Ignorant of her thoughts, Alex tucked a stray hair behind Eddie’s ear. She glared at him and he chuckled.“No, thank you?” He teased.Eddie bit her lip and looked past him. The room was perfect, something she had never known she wanted until she saw it. She could see it becoming her favorite place.“Thank you,” she whispered.Alex’s bright smile caused Eddie’s heart to do a little flip. It was unadulterated joy. He was happy and proud of his gift, his eyes sparkling.Was this genuine? Did he really want to please her?He ducked close and kissed Eddie on the cheek, “Your welcome.” He whispered in her ear before pulling away, his blue eyes twinkling.“I do have to work today, so you’ll have to spend the rest of the day by yourself. I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep yourself entertained,” he smirked.“If you need anything just call for a mai

Alex had laid a thick picnic blanket on the ground and spread out different snacks and bite-sized hordoeurves. He was pouring some sort of champagne when she wandered up. He was smiling but as soon as he looked up at her, his expression dropped. “Stop!” Eddie stopped in her tracks, “What? Was it?” “I took my eyes off of you for one second and you’re covered in dirt!” “Dirt?” Eddied looked herself over and blushed. Crouching near the creek had gotten mud all over her shoes and a little on the bottom of the skirts. Alex put down the champagne glass and shuffled over to her, “Don’t step on the blanket. Here put your hand on my shoulder and take off your shoes.” She leaned against and slipped out of her shoes. Putting one stocking on the blanket and following with the other. “Much better, here you can sit here.” Alex handed her a champagne glass and sat down unnecessarily close to her. She attempted to lean away, a little o

Lily’s surprise visit surprised everyone except Eddie. The two had never been apart for more than a week since their academy days. The fact that she resisted storming over to the Claiborne estate for more than two weeks was a praiseworthy accomplishment.The servants scrambled to prepare the tea room, and the poor cooks rushed to prepare tea and snacks. Luckily, Eddie was easy to find. A maid informed her of the visit and Eddie dragged herself out of her secret study, as she was now fondly calling her reading nook.Eddie was delighted to see her friend. She needed advice. Ever since their picnic, Alex had become insatiable. He would find her multiple times throughout the day and kiss her senseless. More often than not, they didn’t stop at kissing. There wasn’t a single space in her secret study that escaped their charades. In the wingback chair, in front of the fireplace, right in front of the window, Alex took her wherever he pleased. Not that Eddie

She had never experienced this kind of affection with Johannes. He avoided her in public and any time they met in secret, he went straight to kissing or sex, typical of a teenage boy.When she thought about Alex treating his past lovers the same way he treated her, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. Jealousy was a new emotion for her. She had never been jealous of anybody, nobles, schoolmates, friends. She had never felt jealousy towards Johannes’s behavior when they were together.When she imagined Alex with someone else though, she felt extremely jealous and possessive. She didn’t know why, but she did not want to be treated the same way as his past lovers. She wanted to be special. Maybe they had gotten married like most everyone else, for political reasons, but she was growing extremely fond of him. She didn’t want him to take other lovers as other aristocratic men did, she wanted him to be faithful.If you want to have a happy marriage co

Despite Alex’s objections, Eddie returned to work three weeks earlier than planned. While she enjoyed her time with Alex, her passion for work remained fervent. But now, she was still weeks ahead of schedule and had a home to return to.On her first day back, she had returned to the estate at a normal time, much like the King’s other advisors. Alex praised her extensively, showering her with gifts and attention in the bedroom, saying he needed to reward his “dutiful wife.”The trend had continued, and Eddie never stayed later than necessary for work anymore. Remi found this change liberating. The constant dark circles under his eyes faded away, his oily skin cleared up and he even had time to get a haircut. His messy and rumpled look that used to match Eddie disappeared. He was even making fewer mistakes, no longer did Eddie have to point out small typos and misspellings in his work. Eddie was pleased with his improvement.Remi and Eddie&