Page 140 of Lady Waldrey’s Gardening Almanac for Cultivating Scandal

“Do you like it?”

“I love it almost as much as I love you.”

He laughed. “Good. I designed it myself.”

“Did you?” Her eyes flew from the ring to meet his. “It’s perfect, James.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.” And he did look pleased—smug, even.

Candace laughed at his expression. “So my brother gave his approval, then?”

“After I bullied him into it, he had to agree. I’m a duke, my dear, and he’s only a marquess.”

She shook her head at his purposeful hubris. “And when are we to be married?”

“As soon as this rain lets up, I should think.”

“And what shall we do until then?”

He gave a impudent grin before lowering his lips to hers and murmuring, “I have an idea.”

CHAPTER 41- CANDACE

From Gardens from Age to Age, A Compendium⁠—

A garden is for the enjoyment of the household and its visitors, and perhaps none enjoys a garden more than a dog. The abundance of smells coupled with the freedom to roam—what could be more pleasant to a loyal hound?

“Wait—Seamus is a dog?” Percy fairly shouted. “You jumped into a lake to save a dog?”

They were sitting at the breakfast table—Candace, Percy, and Adelaide. Vera had been absent the last days, spending more and more time at the baroness’s house. Apparently, Jacqueline had found an injured stoat in the woods that required immense amounts of attention, and Vera was helping her.

“I jumped in to save Arthur,” Candace demurred, sipping calmly from her teacup.

She was well acquainted with her brother’s outbursts. She’d hoped marriage might calm him down a bit, but his wife was apparently too indulgent with his moods.

“Of all the things—a dog?”

“Feel free to ignore him,” Adelaide offered. “I always do—at least when he reaches that particular octave.”

“I daresay I’ve had more experience with that octave than you have,” Candace teased. “In fact, I’m shocked that you’ve had adequate opportunity to become acquainted with it at all. Aren’t honeymoons typically supposed to be happy occasions?”

“My dear husband enjoys a fuss from time to time. The nature of travelling presents so many opportunities for a fuss; one can’t expect him to pass them all by.”

Percy crossed his arms and frowned. “I assume you know I can hear you.”

“Why, there’s the luggage being late, the luggage going missing—though only for a quarter of an hour—then there was the time that the luggage wasn’t properly secured to the carriage...” Adelaide frowned over at him. “Percy, are you really just a nervous porter in disguise? In retrospect, all your concerns seem to center around luggage.”

“My concern revolves around the fact that my sister threw herself into a lake to save a dog.”

“I went in after Arthur. He was the one who went in after Seamus. If you’d like to yell at someone, perhaps you should ask James whether his son is available for a set-down from some man he barely knows.”

Percy snorted.

“Oh, well done.” Adelaide blinked up at him. “Does that mean your sinuses have finally cleared, darling?” She turned to Candace and shook her head, eyes wide. “He’s been so congested since the ship back, I was becoming quite concerned. Not so much for him, but I can’t get an ounce of sleep with all that snoring.”

Candace smiled behind her teacup. It was far easier to enjoy her brother and sister-by-law’s domestic banter now that things were happily settled between her and James.

“I find all these jokes at my expense in poor taste, especially since it’s my birthday.” He turned to Candace. “Though I suppose you’ve forgotten.”