Page 28 of The Duke’s Sworn Spinster (A Duel and a Wedding #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

“ W hat is that smell?” Lydia’s eyes flickered open, and she looked around.

The first thing she saw was a great roaring fire; the second was a very hairy man with familiar amber eyes and an ashen face.

“You’re awake.” Archer’s voice was rough, as though he had been shouting for several hours. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“Archer? What happened?” She felt him press a gentle hand against her shoulder, making her sink back into the bed. With a start, she realized she was in his bed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a bowl of steaming soup.

“You gave me quite the scare.” Archer looked at her as though he could not quite believe what he was seeing. “You have been… unconscious for three days.”

“Three days?” Lydia choked. “Iris. Is she okay? Where is she? Is she safe?”

“Calm down. Iris is fine.” Archer made soothing motions with his hands. “A little bruised—apparently you are rather strong when you have a mind to be.” His smile did not quite reach his eyes. “You got her to safety.”

“That is good.” Lydia leaned back, the roar of the fire soothing her.

“This is all my fault.” Archer’s voice was so raw that Lydia almost did not recognize it.

“What do you mean?” She perched herself onto her elbows.

“You should rest—” Archer began, but she arched an eyebrow at him.

“Archer, I want to know what you mean. If you need me to rest, then help prop me up with pillows.”

Archer nodded and did as she suggested.

“You were the one who pulled me from the river, weren’t you?” The arms that she had thought were death’s. They had been Archer’s. Her heart beat a little faster.

He nodded.

“Why?” Lydia asked.

“Are you seriously asking me that?” His eyes widened. “Even if I did not love you, there is no way I would have not tried to save you.”

Lydia blinked. “What did you just say?”

The little skin not obscured by Archer’s beard turned a delicate shade of pink, and he cleared his throat. “I love you, Lydia. I should have said it that night. I should have told you a thousand times or more. I should have never let you go.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” Lydia’s voice was cool.

“I was an idiot.” Archer hung his head.

“And a fool,” she added.

“And a complete and utter ass.” His eyes met hers, searching but not expectant.

Could you love an ass? Lydia kept her face as neutral as she could manage.

“You broke my heart, Archer,” she said, and he winced.

“I know. And I will spend the rest of my life regretting it,” Archer began, but Lydia did not let him finish.

“You said I was not worth it—” Her voice broke, and to her shame, a tear rolled down her cheek. “Do you know how it feels to tell someone you love them and have them say something like that to you?”

“Lydia, if I could steal the sun and turn back time I would. I would prostate myself before you and whip myself bloody. I would do anything you asked to prove just how sorry I was.” He took a steadying breath. “But even if you do not forgive me, I need you to listen to me now.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I do not wish for you to carry a wound that is not yours. When I said it was not worth it, I did not mean that you were unworthy—far from it.” He took her hand gently in his, his eyes holding her in place like magnets.

“I meant that I was. I was not worth your love. I did not think I could be trusted with such a gift. I thought, no, I was terrified of being my father, or at least that is what I told myself, but in truth, my greatest fear was that I would become my mother.”

Lydia thumped him on his arm. “You great, lumbering oaf. How could you think that? How could you think so little of yourself? How could you think so little of me ?”

“Of you?” He blinked.

“Yes. If you say you are so unworthy of me, then what does that say of me? It says that you think I am stupid, that I am incapable of knowing a good thing when I see it.” She scowled at him.

“What? No!” He leapt to his feet.

“That is what it sounds like to me.”

“Well, that is not what I meant. Of course, you know your own mind. I know that you are one of the cleverest, most wonderful, beautiful, loyal, and utterly marvelous people I know.” He let out a huff. “Only a fool would think he could convince you of something you did not wish to believe.”

“Well, we have established you are a fool,” she teased. “And stubborn too.”

“And that.”

“So how can you think I would not recognize a viper if I saw one.” Lydia smiled at Archer. “You with your manly bravado and posturing—did you forget that I have seen you with your sisters? That I know that beneath that bear-like exterior lurks a complete teddy bear.”

“You make me sound soft.” A hint of spark returned to Archer’s eyes, and Lydia’s heart responded in kind. “I assure you, Duchess, I am nothing of the sort.”

“That is the Archer I know.” She squeezed his hand, but the wall around her heart would not let go. “How am I supposed to trust you? I gave you so many chances to keep me with you that night, and you just let me leave. What is different?”

“I know that I cannot live without you.” He met her gaze, and a thrill ran through her.

“This house without you in it is nothing more than an empty husk. My life without you is shades of grey. You are the colour in my world, Lydia. You are the wind in my sails. You are the first rays of summer sun. I do not expect you to forgive me, not after what I have done, but would you at least come home?”

Lydia leaned back, a thoughtful expression on her face. Archer looked at her, his back straight but not defiant. “Our family misses you.”

“Are you asking me back for them? Or for you?” Lydia asked.

“Both.” Archer let out a shaky breath. “But if I am honest, they are the smallest part of it. I want you back for me. I want you, all of you. I want to honor the vows I made to you on our wedding day. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and being loved by you.”

Lydia swallowed. “I will come home, but I have one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Kiss me.” Her eyes sparkled.

“As you wish.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth, gentle at first but more passionate as time went on.

She lost herself in the kiss, feeling his touch shatter the last wall around her heart. She flung her arms around his neck, and he scooped her into his arms, not breaking their kiss for even a moment.

When they finally broke apart, his eyes glittered. “I love you, Lydia.”

“I love you too, Archer.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead and then gave him a wicked look. “Though, I think I have just found my second condition.”

“That was not part of the bargain.” Archer frowned, but Lydia could just see the quirk of his smile beneath his bushy beard.

“You said you would do anything.” She grinned. “I do not want separate bedrooms; your bed is plenty big enough for both of us.”

Archer’s voice was low and husky. “I think that can be arranged.”

“And for my final, request.” She tugged gently on his beard. “Get rid of this. It is truly horrid.”

“Consider it done, Your Grace.” And laughing wildly, he swept her into his arms and spun her around.