Page 78 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

Jo nodded again, lowering her paper slightly, pressing it to her chest instead of her mouth. It was evident that their first contract had been written by two strangers needing a plan to guide them into this uncharted territory. This second list was written by someone who knew her, who wanted her, who envisioned spending the rest of his life by her side. The thought almost made Jo cry again, but she gulped heavily. She wanted to hear what Robert said.

“’The couple will have as many children as the duchess would like. The duke and duchess will raise the children together and both will have a say in important decisions regarding them. All boys will attend Eton from the age of twelve.’” Robert raised his eyebrows in question as he finished reading.

“You… you can write a minimum of five,” Jo said hoarsely. “Provided that my health is not at risk. I have grown rather fond of the idea of a large brood.”

Robert’s beaming smile drew one from her as well. She bit her lip as she contemplated whether to tell him, then thought that he had already told her he loved her and that nothing she said could scare him away. When Robert looked down to correct the third clause of the contract, she decided to plunge in while his eyes were not on her.

“When we met in London and talked about having children – I had this idea of us – and the children, on the beach here in Lymington. We had found a fossilized sea urchin and all of them were gathered around me as I explained to them how this thing that seemed like a stone had once been a living being…” Jo trailed off as she could not gauge the expression on Robert’s face.

“Where was I?” he asked her hoarsely.

“Standing behind them with the baby on the arm watching with an amused and fond expression,” she told him earnestly.

“Jo,” Robert breathed and Jo steeled herself for him to tease her or say something foolish. His eyes searched her face with confused devotion before he leaned forward and kissed her softly. “I would like nothing more.”

He rested his forehead against hers.

“In my vision, we are in the sitting room in Riddlesmarsh Hall. I have the youngest on my knee and the rest of them are piled together around you while you are reading to them.”

“Oh,” Jo exclaimed softly. She could vividly see the lovely situation he had just conjured. “You just thought of it or…”

“No,” Robert said as he raised his head to look into her eyes. “When we met in the garden. This is what I imagined. It was so vivid that it played a large part in why I agreed to marry you. I wanted that to come true and somehow, I felt certain it would if I married you.”

Jo gulped, then gulped again, but was unable to speak. She squeezed his hand as she quickly dried her eyes with the sleeve of her dress, her other hand still clutching the paper.

Robert seemed to sense that she needed a moment.

“I should like a dog as well. Or three in fact,” he told her.

“Oh, well, sure,” Jo muttered, the surprise evident in her voice.

“You don’t like dogs?”

“I have never had a dog. But you can have as many as you like. There is no need to put that in the contract.”

Robert offered her a small smile, before he looked at the paper and continued reading:

“’The duke and duchess will display a united public front and help each other in their respective public pursuits. They will share a bedroom, eat dinner together every night, and never go to bed angry. The duke will respect when the duchess needs time to be alone and gather her thoughts – and the duchess will respect that the duke is not perfect but is only ever acting with her best interests in mind.’”

Jo chuckled watery as she nodded, once again drying her eyes.

“’The duke and duchess will always be honest with each other and no infidelity will be tolerated in the union. The duke will always love the duchess –‘”

“And the duchess will always love him,” Jo interrupted in a hoarse voice and watched as Robert added it to his list, before he continued reading: “‘But will also know that every couple fights and that there are times when they need to be apart or to work harder to maintain their relationship.’”

Jo was nodding before he had finished. Then launched herself at him, embracing him fiercely. Robert held her tightly and she enjoyed feeling his body pressed against hers. Not in a sexual way, but in a way that said that they belonged together and would be able to figure everything out.

Robert gently released his arms and nudged her to sit upright again.

“I would like you to sign it,” he told her earnestly and handed her the pen.

Jo tentatively took it and signed her name at the bottom, Josephine, Duchess of Riddlesmarsh, before she handed it back to him. She watched as Robert with a practiced movement signed his name beneath hers: Robert Montgomery, Duke of Riddlesmarsh.

Robert carefully placed the paper on the tea table and let the pen hold it open as they waited for it to dry.

“May I hear your contract?” he asked as he turned to her.

Jo’s nervousness was back immediately. Her heart pounded once more as she slowly released it from her clutch and handed it to him.