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“I wanted to see it,” Rose said firmly. “And Sampson said I could stay.”

“I did not say you could stay,” Sampson laughed. “We agreed to a walk around the room and then straight upstairs. You’d better head that way now. You’ve gotten to see a bit of it.”

Rose pouted, but Sampson could tell that she was only putting it on for fun. She giggled as she turned and ran off toward the door.

“She seems full of life,” Oliver said with a smile. “Quite the little character.”

“She’s the soul of the house,” Sampson agreed. “There’s nothing like a child.”

“I never thought I would hear you say such a thing,” Oliver mused. “And so finally I meet the real Duchess of Mortridge,” he added, turning to Amanda. “I know you by reputation, of course.”

“Is that so?” She grinned. “Tell me, what is my reputation?”

“Oh, never fear, it’s all good things.” He smiled. “You thought I was going to bring up that wedding scandal, I’ll bet.”

“You just have brought it up,” Sampson pointed out. “If you’re going to question her about things like that, Oliver, you’re perfectly welcome to move on. Nobody wants to talk about things that have been gossiped to death at this point.”

“Oh, no, I quite agree,” Oliver said. “I don’t want to talk about those dreadful boring affairs either, especially when the stories veer so far from the truth.”

“Do they?” Amanda asked. “I confess I haven’t kept up with what’s being said.”

“Well, who could possibly blame you for that?” Oliver asked. “The stories vary as widely from one another as they do from the truth. I’ve heard talk that you were involved in a secret romance for years, before Sampson here even left for the war, which, of course, makes no sense at all. And I’ve also heard that there is no care or compassion at all between you, that you married for mutual advantage and that you rarely speak to one another except when it suits your purposes to do so in public.”

“Well, that isn’t true,” Amanda said.

“No need to tell me.” He grinned at her. “I’ve known all along that my friend here was in love with you. It may have taken him some time to realize the nature of his feelings, but I knew at once, just by the change in his demeanor. He was more alert, more nervous than ever before, when I saw him after your marriage. I challenged him to admit it then, but he couldn’t seem to do so. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’ve finally accepted the truth of your feelings, Sampson. I know you’ll be much happier for it.”

“All right.” Sampson waved his friend away. “Amanda, I believe I hear the musicians starting to play, and in spite of what he says, Oliver seems to have little interest in anything other than gossip. Will you do me the honor of a dance?” He held out his arm.

She beamed and took it. “I would be delighted.”

The dance floor was fairly empty as of yet. People were still arriving, still making their way from the foyer into the ballroom. But there were a few couples who had already made it here, and Sampson and Amanda joined them.

“Everything’s turned out just perfectly,” Amanda said, smiling fondly at the scene around her. “This is exactly what I imagined when we started making the plans for this night. It all looks beautiful, and already so many people are here.”

“I’m sorry I let Rose in,” he told her, chagrined. “I know that wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Oh, no, there’s no reason to apologize,” she assured him. “I would have done the same thing. I think it’s sweet that she’s taking an interest in these matters at all. And it won’t be very long before she is old enough to attend balls of her own, so I’m glad she got a peek. She’ll have a better idea of what to expect when the day does come.” She pursed her lips. “My father certainly never thought that far in advance when it came to me.”

“Do you think he thought in advance at all?” Sampson asked. “Did he have a plan for your life?”

“I can’t say for certain, but if he did, I’m sure it couldn’t have measured up to the life I’ve ended up living,” she said. “That’s part of the reason I didn’t want to invite him here tonight. I stand by what I said when you asked me, when we were making up the invitations…perhaps he can attend future events. I don’t mean to omit him from my life forever. But right now, while happiness is still so new, I don’t want to hear what he has to say about it. I don’t want to invite his thoughts on our love into our lives. We have everything we want, and his opinion could only sour it.”

“Do we have everything we want?” he asked her, his heart rate accelerating a bit at the mere thought of the question he was about to ask. It had been on his mind quite a lot lately. And even though he had resigned himself to whatever her answer was—even though he would be happy no matter how she answered—there was a preference in his mind. There was something he wanted to hear.

“Do you want something more?” she asked him. “I have all I could want. A beautiful home with a husband who I love more than I ever thought possible. Safety and comfort for Rose. I wouldn’t dare to dream of more than this.”

“But I want you to dream,” he told her quietly. “I want your life to be full of everything you could wish for. So I want you to imagine your wildest hopes and fantasies, no matter what they might be, and tell them to me so that I can make them come true.”

She looked at him for a long moment without speaking, though their shared dance carried them through several turns. “You’re thinking of something specific,” she said at last. “I know that face you make. That look in your eye. There’s something on your mind. You should tell me what it is.”

“You do know me too well.”

“I don’t know you well enough,” she counters. “Not yet. But I have all the time in the world, and I intend to start now. Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“All right.” Sampson smiled. He was helpless in her hands. “I was thinking about that conversation we had once, long ago, about the possibility of having children. Do you think Rose might like a brother or sister?”

Amanda sucked in a breath. “Is that really something you want?”