “Oh, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but speaking of love, in your very own household…”

“Are you referring to Peter Tinn and Mrs. Trench’s secret courtship? Yes, I’m aware.” Edward chuckled, shaking his head. “They think they’re very subtle, but they’re not.”

She grinned wider. “I think I’d be happy to see another wedding in our house. What do you think?”

“I think I agree, my dear Duchess.”

EPILOGUE

Two Weeks Later

Peter Tinn was, quite naturally, the referee.

“Ready… set…” he began, teasing the finalgo.

Daphne bit back a smile, throwing a wry look at her husband. Edward was grinning from ear to ear, shaking his head.

It was a fine day and a warm one. A perfect day for riding, really.

Or, more specifically, the perfect day for arace.

The route had been marked out from the edge of the house all the way to the tree line, where Mrs. Trench stood to make note of the winner. She’d even strung a strip of ribbon to mark the finish line.

As Daphne watched, she saw Mrs. Trench cast a fond, admiring glance at Peter, who flushed red when he caught it.

Grinning, Daphne caught Edward’s eye, and a meaningful look passed between them.

“You two aren’tconcentrating!” Alex piped up in irritation. “This is very serious.”

“I beg your pardon, my boy.” Edward laughed. “I should have known that a horse race is not a thing to be taken lightly.”

Alex narrowed his eyes, sure that he was being mocked but not quite able to work it out. “No, it certainly isn’t. I’m going to win, though. I’m sure of it. Daffie said I was remarkably fast.”

“I did say that,” Daphne agreed, biting back a smile.

The hue and cry over the notorious Duke and Duchess of Thornbridge had not died down. The scandal sheets still mentioned them in every issue, and their ‘odd’ behavior at Mrs. Whitmore’s ball had been discussed and dissected in almost every corner of the city. Mrs. Whitmore herself was demurely silent, as was the Duke and Duchess of Langdon, Octavia, and Emily.

It didn’t bother Daphne. After all, that was London, and they were notinLondon.

They had only spent a few days in London after their renegotiated wedding night. Octavia and Emily had both cried over Daphne’s departure.

“It’s as if I’m leaving home for the first time,” Daphne had remarked to Edward, snuggled up against him in the back of the carriage.

“In a way, you are,” he responded, kissing the top of her head.

She shed a few tears, of course, but nothing excessive. It was normal to miss a happy home, of course, but she had one ahead of her, just waiting to be discovered.

Alex was thrilled to see her again, and Daphne knew at once that she’d made the right decision. For more reasons than one.

She met Edward’s eyes over Alex’s head, which was bent down over the horse’s neck, fixed seriously on the route ahead.

Let him win,she mouthed.

Edward grinned, rolling his eyes.

I’ll try,he mouthed back.

You absolute…she began but was cut off by Peter Tinn.