He glanced at her to find her already watching him, amusement and tenderness in her gray gaze. “Well?” she asked.
“I’ll consider it,” he said.
Amelia squealed in excitement. “That meansyes!”
Christiana’s smile widened, and the affection in his chest reached a breaking point. The moment they were home, he would show her precisely how much she meant to him. And then, God willing, he would proceed to show her for the remainder of his life.
Relief surged throughChristiana as they finally arrived home. In her quieter moments, a small part of her still recalled her father’s words, but they had lost their power. Hugh had made sure of that.
Her father might never have cared for her, but Hugh did.
She would never learn the truth, and itdidn’t matter.
She was who she was, and nothing would change that. Nor did she want it to change; for Hugh, she might have wished herself to be prettier, but he liked her just the way she was, so she would learn to love herself too. What reason was there to mourn her beginnings if they had resulted in this ending?
“Elkins,” Hugh said as soon as they entered the house. “What is the meaning of letting Lady Amelia leave the house in my pursuit?”
Elkins bowed. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I had—”
“It was entirely my fault,” Amelia said at once. Christiana had no doubt this was the truth. “If he had not let me go with a footman and maid accompanying me, I would have gone alone, and so I told them all. Elkins knows me well enough to know I was telling the truth, and he wanted to ensure I survived the journey.”
Hugh harrumphed in good-natured frustration. “The sooner you marry and are someone else’s problem, the better.”
“I have many plans for my Season,” Amelia said, eyes gleaming. “You will have to worry about nothing.”
“That, I very much doubt,” Hugh said.
Amelia stuck her nose in the air and stalked away. Christiana smiled at Elkins, who still looked a trifle nervous. “You did everything right, don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” he said, offering her a bow.
She was the duchess. Coming back to this house, she felt like it.
Mrs. Quince hurried to greet them. “I’m glad you’re back, Your Graces. Your rooms are all prepared, and I’ll tell Mrs. Gibbs to get a start on with dinner. We’ll eat slightly later to give you time to change.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Quince.” Hugh took Christiana’s hand. “Shall we go upstairs?”
“Now?”
“Well, we ought to change before dinner.” His eyes flared with want, and the sight of it made her near dizzy. “Would you allow me the honor of accompanying me upstairs, Your Grace?”
“If it pleases you, My Lord Duke.”
He flicked the tip of her nose, almost dislodging her glasses, and led her upstairs. Once again, he wasn’t wearing his gloves, and she wondered if he noticed he was holding her hand with his burned one.
Reminding him how to love himself would be a challenge, but she knew she could make it happen.
The moment they reached the dressing room, he shut the door and pressed her against it. His palms rested against the wood on either side of her face.
“Look at me, Chris.” He waited until she met his gaze before saying, “Do you want me to accompany you to London with Amelia when the time comes?”
Her breath caught, but she managed a smile. “Has she terrified you into needing to oversee her behavior?”
“Do you?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “If I had my way—Hugh, if I had my way, we would be together always.”
He nodded, as though her answer had settled something in his head. “Then it’s settled.”