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“Come here.” William waved her over, and she scooted over to him so that she leaned against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

At that moment, she felt safe, protected, and loved.

William planted a kiss on the crown of his wife’s head as she lay on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her protectively.

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen, Eveline,” he whispered.

She squeezed his hand in response.

At that moment, William wanted nothing more than to protect her from the cruelty of the ton.

His heart had broken for her when she recounted her experience. How he wished he had been there for her all those years ago to remind her that she was, in fact, beautiful.

“Eveline, I wish we had met earlier,” he murmured.

The only response he got was a soft snore.

He chuckled as he planted another kiss on the crown of her head.

More than anything, hearing what she had gone through made him realize that he was not the only one who had been dealt a bad hand.

Not only had Eveline grown up without her mother, but she also had to endure bullying.

William felt his heart clench as he remembered how people had treated him whenever he felt brave enough to show his face after his return from the war. And this was all because half of his face was scarred.

He had resorted to staying only in his estate. He could not, therefore, imagine how hard it was for Eveline, who had been shamed for her body.

At least, he could cover his face with a mask. What could Eveline possibly do about her body?

She must have been incredibly brave to leave her father’s house and attend social events. He knew if he had been in her shoes, he would have locked himself away forever.

“Eveline, not only are you the most beautiful woman I know, but you are also the bravest and the smartest.”

His wife surprised him every day with not just her ingenuity, but also her resilience. A lesser woman would have refused to show her face in the ton after being so ridiculed.

He glanced at her face to find the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Even though this position was becoming rather uncomfortable for him, he did not want to let her go. He did not want the smile on her face to disappear. After all, she seemed to be so comfortable.

Grudgingly, he slowly slid his arm from underneath her head and replaced it with a pillow. He was relieved to see that she was still soundly asleep.

Afterward, he picked her up gingerly and took her back to her room. Once there, he laid her on her bed.

He stayed for a moment, watching as she turned, sighed, and then snored gently with a contented smile on her face.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Goodnight, beautiful,” he whispered before he left her chamber.

CHAPTER 18

“This is the perfect dress for promenading,” Eveline declared, positively ecstatic.

“You are right, Your Grace,” Gracie responded with equal excitement. “You shall certainly be the talk of the town if you wear this feather in your hair.”

“You think so?” Eveline was doubtful.

This was her first promenading since she got married, and as much as she wanted to impress, she was also afraid that she might be overdressed.