Page 79 of Regency in Color

“Oh my God,” she shouted to be heard over the wind. “It’s incredible.”

“I told you,” Stephen murmured, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. “Now you know how it feels to fly.”

“The night’s perfect for it!” Mr. Cunningham called out, still operating his levers and such. “Relax and enjoy the ride, Your Graces.”

“Ah, I almost forgot,” Stephen said, moving away from Thalia and crouching to retrieve something.

Thalia smiled as she recognized a silver ice bucket, a bottle of uncorked champagne nestled inside. Stephen produced two flutes, giving them to Thalia so he could pour. The bubbling wine filled both glasses, and Stephen left the bottle inside the bucket and retrieve his drink from Thalia.

Raising his glass, he gave her a look filled with naked devotion. “To my beautiful duchess … the pride of my heart. And to many years of happiness … and children. I’m thinking there will be at least six.”

Thalia held her glass back before Stephen could complete the toast. “Six?”

Stephen gave a sheepish smile. “It seemed appropriate.”

“Hmph,” she snorted. “Says the man who will not have to carry and birth them.”

“If you were to produce twins it would cut down on the number of pregnancies.”

“Stephen Alexander Warwick Conrad Dryden!”

He groaned. “I’m going to strangle Mother for teaching you all of my names.”

Thalia wrinkled her nose at them. “I would have read it off the church register when you signed it, anyway. Six children, Stephen? Isn’t it … a bit much?”

He raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged. “We are a duke and duchess. Nothing is ever—”

“Too much,” Thalia finished for him. “So I’ve been told.”

“Fine,” Stephen relented. “Four children.”

“Three.”

“Done,” he agreed. “Unless, of course … the twins, you know…”

She slapped playfully at his chest, which prompted Stephen to take advantage of her proximity by grabbing her waist and pulling her closer. He held his glass up.

“You don’t have to give me a thing to make me happy. You’ve already made me the happiest man in the world.”

Thalia touched her glass to his. “Still … six is a nice even number.”

A wicked grin overtook Stephen’s face, then he took a long pull of his champagne. “Then Mr. Cunningham had better land this thing right now or turn his back and cover his ears. I’m ready to begin.”

Muffling the hysterical laughter coming from Thalia’s throat, Stephen then swooped in and consumed her lips in a fiery kiss.