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E dward insisted on serving as valet to Jonas as he readied himself for his wedding, which was to take place an hour from now at the church.

“Gad, stop fussing over me,” Jonas grumbled.

His brother, his younger brother, was treating him like a child who had yet to learn how to button a shirt or tie a cravat.

“I have been managing fine on my own for all my adult life.”

“I beg to differ,” Edward said, straightening Jonas’s cravat, which was already perfect just as he’d fashioned it. “You almost made a royal mess of it. If not for your mother and sibling coming to your rescue, you—”

“Hah! My rescue? You brought that plague of locusts down on me at Christmastide.”

“Only you would consider ton diamonds a pestilence. Have you opened my letter yet? The one I handed over to you when I first arrived?”

Jonas arched an eyebrow. “No, dare I open it now?”

Edward nodded. “Yes, it is time. Go ahead and read it.”

Jonas strode to his bureau and opened the top drawer where he had stuck the letter and forgotten about it. He now opened the missive to find nothing but one name written in it. Ailis Temple. “What’s this?”

“The name of your blushing bride, of course.”

Jonas stared at the parchment, then cast Edward a dubious glance. “How could you know this before ever having met her?”

“Quite simple, actually. I was so certain of your choice that I wrote her into the betting book at White’s. I am going to make a killing on my wager. No one else would ever have guessed her name.”

“Or that I would ever marry,” Jonas replied. “Edward, stop having me on. How could you possibly know about Ailis before you left London? I did not even know my feelings for her until recently.”

“Mrs. Fitch and Grimes have been corresponding with our mother.”

“And they told her I was going to marry Ailis? That was quite prescient of them, since I only announced my intention to marry a few days ago, and you were already here.”

“They did not have to tell our mother anything. She knew it at once. She’s quite smart for a duchess.”

Jonas laughed. “I know. She has been outsmarting me for years. But seriously, how could either of you possibly know?”

“Several years back, she asked Mrs. Fitch and Grimes to report to her whenever you smiled.”

“Me? Smile? When did I ever do that?”

“Never, and isn’t that precisely the point?

Mother did not mean to be underhanded, but she was truly worried not only for your physical recovery but for your happiness, as well.

Imagine her surprise when Ailis Temple’s name began appearing in these letters.

In fact, hers was the only name they ever mentioned.

Miss Temple met with the duke today. The duke smiled. Quite remarkable, I think.”

“Still does not make sense,” Jonas muttered. “Why would she descend on me with Viola, Willa, and the Tenney sisters if she knew I liked Ailis? Did she think because I smiled for the vicar’s niece that I would smile for these diamonds?”

Edward gave a mock shudder. “You are awfully dense for an intelligent man. Even our sisters caught on immediately to our mother’s scheme.

Don’t you get it? She purposely selected these young doves because she knew they were superficial and awful, and would have you running for cover straight to Ailis.

She needed to do something to prod you into action. ”

Jonas frowned. “She manipulated me.”

“Quite cleverly, too, I might add. Although, had we known Ailis was injured and already cozily nestled here with you, we might have scrapped the plan and just come out here by ourselves. By the way, Aggie and Jessie send their love, and regret they could not be here to watch our matchmaking scheme play out. But each had to be with their husband’s family this Christmas.

Rest assured, we are all going to descend on you next year—unruly nephews and nieces, too. ”

Jonas ought to have been angry, but he did love his family and it was time to stop putting them all off.

“Knowing Ailis, she will probably love having the Langford horde visit us for the holidays, sticky hands, dirty faces, and all. She’ll start the holiday planning as soon as we exchange vows, which is happening in less than an hour.

Come on, Edward. Stop dawdling and let’s get going. Do you think Mother is ready yet?”

Edward laughed. “She has been ready since the day you were born.”

They marched downstairs together, met their mother in the entry hall, and then rode to the vicarage in the ducal carriage. “Edward told me what you did,” Jonas remarked, tossing her a stern glance.

She tipped her chin up. “How could I pass up the opportunity once your friends opened that betting book? I knew before I had ever met Ailis that she needed to be your wife. But I do apologize if I was a little heavy-handed in the manner in which I went about it.”

“A little heavy-handed?” Jonas laughed. “You were as subtle as Thor’s hammer slamming down upon me.”

“Can you blame me?” She gave an indignant huff.

“Yes,” he shot back. “But all right. Apology accepted. What are your plans for Edward? Or are those to be kept secret, too?”

She cast him a smug smile. “I am certainly not going to tell you, Ramsdale. You’ll protect your brother as you always do. Just worry about your own wife and do your best to keep her smiling. She has the prettiest smile, don’t you think?”

“I have always thought so. Ah, here we are,” Jonas said as the carriage drew up in front of the vicarage. “We have drawn a crowd,” he muttered as they strode in and he recognized many of the villagers packed in the church. “I don’t see Ailis.”

“Do you think she ran off?” Edward teased.

“You are such a dolt,” Jonas said with a laugh. “I cannot wait for your turn to come around.”

He was about to say more, but the breath caught in his throat when Ailis and her uncle walked through a small door behind the altar and took their places.

She looked so pretty.

And she would soon be his.

Her uncle was officiating, which could not have been more perfect and meaningful for Ailis, who was all about sentiment.

Jonas noticed she was not cradling her arm in a sling. This was of concern to him, but he would not remark on it, since this was her day and she wanted to look like a bride, not an injured patient walking out of an infirmary.

Whispers of approval echoed off the stone archways and wood rafters as he strode down the aisle to join her at the altar. He stood beside her and would remain protectively by her side throughout the day to make certain no one accidentally bumped into her sore shoulder.

She was still a wounded dove.

His dove to now love and protect.

She looked strikingly beautiful in a gown of ivory silk, a simple circlet of pearls threaded in her golden hair.

“Ready to marry me, Temple?” he asked with a grin.

“Hmm, still thinking about it, Your Grace,” she teased. “But since I am here already, and you seem to be in desperate need of a wife…”

He chuckled. “Desperate, am I?”

“Well, perhaps I am the one who loves you desperately,” she remarked.

Once the ceremony began, their jesting came to an end, and everyone in the chapel hushed.

Jonas took hold of Ailis’s hand and held it throughout, not caring whether it was customary or not.

Theirs was a bond of love, and he meant to deliver that message to all who were with them today.

Ailis would be his duchess from this day forward, and he would not tolerate any disrespect toward her.

Not that he expected any resistance from the villagers, who adored her and already considered her their angel. It was no leap to now consider her as his duchess, too.

When it came time for the exchange of vows, Jonas did so without hesitation. It felt liberating to commit to this partner he adored and could trust with all his heart. He could tell by Ailis’s expression that she was thinking the same, for her voice also rang clear as she said, “I do.”

Although it was not the custom to end a wedding ceremony with a kiss, Jonas was never one to conform.

“First kiss as husband and wife,” he whispered, and closed his mouth over hers.

Their wedding kiss was the last moment he had alone with Ailis until much later that evening, when the celebrations finally came to an end.

He led her upstairs to his bedchamber, eager to spend the night with his new bride.

She seemed at ease with the arrangement of sharing his bed, no doubt feeling comfortable because she had spent so much time in it already. “Would you prefer a lady’s maid to assist you?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I am almost as stubbornly independent as you. We’ll manage just fine on our own tonight. Will you help me unlace my gown? Do you need my help in undressing?”

“No, love.” He cleared his throat. “Ailis, I do not think you need to see—”

“Let me stop you right there,” she said, putting a finger to his lips.

“Here’s my promise to you. If you undress, then I undress.

If you keep your clothes on, even a stitch, then I shall keep mine on, too.

It is your choice. Do we keep our bodies hidden?

Or are we going to be sensible about this and bare all? ”

“Your body is beautiful, but mine is—”

She stopped him again. “I am the one who will be looking at you. If I have a problem with your body, I shall let you know. And you know I will tell you, because I do not have the sense to keep my mouth shut or keep my opinions to myself.”

He laughed. “All right, Miss Temple of Virtue. You win—clothes come off. Time to dismantle your prim walls.”

And his own prison walls.

“Long past time for every wall to come down,” she muttered. “I’ll be thirty soon and still a virgin.”

“Well, I’ll be taking care of that tonight,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on her neck as he came up behind her and helped her to undress.

He needed to be gentle, for her shoulder was delicate and not nearly healed. This was another concern he had, the need to be achingly gentle while claiming her.