We ate in companionable silence for a time, occasionally feeding each other bites of food—a particularly ripe strawberry, a forkful of fluffy eggs, a morsel of buttery pastry. The intimacy of these small gestures felt profound, as significant in their way as our more passionate exchanges.
"Christian will be insufferable," Emma said eventually, laughter threading through her voice. "Did you see his face when you carried me out of the reception?"
I grinned, remembering my brother's exaggerated cheer at our departure. "He told me afterward that he won a substantial wager. Apparently, there was a pool among the younger nobility about whether I'd follow the tradition of carrying the bride to our chambers."
"And he bet that you would?" She raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"H
