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Cool wind whipped around them, lifting her shawl and exposing her skin to the cold midnight air, but she didn’t seem to notice. She was too engrossed in the vision before her.
“Come inside,” William urged and tugged on her arm.
Victoria followed him, her eyes running over the cobblestone walkway, through the thick oak door, and once they entered, over the glittering walls of the hall, or as much as she could see in the dim light.
“This is our home?” she asked.
William nodded, a grin on his lips, loving the gleam in her eyes.
“Yes. Our new home. I won it in a game of brag some years ago but never truly had a need for it. After we married, I began working on renovating it, hoping to bring you here someday. A palace for my princess.”
She leaned against him, burrowing her face into his coat.
William cleared his throat. “I hope you like it.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears when she looked up at him. “Like it? I love it!”
“I understand that a tour is in order, but since it’s late and you seem tired, perhaps it can wait until tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “I want to see it. As much as I can.”
William laughed and placed his hand on the small of her back. “Very well. Let me get some lanterns for us first.”
Just then, the housekeepers of the place, having noticed their carriage, rushed through the doors. “Monsieur William, welcome home!”
Victoria turned to them with a smile, and they bowed. “Madame.”
“This is my wife, the mistress of this house, Princess Victoria,” William said proudly in French. Then he turned to Victoria. “Monsieur and Madame Laurent are the housekeepers of this place. They live in a cottage on the grounds.”
He quickly gave instructions for them to awaken the servants and prepare them a bath and something to eat. When he finished and the Laurents left, Victoria raised a brow. “We have servants?”
William let out a chuckle. “Even a cook. But they have their separate quarters in an adjacent building and will only come here at designated hours. They won’t be standing over us during meals and won’t crowd the house during the day. Gives us more freedom to…” His hooded eyes fell to her lips. “Explore the house whenever we want.”
She licked her lips. “How thoughtful,” she said, her voice breathless.
William shook his head. “Tour first.” And he led her away with enthusiastic, long strides.
They needed to wash the grime off their bodies from their journey before he could kiss and lick every inch of her. And before that could happen, their baths needed to be ready. So, they had just enough time for a quick tour around the house.
He led her through the soaring rooms—a bedchamber draped in silks, parlors with plush furnishings, and a grand ballroom. But it was the library that stole her breath—floor-to-ceiling shelves, filled with leather-bound books in different languages. Most importantly, a large and cozy armchair by the stone-carved fireplace. She even sat in it for a moment, gauging the comfort level of her favorite new chair.
Finally, he took her to the kitchens. “And of course, we shall have fully stocked larders,” he said, gesturing at the empty pantries. “I shall instruct our servants to get us bread and jam the first thing in the morning.”
Victoria threw herself at him, knocking the wind out of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. William chuckled and held her tightly against him.
“Hopefully, this place is closer to your dream house than the tower we’ve lived in before,” he said.
She gazed deeply into his eyes. “You are my dream, William. As long as I am with you, nothing else matters.”
He chuckled. “I am no dream, dear wife. More of a nightmare.”
“Then this is the nightmare I never wish to wake up from,” she whispered, then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
* * *
Two weeks later…
Or three months since their deal.
