Julian grinned in the darkness. "It is one of your charms. But have no fear, I shall always be nearby to retrieve any lost items, including the emeralds."
"Julian, I truly do not want to wear the emeralds," Sophy said insistently.
"Why?"
She was silent for a long moment. "I cannot explain."
"It is because in your mind you associate them with Elizabeth, do you not?" he asked gently.
She sighed softly. "Yes."
"Sophy, the Ravenwood emeralds have nothing to do with Elizabeth. Those stones have been in my family for three generations and they will remain in the family as long as there are Ravenwood wives to wear them. Elizabeth may have toyed with them for a short while, but they never belonged to her in any real sense. Do you understand.
"No."
"You are being stubborn, Sophy."
"It is one of my charms."
"You will wear the emeralds," Julian vowed softly as he pulled her across his chest.
"Never."
"I can see," Julian said, his green eyes gleaming behind his lashes, "that I must find a way to convince you to change your mind."
"There is no way you can do that," Sophy said with great determination.
"Ah, sweetheart. Why do you persist in underestimating me?" He used his hands to frame her face for his kiss and a moment later, Sophy softened eagerly against his hard length.
In spring of the following year the Earl and Countess of Ravenwood gave a house party to celebrate the recent birth of a healthy son. Everyone who was invited to the country, came, including a few, such as Lord Daregate, who normally could not be persuaded away from London during the season.
During a quiet moment in the Ravenwood gardens, Daregate grinned knowingly at Julian. "I always said Sophy would look good in the emeralds. She was quite beautiful in them tonight at dinner."
"I shall convey your compliments to her," Julian said, smiling to himself with satisfaction. "She fretted about wearing them. I had to work long and hard to convince her to do so."
"I wonder why you had to go to all that effort," Daregate mused. "Most women would have been willing to kill to wear those stones."
"She associated them too much with Elizabeth."
"Yes, I can see where that might have bothered a sensitive creature like Sophy. How did you convince her otherwise?"
"An intelligent husband eventually learns the sort of reasoning that works with a woman. It's taken me some time, but I am getting the hang of it," Julian said complacently. "In this instance I finally hit upon the brilliant notion of pointing out that the Ravenwood emeralds went very nicely with my eyes."
Daregate stared at him for an instant and then gave a crack of laughter. "Brilliant, indeed. Sophy would be unable to resist such logic. As it happens, they are a nice match for your son's eyes, too. The Ravenwood emeralds breed true, it seems." Daregate paused to examine a small garden set apart from the rest of the lush greenery. "What have we here?"
Julian glanced down at his feet. "Sophy's herb garden. She had it put in this spring and already the local villagers have begun asking for cuttings, recipes, and concoctions. I spend a small fortune in herbals these days. I believe Sophy is getting ready to write one of her own. I find I am married to a busy woman.
"I am in favor of keeping women busy, myself," Daregate said dryly. "I believe work keeps them out of trouble."
"That is amusing, considering the fact that most of the work you do is at a hazard table."
"Not for much longer, I believe," Daregate announced calmly. "Word has it my dear cousin's constitution is failing rapidly. He has taken to his bed and found religion."
"A sure sign of an impending demise. May we then anticipate your own nuptials shortly?"
"First," said Daregate with a glance back toward the main house, "I must find a suitable heiress. There is very little money left in the estate."
Julian followed his friend's gaze and saw a flash of red hair through the open windows. "Sophy tells me that Anne Silverthorne's stepfather recently departed for the hereafter. Miss Silverthorne has inherited everything."
"So I am told."
Julian chuckled. "Good luck, my friend. I fear you will have your hands full with that lady. She is, after all, a close friend of my wife's and you know what I went through with Sophy."
"You appear to have survived," Daregate observed cheerfully.
"Barely." Julian grinned and clapped Daregate on the shoulder. "Come inside and I will pour you some of the best brandy you have ever had."
"French?"
"Naturally. I bought a shipment of it from our friendly local smuggler two months ago. Sophy lectured me severely for days about the risk."
"Judging by her actions toward you now, she appears to have forgiven you."
"I have learned how to deal with my wife, Daregate."
"What, pray tell, is the secret of marital bliss?" Daregate inquired, his eyes straying once more toward the window where Anne Silverthorne stood.
"That, my friend, you must discover for yourself. I fear there is no easy path to domestic harmony. But the effort is worthwhile with the right female."
Much later that night, Julian sprawled alongside Sophy.
His body was still damp from the recent lovemaking and he could feel satisfaction flowing through him like a powerful drug.
"Daregate asked me for the secret of domestic happiness earlier this evening," Julian murmured, cradling Sophy close.
"Really?" She traced a design on his bare chest. "What did you tell him?"
"That he would have to discover it for himself, the hard way, just as I did." Julian turned on his side and smoothed Sophy's hair off her cheek. He smiled down at her, loving everything about her. "Thank you for consenting to wear the emeralds at last. Did it bother you to have them around your throat tonight?"
Sophy shook her head slowly. "No. I did not wish to wear them at first but then I realized you were right. The stones match your eyes perfectly. When I finally got used to the idea I knew that I would think only of you whenever I wore them."
"That is how it should be." He kissed her slowly, lingeringly, savoring the unlimited happiness that filled him. His hand was gliding up Sophy's leg when he heard the small, demanding cry from the next room.
"Your son is hungry, my lord.
Julian groaned. "He has an infallible sense of timing, has he not?"
"He is as demanding as his father."
"Very well, madam. Let Nurse sleep. I shall fetch the next Earl of Ravenwood for you. Pacify him quickly and then we will get back to more important business."
He was getting used to this business of being a father, Julian thought as he went into the small nursery that had been set up next door to the master bedchamber. In fact, he was getting quite good at the whole business.
His son stopped crying as soon as he felt his father's strong hands lifting and holding him. The green-eyed, dark-haired babe gurgled happily and when Julian placed the infant at Sophy's breast, the Ravenwood heir settled down to suckle cheerfully.
Julian sat on the edge of the bed and watched his wife and son in the shadows. The sight of them together filled him with a contentment and a possessive satisfaction that was akin to the feeling he experienced when he made love to Sophy.
"Sophy, tell me again that at last you have gotten everything you wanted out of this marriage," Julian demanded softly.
"Everything and more, Julian." Her smile was very brilliant in the darkness. "Everything and more."