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Mediterranean Sea, three weeks later

“F en.”

Fenella rolled over in the narrow bunk and grinned sleepily at her husband. “Yes, Bear?”

“I was seeing if you were awake,” he said, leaning in to kiss her as the ship rolled easily beneath them.

“Hmm,” she murmured around the kiss. All her dreams had come true. She had been married to this wonderful man for three weeks, and they were on a ship floating round the Mediterranean, with nothing to do but enjoy the ocean, the ports they stopped at, and each other. It was bliss.

As Bear’s hands travelled over her body arousing her, she recalled the first time they had fully made love, on their wedding night. Despite her attempts to get him to do it earlier, Bear had been adamant about waiting, so she had been in a fever of impatience by the time the wedding night arrived.

And now she knew what he had meant about it getting better with practice. Because while that first time had been magical and wonderful, as they grew to know each other’s bodies better and to know even more of each other’s souls, hearts and minds, it did get better.

Like now, as he moved in her, and they approached the sharing of joy between them; looked into each other’s eyes and let the love flow between them.

“My soul mate,” she whispered.

“My soul, my heart, my spirit,” he murmured back.

17 th of July, 1814, London Gazette

The wedding of Fenella Jocelyn Eden, daughter of Viscount and Lady Eden, to Captain Beroald James Falkland, Duke of Westcott, took place at the Duke of Troubridge’s estate in Leicestershire and was attended by family and close friends of the bride and groom.

The happy couple are said to be cruising the Mediterranean and are not expected back in England before Christmas.

The End