Page 88 of A Necessary Wife

“I do love Chatham,” Amelia promised. “We have many dreams to make come true for each other.”

“Of course, you love my son. You are a woman of sense and good taste,” he said, shocking her with unexpected praise. “I do apologize for my initial unkind reception to the news of your marriage. As I hoped, he stuck by his decision, though I admit to being vexed with him for taking so long to admit he cared about you. He should have said he felt something much sooner than this. Your marriage will be good for him.”

She gaped at the duke. “I hope so, Your Grace.”

“Excellent. Take care of each other and my grandchildren, and come back to visit when you have time to spare and a few more offspring to show me.”

“We will,” she promised.

The duke inclined his head and backed away.

When they were alone again in the garden, Milo raised her chin until their eyes met. “Darling, could I suggest you use my given name on every possible occasion from now on. Even in front of my father. He does hate formality in the family.”

A soft smile tugged at her lips. “Yes, Milo.”

“Amelia, my love,” he sighed, brushing his fingers across her cheek.

“Milo,” she whispered, and then after a moment added, “darling,” watching for his reaction.

“Dearest Amelia,” he replied. “I love you more than words can say.”

She rose up on her toes so that her lips grazed his ear as her grip around his neck firmed. “Can this be real? Do you really love me?”

“I swear it’s true, and it always will be.” Milo wrapped his arms about her, then on second thought, swept her up into his arms. Amelia barely held on to her posy of flowers as he twirled her about until she became dizzy.

He kept hold of her as he headed toward the manor. “Milo, what are you doing? I can walk.”

“I am correcting another mistake I made. I neglected to carry my bride over the threshold, and I don’t believe anyone will miss us for a while, or if they do, Father will explain.”

Milo carried her back inside the manor, up to their bedchamber, seemingly ready to prove she was indeed loved.

When her feet touched the floor, Milo did not release her immediately. He kissed her and only let go long enough to set her flowers aside. They stripped each other bare, and she could barely contain her anticipation as they crawled onto the bed together, laughing and kissing each other everywhere.

Marriage and Milo were everything she needed in life, and she would never take this second chance for granted. Milo had made her believe in love, and she’d never forget again.

EPILOGUE

Milo lifted up his young son from the nursery floor and tickled the wriggling toddler under the arms. “Where is your mama, my boy?”

“Mama is in the garden, of course,” Lucy told him, tickling her baby brother, too, and giggling with him. She took him from Milo and handed him to a waiting nursemaid. “It’s past time for your breakfast, Papa.”

“Of course. We had better fetch Mama and sit down together,” he said, knowing exactly where to find her.

Amelia had organized everyone, and Lucy had finally found her place in their growing family as her second in command. She was now the happiest he’d ever seen her. Amelia’s constancy and patient mothering had been exactly what the girl needed to thrive. “Shall we find her together?”

Lucy beamed. “I’d like that.”

Amelia spent a good part of every day tending her projects alone, though. When the weather was good, she was always outdoors, and when the weather was bad, she carried an umbrella, though rarely held it over her head. The estate had flourished in the last few years under her constant care and attention, and the house and grounds had never looked more lovely or welcoming.

He led his daughter down the stairs and along to the new garden bed Amelia was planting out. He admired the view of her derriere even as exasperation filled him.

At eight months pregnant, she ought not to be down on her knees planting bulbs and whatnot for the spring to come.

But he knew better than to do more than hint she should rest. Amelia had her own ideas of what she was capable of when it came to her physicality. For example, she loved nothing more than to ride him into exhaustion in their bed. Unlike his previous wife, who, once she became pregnant with first Lucy and then Adam, had denied Milo any pleasure in their marriage.

That was not Amelia’s way.

Amelia was not selfish or cold or ever distant. She craved him close and never neglected their children.