Page 85 of His Highland Duchess

“And I have one.”

“That you do,” he agreed. “And where it is a fine start, my feeling is that it is only that. A start, I mean…” He raised an eyebrow at her as if hoping she would pick up what he was saying.

Her heart began to race.Is he…“Lysander, what are ye saying?”

“I think it is time that we try for a child of your own.” He squeezed her hands. “I love you, Margaret. I intend to spend the rest of my life with you. What is more, I want you to behappy.”

“I am happy.”

“I know that, but that does not mean we need to keep things as they are. Aurelia is eleven. Lenora six. And my feeling is they might benefit from another sister… or a brother…” He smiled at the thought. “Whatever happens, a boy or a girl, I want to raise a child with you. That is if…” He sucked through his teeth nervously. “If you wish for the same?”

Margaret was speechless, a rare thing to be sure. This was… it was not at all what she had expected. Truly, she was perfectly happy with the family she had found herself a part of, and if itstayed that way, she would have counted herself as the luckiest woman in all of England. And she was sure to let Lysander know that time and time again. Having said that…

She could not keep the smile from her lips, just as she could not keep her heart from swelling so it might burst. A family of her own… or rather, an addition to the one she already had. Nothing would make her happier.

“Lysander…” Unable to help herself, she took his face and pulled him into a kiss. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes.”

He grinned. “I was hoping you would say that. Just as I was hoping…” He flashed his eyes suggestively, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. “… that you are not so tired from this evening.”

“Oh…” She smiled sheepishly. “Well, now that you mention it, I am feeling rather energized. Such that I might have trouble falling asleep.”

“We best wear you out then,” he said, continuing to grin. “And I can think of one way…”

They laughed together and then made their way down the hall and toward their bedroom. For two months now, life has been the embodiment of happiness and bliss. Love, romance, and plenty of tumbling beneath the sheets, because what was marriage without a little bit of filth? Two months, and if tonight was any indication…things are going to remain this way for some time yet.

Personally, Margaret could not have been gladder for the fact. For her husband. For her two stepdaughters. For the child they were about to make. And, most importantly, for the passion that Lysander brought as if each day he was having her for the first time. That, above all else, was what Margaret coveted most.

The End?