Page 22 of Defying the Duke
“Don’t be silly,” Dinah said. “You mentioned the wedding. That makes me happy.”
“I want to spend every day making you happy.”
“We can’t get married every day. It would become a nuisance.”
“I will simply find other ways of pleasing you,” he said. He studied her a moment, then had to swerve to avoid a man who walked in front of them. “I know so little about you. I shall enjoy discovering each and every part of you.”
The memory of his discovering the parts hidden beneath her skirt brought a heat wave over her, and she felt her face blush.
He chuckled. “Yes, I’ll make very sure you enjoy it, too.” He rested one hand on her thigh.
She brushed it away. “People can see.”
“Let them look. They’ll hear the news of our engagement soon enough.”
“I don’t want people seeing what we do together, no matter what they might think they know. Married couples have children, but they don’t let everyone see them procreating.”
Jack grinned. “Fair enough. Will you allow me to hold your hand? No one need know you’re only holding it to keep me from putting it somewhere more pleasurable.”
She offered her hand and had to admit that wearing gloves took away much of the pleasure of that gesture. But she wouldn’t let the opportunity pass to have that bit of affection between them.
Dinah was enjoying Jack’s company far more than she expected, she discovered. Being with him outside of work, where there was nothing she was supposed to be doing instead, made it easy to be happy. When the curricle was forced to slow due to traffic, she suddenly wasn’t worried about what others thought of her. The traffic meant she had more time with Jack, which was all that mattered.
“You’ve grown quiet,” Jack commented.
“I’m merely taking in all I see and hear around me.”
“Describe it to me.”
“Well, the trees up ahead are swaying gently in the breeze. I don’t hear birds, just occasional laughter from people strolling on the path over there. Your horse prances now and then as if he’d rather be running. And none of the men in those other conveyances is one-third as handsome as the man sitting beside me.”
Jack gave her a side glance. “One-third?”
“Yes, give or take.” She grinned, and happiness swelled inside her. “Or maybe one-quarter.”
Oh, how she liked this man. What a whirlwind of events had happened in just a few months, in the past few weeks, to be honest, to bring her to the ride in the park with the Duke of Abingdon.
Her Duke of Abingdon.
Jack squeezed her hand. “I’m one lucky man.”
She smiled up at him, believing that one day soon she might agree he was lucky to have her as his bride. For now, knowing how much luck was on her side was enough.
CHAPTER 11
They married by special license in St. George’s with only the Dukes of Dainsfield and Nomansland attending in addition to Grandmama and Chrissy. That was more than enough for Dinah, and the wedding breakfast in Jack’s town house gave her nerves time to calm just a bit before being alone with her husband.
Her husband. The words sounded even more unlikely than her being the Duchess of Abingdon.
Soon enough, Dainsfield left, and Nomansland took Grandmama and Chrissy to the little town house Jack had leased for them, and Dinah and Jack were alone.
“Come here,” Jack said, and he swept her into his arms as they stood on the marble floor at the foot of the staircase.
“Is there something you desire, Your Grace?” She smiled up at him.
“No more of that your grace nonsense. I told you before, call me Jack.”
“Not husband?”