He laughed — that was clever, so she seemed to have recovered her wits after the surprise of the proposal. "I'm sure you will," he said, moving his thumb against her temple in a gentle caress. He liked the look of her with her hair down and wild.

"I planned to marry this year regardless of how the season went," he admitted. "I thought I'd settle for good enough. I didn't expect to marry someone interesting and intelligent. Adventurous and adorable and amiable. I didn't expect you."

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