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are. What did you think you would be, marrying a duke?”
    “But the agreement…I thought—”
    “I don’t want to hear any more about that silly prenup of yours! Against my better judgment, I went along because you were so insistent that I was afraid you wouldn’t marry me otherwise. But I managed to sneak in a few private discussions with my solicitors when you weren’t around.”
    “Alasdair, you didn’t…not really?”
    “I did indeed.”
    “But you didn’t change it?”
    “Only in one or two points. I made absolutely certain that as long as I am the duke, you will be the duchess. I know you didn’t care about the title, but I did. It’s done and legal and there’s nothing you can do to undo it. So eat cake, my dear—you are the Duchess of Buchan.”
    “Oh, Alasdair,” I sighed. “You are so good to me! But you do understand, don’t you—we don’t have aristocracy in Canada. It’s hard for me to get used to. I am just so fearful of people misunderstanding my motives. That’s the only reason I insisted on the agreement. I wanted no doubt in anyone’s mind that I was marrying you because I loved you—nothing more. Not even your suspicious sister can spin that into some nefarious design.”
    “Don’t be too sure.” Alasdair smiled wryly. “Olivia is a clever woman. We will doubtless have to contend with her wiles for the rest of our lives. There is no telling what mischief she might yet concoct. In any event, you are the Duchess of Buchan and I hope you can get used to it, because from here on people will treat you differently. They will bow and curtsy and call you my lady or Your Grace .”
    “I’m not sure I can take all that.”
    “It is expected. Besides, with someone who has as many names as you, what’s one more?”
    “Alasdair!”
    “I still haven’t decided whether to be angry with you or not for keeping your Angel from me for so long.”
    “I explained all that.” I laughed. “And what about you? You didn’t exactly come clean with your whole name either.”
    “But I had good reason. I wasn’t keeping a beautiful name like Angel under wraps. The British aristocracy and their long names…​Alasdair Timothy Fotheringay Reidhaven—goodness! With a name like Fotheringay stuck in there, who wouldn’t try to keep it a secret?!”
    “So we were both holding out on each other. That makes us even.”
    “But no more secrets between us,” Alasdair said, laughing. “I still contend that your list has a more aristocratic ring to it than mine…Angel Dawn Marie Buchan Lorcini Reidhaven of Buchan… Duchess of Buchan. You could compete with a king or queen with all that!”
    “It is truly amazing,” I said, “the Buchan as much as the duchess. Now I am a Buchan twice.”
    “Don’t think that fact has escaped me!” rejoined Alasdair. “It’s one of the reasons I knew we were meant for each other. The double Buchan has a ring to it, don’t you think, and qualifies you for the ‘duchess’ all the more—with two Buchan names, you surely have a full complement of Scots blood in your veins. They call the Brodies Brodie of Brodie . We shall call you Buchan of Buchan !”
    “But doesn’t the fact that I’m Canadian prevent my really being the duchess? It is just an honorary title, isn’t it?”
    “I am having that all looked into by my people in Edinburgh. And to be certain of your legal standing…papers will be awaiting us when we reach home with which to file your application for joint citizenship.”
    “Can I really do that?”
    “Being married to a UK citizen, and a duke besides, with all the legal firepower I will bring to the case—absolutely. You will have a UK passport with full citizenship within the year. No, my dear, your standing will be anything but honorary. You are, as I believe they say in the States, the real deal .”
    “Will this fairy-tale dream that I landed into the middle of never cease?”
    “Not if I can help it.”
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