Clara woke up in her husband's arms the next morning, feeling content and just a little tired.

After all, they hadn't even tried to sleep last night.

She giggled, unable to fight the bubble of joy forming in her.

She took in his dark, soft hair poking in different directions thanks to her. His unfairly long lashes rested on his cheeks. He looked so young because it seemed like with him, the cynic in him also slept.

Her husband stirred, his warm arms tightening around her and pulling her closer to him before he pried his eyes open and squinted.

"Good morning, Duke." She said, a touch too breathlessly for her taste.

"Good morning, Duchess," he murmured, trying to fight the smile pulling on his lips.

He puckered his lips and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for her to kiss him. He looked so silly, Clara laughed as he obliged him. But before she could pull back, the kiss turned into something else.

The Duke and Duchess did not go down for breakfast or luncheon that day.

The next day.

Leo was walking around his town house whistling, looking for his wife.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd whistled. Clara did this to him, he realised, a reluctant smile touching his face.

He was smiling a lot more too.

She made him so happy and the last two days had been amazing. He couldn't get enough of her, enough of her innate passion. His blood heated just at the thought of her and he swore at his lack of control. It was a good thing he was finding her anyway.

But Isabelle intercepted him in the hallway.

"Grandpa is here to see you, Leo," she said, skipping past him.

Grandpa? She must be referring to the Earl, he thought happily and made his way to the sitting room.

"I had not expected you to behave so callously with my daughter, Duke," the Earl said by a way of greeting.

Before Leo could say anything, he spoke again, "I had every intention to dragging Clara away from here but my wife stopped me. While I'm happy that Clara's happy, make sure you don't repeat this again," he finished gruffly.

"I apologise, my Lord. But I love her and I'll make sure I remind her of that everyday."

The Earl just nodded.

"What brings you here? Not that you're not welcome here anytime."

"It has reached my ears that Clara is that infamous and scandalous Christen Florey, the novelist. Well, if I had to be honest, I already knew Clara was up to something and I'd often find her with her fingers covered in ink. And I don't really have an issue with this, I always knew that my daughter was special. But I would've preferred to hear this from her mouth. Then again, no point crying over spilt milk. While it does not bother me in the least that Clara has been writing books where she's made fun of almost every single member of the ton, the others seem to mind. I am quite concerned about the impact this would have on Isabelle. I don't want the reputation of my granddaughter to be tarnished because of Clara's thoughtless actions."

Leo was gaping. He never gaped.

"So what do you suggest we do?" The Earl prompted, his bushy brows rising up.

Leo cleared his throat, "I think the best course of action would be to host a ball and announce it ourselves rather than hiding."

"I agree with you. So I shall schedule the ball for next week, we have to send out a lot of invitations after all."

On the day of the ball.

Leo, Clara and Isabelle were lazing around that evening in their respective chaises in the Chinese parlour,one of the many rooms in the Duke's townhouse in London.

Isabelle had taken a liking to the ornate furniture, oriental colours and all the dragon figurines scattered there. Clara had asked Clifford, the butler here to alert them when it was time for them to get ready for tonight's ball. The Earl had kept a ball for their welcome and had given them the perfect opportunity to shut all the gossipmongers up. Clara was extremely nervous.

She had heard that most of her peers were most displeased with her.

Leonard had suggested that they tell the truth to everyone because he didn't think she had anything to be ashamed of. He'd said that the right man wouldn't let such a trifling thing keep him from marrying Isabelle. Although Clara agreed, she did think they should try their best to avoid a scandal.

Clara was dressed in an off-shouldered cranberry coloured gown. The corset she wore today made her breasts overflow from her gown. She felt so very exposed, so she requested her maid, Rosalie to get her the sapphire gown which was much more respectable and didn't make her breasts look like overripe melons. But her French maid refused.

"You are a married woman now, your grace. It won't do for you to dress like an aged spinster. We must showcase your assets." she said sternly.

Clara sighed.

But she had to say, melony breasts aside, she did look splendid. Rosalie had done an amazing job with her hair as well and had pinned it up with ruby studded clips. She'd applied light rouge to her cheeks and lips. The entire effect made her look less like a married woman and more like a sultry courtesan.

Then Leo knocked and strode in before she could answer just because he could. He looked at her, stopped short and Clara beamed. Then he turned and stared at Rosalie so she quietly left the room.

Clara rolled her eyes at his arrogance but forgot to reprimand him when he opened a box to show a beautiful ruby necklace.

"I was hoping that this necklace would add to your radiant beauty. But now I wonder if it will even be noticed amid your splendour," Leo said sheepishly.

"Oh stuff it and put it around my neck," she said and he laughed.

The moment he'd seen Clara dressed like a princess, he'd felt his throat close up. She made him want to slay dragons and climb towers just so she'd bestow her beautiful smile on him. It was in times like this that he felt like pulling her into his arms and telling her how much he loved her. Hell who was he kidding? He felt like telling her all the time. He felt like telling her when they got up every morning when her hair would be all tangled, eyes puffy.

She was his and he hated it when other men even looked her way.

And with her amazing assets on display like that, he didn't think she'd have any shortage of men panting after her. It wasn't just her outer beauty that held him captive, it was her innate niceness and her dry wit. In the time that they'd been married, he'd discovered depths in her that he'd never found in any other person. He was looking forward to learn more of her beautiful mind.

"Aren't you going to put it around me neck?" She asked, still fascinated with the piece. He chuckled and went to put in on. He inhaled her fragrance and looked in the mirror to find her staring into his eyes intently. In that moment, it felt like she could read every single thought in his mind, as if they were one person. He felt naked and exposed, so he looked down and concentrated on fixing the clasp correctly.

"Thank you." She murmured. "How did you get it to match my gown?" she asked.

"Very simple, I asked my valet to ask your maid what you were wearing today," he shrugged. She turned around in his arms and stood on her toes to kiss him.

It was such a sweet kiss, he felt his eyes burning, it felt like she was pouring all her love into the kiss. He pulled back and kissed her forehead instead and tucked her under his chin so she couldn't see the moisture in his eyes. What was wrong with him, he felt like a delicate daisy instead of the rutting bull he usually felt like when he was around her. He didn't know what to say.

Then,"is Isabelle asleep?"

"Yes, it took us a lot of time to put her to sleep because she wanted to come to the ball with me." Clara said.

"Then how did you finally get her to sleep?" He asked.

"Very simple, you're taking her shopping tomorrow" she smiled up at him mischievously.

"Oh lord, not shopping!" he moaned.

"You'll come too, right?" He asked, expectantly.

"Of course, I can't let you choose Belle's clothes." she said cheekily. He playfully swatted her rump and she squeaked. He laughed at her reaction and tried pulling her to him.

"My Lord, I think it will be wise to leave now if we have to reach the ball on time." she said in a mock severe tone and resisted.

"Oh well, lets!" Leo resigned himself to not being able to make love to his wife.