Derek and I sat in the middle of his study, cross-legged and staring at each other. He was finally going to tell me everything. My devilishly handsome husband had undone is cravat and waistcoat, leaving them hanging open. His white dress shirt was rumpled as were his trousers. His shoes were long gone and he still looked as handsome as ever. Derek ran his hands through his rumpled hair once again as he chose his words carefully.

"Jack Peddleton was a British soldier. He went to school with me, as well as a friend of ours. The three of us went to war together. Jack and Colin were just a year older than me. Colin was still a bachelor then, but Jack had been married only a few months, like us. His wife and brother-in-law joined us on the journey over. Everything was going so well, until one night. My men had gotten drunk on their liberties. They set fire to a number of American houses, and on accident, one building reserved for the British Ambassadors and innocent Englishmen.

"Jack blamed me for his wife's death. In part, it was my fault. I did not have to be at the meeting, but I did anyways. Jack joined the Americans shortly afterward, having a distant relative vouch for him. He aided them in the war, our version of their Benedict Arnold." Derek said a dark joke. "Before the war, your father was heavily indebted to Jack's father. Upon his death, just months after the war ended, Jack became sole proprietor of his father's funds and estate. He sold his childhood home to an American businessman who has made it into a hotel. He held your father to the one thousand pounds that are owed to him. He did propose an alternative to Clancy's problems, your marriage to Jack Peddleton as a substitute to money. Jack knew of our arrangement, I had confessed it to him in a stupid drunken night on the ship over to America. I regret ever telling him. I had a portrait of you; your father gave it to me just before I left. You were fifteen and I was eighteen. You were breath-taking then too.

"Jack wanted you because I had you. Jack had this belief in mind that he had to do one better than me in school, and continued that into the Army. When I became a Lieutenant General while he stayed at a General, he needed a way to be one better that I. He wrote to your father and asked for your hand, when Clancy explained to him that you were unavailable, Jack decided the next best thing would be revenge."

Derek grabbed my legs and pulled me closer to him and pressed his warm lips to my forehead. "Jack does not want to see me happy because he cannot be happy. His plan is to take everyone, everything that I love. And he wants to start with you, lady wife. If he believes that I am madly in love with you, he will kill you in the most horrifying way possible to hurt me. He has many spies, my love, watching us to see if I love you. I even heard a rumor he is back in the country.

"I cannot risk losing you, my love. Not when I believe I am acquiring feelings for you." Derek said in a hushed tone. "I must make it look like I hate you, resent you for being my wife. But I do not; I could never hate you, Imogen Goddard."

Derek admitted he had feelings for me. What kind of feeling? Why is he being so cryptic? I want him to tell me in plain terms. I crawled onto his lap and tied my ankles behind his back. Derek stiffened for a moment before snaking his arms around my waist. "Are you upset with me? I understand if you are."

"Derek Allen Goddard, I am not mad at you. In fact, I am gracious that ye would tell me everything." I told him in a soft voice. "I believe that aye husband an' wife should be honest with each other. I remember as a young child my parents would stay up, late into the night, talking about the day an' being open with each other. I am not sayin' that I want the exact same relationship as my parents did, but I want us to have an open one. No more hiding anything' from each other." Derek smiled warmly as he pressed his mouth against mine, quickly though.

"From now on, that is our relationship; open." Derek confirmed. "Can we just sit here an' talk for a while." I asked softly. Derek nodded and shifted so we lay on the floor. I was on his chest while Derek lay on the carpeted floor.

"What is your middle name, Imogen?" Derek asked, pushing back a stray lock of hair.

"Elise." I murmured, "After me Great Aunt."

"How many children do ye want, Derek?" I asked, making small circles on his chest.

"Mm, five," Derek said. "I enjoy large families, I really do, but to have one of my own, I do not think I could handle so many. I want beautiful daughters that have your hair and strong sons that have your personality. I want brilliant children with you, Imogen."

"I-I don’t think I'm ready for a babby yet." I admitted. "I'm only eighteen. I am not ready to be nursing' a babby just yet. I want to experience married life with you, Derek." Derek grinned cheekily as he captured my lips with his.

"Good because I do not want to share you yet." Derek mumbled against my lips. He kissed me again, this time rolling us over so he was on top of me. Kissing Derek is like Christmas and my birthday all wrapped up together. His soft, pink lips caressed mine gently as his forearms bracketed my head. How can one man make me feel this way?

"I believe I am falling in love with you, Imogen." Derek whispered as he drew his head back. My breath hitched and my heartbeat quickened.

"Ye-Ye do?" I whispered back.

"I do." He confirmed. I pulled his head down and gave him a peck on the lips.

"I think I'm falling' in love with you too." I admitted. Derek smiled and pecked my nose.

"I think that it is time for us to retire." Derek said, scooping me up into his arms. I giggled as he blew out the candles and carried me bridal style to our room.

"I can walk, Derek." I told him, although I did not mind this at all.

"Don't be silly. You are a princess in my eyes; you must be treated as one." Derek said.

"Do not let Princess Amelia hear ye!" I giggled. "They could take et as treason!"

"Nonsense, my love, Princess Amelia is a distant cousin. We met once." Derek said. "She told me that if her parents and all her siblings die, there are still fifteen people ahead of us for the throne. But I do not desire to become King. I am perfectly happy here with you." As we reached our door, Derek nudged open the door with his foot and strode over to our bed.

"That is wonderful to hear 'cause I don’t think I'm ready to become a Duchess." I said as he laid me on the bed.

"You won't have much time to adjust to the idea, love. My father will most likely make it to New Year’s." Derek said sadly. I watched Derek as he shed his cravat, waistcoat and dress shirt. He crawled into bed next to me and wrapped me up in his arms. "How did you handle losing your father?" Derek asked me.

"Not well." I whispered, pressing my face into his neck. "My mum sent a letter a week before his death. It didn' arrive till two days after 'is death. I was working' in Scotland as aye Governess. I told 'em that they needed to find aye new Governess. I took me two days to get home. I'd missed the funeral. They had to burry 'im. His body smelled so much." Derek cupped the back of my head as I hiccupped a sob. "I never said good-bye to 'im." Derek held me as I cried into his neck. This was the first time I really cried about my Da. When I arrived home after the funeral, Mum was a wreck and Johnny was trying to do the best he could. I took over and I could not mourn my father properly. I never had the chance.

"How—how did ye handle loosing your mum?" I whispered after I stopped crying. Derek kissed my head softly as he thought back four years.

"Not well either." He admitted. "I had just enlisted into the Army. I had finished school and came home that same day. I knew my mum was pregnant, I did not know that she was giving birth. Father was not home at the time. Off doing business in London or something, I had come home just as she delivered Edna. Lillian's older sister, Katrina, came out of the room in a panic. She said that my mum wanted me in the room. So I obliged. I held her hand as she bled out. The Mid-Wife could not save my mother or the third baby. She was too old to give birth to multiples."

Now it was my turn to hold my significant other. Although he did not cry, I knew it hurt to talk about his mother. And now he will lose his father.

"Tomorrow, we will decorate the tree, as a family." Derek whispered in my ear. I nodded as I fell asleep.

*

*

*

"Derek!" I giggled as my husband chased Edna and me around the sitting room. He flashed me a grin before speeding up.

"Barney, Cade, corner them!" He commanded. I scooped up Edna and ran behind the settee.

"Imp." Edna giggled, clutching my neck. "They’re going to catch us!"

"Not yet." I whispered to her. "I promise."

Today, no one was dressed in fine clothing. No satin or silk. Just cotton, plain clothes, it was a beautiful change for once. Everyone looked more relaxed, including my dearest Bambi. On the outside, she tries to be so much like here sister, outgoing and charming. But in reality, that is not the case. Bambi is self-conscience and quiet. When the time comes for her first season, her brother will most likely have to flaunt her dowry. Although I know that she and my brother will have no need for her dowry. He cares for her just as much as she cares for him.

"We caught you!" Derek whispered in my ear as he pulled the two of us to his chest. He kissed Edna's head before setting her down. The three children joined their three other siblings in decorating the ginormous tree. "You look beautiful, Imogen." Derek told me.

"An' yore handsome, my husband. I do not understand how you look... so devilishly handsome in plain clothes." I whispered, "But enough 'bout that. Are ye enjoyin' a day away from your stuffy study?" Derek smiled and looked to his family around the tree.

"I could not be happier, my love. Thank you." He said, kissing my lips gently. Mr. Williams cleared his voice from behind us, forcing Derek to pull away from me.

"Excuse me, your Grace's. Derek, there is someone here for you. He is waiting in your study."