Page 80 of An Innocent Bride for the Duke

“Like Persephone in the Underworld,” suggested Damien with a grin.

“Except that in this case, Pluto will be at Persephone’s side, wherever she is,” clarified Benedict, “and I didn’t steal her away. Louisa is coming with me quite willingly.”

Damien laughed.

“You both got to the right point in the end, I see. Seraphine and I thought you probably would, but Louisa is a such a dreamer and you can be so obtuse. You are perfectly well-suited and she is in love with you.”

“I am in love with Louisa too,” admitted Benedict.

“I didn’t like to say so, but yes, you are…”

At the same moment, they both glanced at a hallway clock that showed the hour to be after three in the morning.

“Go and get some sleep,” Damien told him, clapping his friend on the arm. “I’m wondering what to tell the children in the morning.”

Benedict set his foot on the bottom stair and then turned back to Damien.

“Is Seraphine still with Louisa?” he asked, knowing that the two young ladies had gone upstairs together earlier with Louisa’s maid.

“No,” Damien confirmed levelly, asking no questions about Benedict’s curiosity. “Seraphine is back in our suite.”

“Goodnight, then.”

Walking upstairs, Benedict patted the pocket of his jacket that still held Louisa’s book. Rather than turning off towards his own rooms on the first floor, he continued up to the second floor and took the corridor towards her bedroom.

Smiling to see a faint line of light beneath the door, he knocked very quietly and then turned the handle and stepped inside.

Louisa was sitting up in her bed, her pillows propped at her back, a candle burning on the bedside table, and a book on the bed. Her eyes wide and lips slightly open in surprise, she looked towards Benedict in astonishment and happiness. He put a finger to his lips and then produced the book from his pocket.

“I was bringing this to you earlier tonight,” he whispered, holding it out to her, “before Ashbourne ruined everything. I wanted to give back our old dreams and make some new dreams with you too.”

Louisa’s smile was like sunshine, drawing him to the bed more surely than the gesture of her hand.

“Benedict,” she said very softly as he knelt beside the bed and placed the book beside her hand, noting the bandage now at her wrist. “That wicked man has not ruined our plans, only postponed them for another day or two.”

“Yes, I am too exhausted to be much good to you tonight, in any case,” he laughed. “I promise that I will be in full working order again by our wedding day, however.”

“My brave, good Benedict,” she murmured, stroking his hair and making him wish he could fall asleep right there with his head in her lap on the bed.

Continuing to stroke his hair in response to his sound of appreciation, Louisa picked up her book and gave a little laugh as she found the paper he had tucked into the front.

“What is this? It looks like a poem.”

Smiling, Benedict raised his head.

“I can’t write my own poetry so I hope you will excuse me for borrowing the words of one William Shakespeare, to express my feelings. I copied it out just for you.”

Taking the paper from her, Benedict read aloud to Louisa under his breath, lines so well-known and familiar to both of them that he barely needed to glance down and could appreciate the tender expressions of her face and tears glinting in her eyes.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate…

“It’s beautiful, Benedict,” she whispered when he reached the final line. “Thank you. I shall think of that when I go to sleep and when I wake up.”

Benedict kissed her a gentle goodnight, not wanting to leave but knowing that he should not linger here too long. There would be enough uproar tomorrow without Louisa’s maid finding him asleep on her mistress’s bed.

“Do you know what else I will think about, Benedict?” Louisa then asked him as he reached the door.