Page 77 of Forever Your Duke
Alexander had declared himself Gertie’s new sponsor.
He had no legal claim to his new relative, but he outranked her father and was putting all of his influence behind Gertie to give her not only as much time as she desired to choose her future husband when she was ready, but also was arranging for the best music tutors in Europe, as well as opportunities for her to perform her pieces professionally.
Gertie was ecstatic at her new fortune, and could not be pried away from the pianoforte even by the bouncing, barking antics of a newly healed, boisterous Max.
Max, for his part, thrilled to be cooed over and played with by hundreds of new friends, both inside the house and out. One of the guests had apparently invented a new game, involving a dozen lords leaping through the rear garden, tossing sticks for Max to fetch.
“What is he going to do tomorrow?” Cynthia asked her soon-to-be husband. “When all of the guests leave?”
Alexander wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “A better question is, what arewegoing to do tomorrow, once all of our guests leave?”
“Rock climbing?” she suggested innocently. “I thought we could toss a rope out of the castle’s topmost tower, and descend the stones from the outside using our fingers. And then,afterbreakfast—”
“Mm, how I wouldloveto risk my neck for no reason at all. Unfortunately, the doctor was very clear, darling. You must rest. Inbed.”
“That was last week,” she reminded him. “My stitches are gone.”
“Try it my way once,” he suggested. “And then if you still prefer to jump out of a tower attached to a rope, I’ll go with you.”
“Excellent parry. I accept your offer of bedchamber adventures.”
“I’ll make certain you don’t regret it.”
They never did return to the castle tower.
