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“I was thinking we could spend a few days here in the city,” he suggested. “Or a week or two. See your sisters married, then head to Marigold Manor. What do you think?”
“I hadn’t thought about it much,” she told him. “In fact, it has not even yet been a full day for me to process the potential or reality of us being married.”
“I suppose we have plenty of time for that then.”
“But I would agree. I’d like to stay for my sisters’ weddings. Assuming that their fiancé’s still want to go through with it, with everything that has happened.”
“I would reckon that they would be keener to marry, now,” Michael argued. “With a duchess as a sister-in-law.”
She laughed, caught off guard. “I had not even remembered that I would be a duchess by marrying you.”
“You had better get used to it,” he told her.
She looked back up to his face, catching his wry smile. “I suppose you must get used to wanting to be married.”
He laughed, too. “You may be right. However, the past day has completely changed my outlook on everything. I am happy that the situation forced me to do what I knew I wanted all along. Even still, to learn what we learned last night, I feel much more relieved.”
“That Lionel is your father?”
“Yes, knowing that I am his son, and not the late duke’s son, makes me feel as though I am not destined to end up a violent and angry man.”
“I do not think you ever would have,” Lydia countered. “You have always been a kind man, regardless of who your father may or may not have been.”
“Yes, but it makes a difference to me, and why I made the vow that I did,” he mused. “I suppose it will take some time for me to understand the new perspective I have, get to know my uncle as my father.”
“I suppose it will take some time to process what Joseph did to you as well.”
“And you!” he added. “If I had known how he propositioned you, I do not know what I would have done.”
“But to have your best friend betray you so -”
“That will take some time for me to understand,” Michael said, shaking his head. “I still cannot believe how long he had this planned, convincing me to never marry, to have me meet an untimely end, so he could become duke.”
“I wonder what will become of Kitty now,” Lydia wondered. “I feel as though she was spurred along by her want of power and connection.”
“Could be.”
He squeezed her close. “Unfortunately, I think I must get up, relieve myself, perhaps call for some supper. Are you hungry?”
“Should we go down to dine with our families?” Lydia asked. “Or do we have an excuse to dine in private?”
“I think we can take this time for ourselves,” Michael said, rolling her over onto her back. He kissed her deeply again. “We have all the rest of our lives to entertain our families.”
She pushed him away from her. “I’m famished.”
“Fine,” he sighed, kissing her again before he retreated from the bed.
As he called for supper, Lydia took a moment for herself. When they returned to the bed, she laid back, comfortable to be completely naked in front of him. He crawled back over her, kissing her mouth, neck, then breasts.
“How do you feel? Tired, sore at all?” he asked her.
“At the moment, quite well,” she answered, drawing him down on top of her again. She kissed him deeply again.
“I think, perhaps,” he whispered, falling to the side of her in the bed. “I would like to have children.”
“You would?” she asked, surprised. “I thought we would discuss it, eventually. I did not think so soon.”
“I imagine you would like to,” he explained. “I never allowed myself to think about it. But I always felt jealous about those who did. I think I’ve always wanted it and part of my resentment toward my father was that I thought he denied me something I would have wanted.”
