Page 37 of Ruined By the Northern Duke

“No. No, I am merely… soaked.”

There came that sound again, a playful little giggle that stopped short when she clapped her other hand over her mouth.

“How dreadful,” she said in a muffled voice.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Do you find this amusing?”

“Would it be so awful if I did?” she asked innocently.

“It would be rather childish behavior,” he thought it best to point out.

Somehow, that was what convinced Verity to put her hands down so she could flash him a smile. “That’s a bold comment, coming from someone who enjoyed an afternoon picnic not two hours ago.”

“It wasn’t my idea.”

“And yet you joined us. I suppose today is filled with childish behavior. Perhaps when we leave this carriage, we might go stomping in puddles, shall we?”

“I’ll purchase you a toy boat to float down the river so long as you do not splash me,” he sighed, not particularly pleased by company hell-bent on teasing him. It reminded him of his friends but in a different manner.

Verity threw her head back and laughed. The merry sound tumbled past her lips with ease, her eyes bright and her lips turned upward. She was the human depiction of what he thought the Queen of the Fairies might be like: playful and beautiful.

He swallowed hard, trying to look away.

“I would love to have a toy boat, I must say. Bribery works too well,” Verity murmured after letting out a sigh.

She shifted, tugging at a blanket she’d been partially sitting on. The maid moved as well. Instead of wrapping the blanket around herself, however, she leaned toward him.

“Here you are; it’ll warm you up.”

She attempted to wrap the blanket around his shoulders, and he flinched when her hand touched his cheek. How warm she was.

“I am not a child.”

“Then don’t act like one,” she said with a simple smile.

She sat back, and suddenly everything felt too cold. He grudgingly pulled the blanket around him tighter, wondering what it would have been like to allow that intimacy.

“Are we still bound for London tonight? It feels as though we are slowing down.”

Welcoming the change of topic, Tristan answered, “We’re not going any further than we can. The storm could carry on all night, and I will not risk anyone’s life, including those of the horses. We’ll spend the night at a nearby hotel.”

“I didn’t think hotels were appropriate for ladies?” Curiosity had her looking out the window again.

“The good ones are, and you’re married.”

“Duchesses can do anything they like?”

He hardly hesitated. “Yes, so long as they don’t take toy boats into the Serpentine.”

Warmth spread through him as Verity gave him a knowing smile. Something about this felt more than an argument. There was light teasing and nothing serious to it. He wondered if he had misjudged her along the way. But there was little time to sit and ponder as they pulled up to the hotel.

Setting the small victory of making his wife smile and laugh all in one day aside, Tristan went on to put their evening to rights.Their carriage rolled to a stop under a wide awning, allowing him to climb out without getting more soaked.

He missed the blanket immediately. To his surprise, Verity didn’t stay behind and instead grabbed his arm so they entered together. She was warm, keeping him from shivering, though she couldn’t possibly know it.

When he pulled her a little closer, she didn’t seem to mind.

The staff tripped over themselves, offering their finest suite of three rooms for their party. Verity thanked everyone before they finally made it to their rooms.