“My love,” a soft deep voice cooed against Lady Louisa’s ear to rouse her from her sleep.
Lady Louisa woke to find herself having drifted off by the gentle rocking of the carriage ride.
“Oh, have I slept long?” the Duchess of Rowland said, raising her head from her husband's shoulder.
“For a bit,” Rowland said while he waited for his new wife to fully awaken. “We are just getting to the docks; I thought you might want to see it.”
“Oh yes,” Louisa said as she leaned over her husband to see the view of the coast out his window. “And we leave tomorrow?” she asked as her eyes scanned the many ships below.
“Yes, provided there is a good tide, the ship will leave in the early afternoon.”
Her eyes furrowed as she concentrated on each ship.
“Are you regretting your decision? I know the Indies are far, but I can assure you that sailing the Mediterranean is quite safe even in the winter.”
Though he had retold her many tales of the warm winds that blew and the exotic animals, Louisa had a hard time imagining it with snow on the ground.
“I was just trying to see which one was ours. I don’t understand how you could possibly tell,” she said happy to soothe her husband’s concerns. “I am not regretting this at all. In fact, I am rather excited to have a warm Christmas. We can stay through the new year?”
“My love, we can stay as long as you wish,” Rowland assured his wife. She smiled, comforted by his words.
“I do want to return when Colton gets home though,” she said more to herself. “His last letter said they plan to sail in the spring. It will be so nice to meet our little nephew.”
“Yes, and Gilchrist estates is less than a half a day’s ride from Bassen Park. We will be quite close neighbors. I expect you will enjoy that since you speak so highly of your brother.”
“I promise you will enjoy it too,” Louisa added as she was distracted by studying the ships again. “Is it that one?” she asked, pointing down.
Rowland looked out his own window.
“That is a military sloop, my love,” he said with a hint of humor as if that point was quite clear. Louisa wrinkled her nose at his teasing words.
“Do you think Uncle James will be alright while we are gone though?” Louisa asked, the concern seeming more real with the ships before her. She had started calling Mr. Vaughan that way the day of her wedding, upon his request.
“He has Jasper and Mary to keep him company,” Rowland replied.
“Yes, I suppose you are right. I guess I am just not used to going out on my own without a patient to tend to or something to do for another.”
“Well,” Rowland said resting his thumb under her little chin and tipping it up ever so slightly. “I am afraid, my love, that on this trip, you will not be allowed to do anything but relax and enjoy it. I plan to treat you as a proper Duchess should be treated.”
“Oh, Rowland,” Louisa said waving off his words, “you don’t have to do any of that. I’m just happy that I can be here with you.”
“Funny,” he said with a wicked gleam to his eyes, “You seemed quite opposed to that when you ran away from me at the ball.”
“Yes, well it's a good thing you didn’t give up on finding me,” she responded, tipping her head up ready for one of his sweet kisses.
He didn’t have to be asked with words. He leaned down and met her lips with his own. Wrapping his arms around her, Rowland pulled her even closer against him in the already tight space of the carriage.
“It’s a good thing,” he said against her lips between kisses, “that you were willing to be caught in the end.”
And he kissed her again, knowing that he would have the rest of his life with Louisa in his arms and yet it would never be enough.