“You and Mrs Mackie will be here, and the midwife. I know men aren’t supposed to attend the birth, but I want you with me.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be there, though I doubt I’ll be much help.”
“I can hold your hand.”
“And squeeze it as hard as you like, too.”
She smiled, then returned to the previous topic. “As nice as Braebourne is, I want our child to be born here at home. Our home, that you chose for me.”
“Well, I just want you to be happy. And while I like this house, the place isn’t important. Wherever you are, whether it’s here in Kent or London or anywhere else you may decide you wish to live, that’s home to me.”
His gaze met hers, his eyes warm and full of love. After a long moment, he turned and went to retrieve the mail.
“So, is there a letter from Cade?” she asked. “Did Meg have the baby?”
Returning to his seat, he flipped through the correspondence. “There is a letter, but it’s from Edward.”
“Well, open it. Let’s hear.”
He read silently for a moment, then smiled. “She’s had the baby. A boy, born on the twenty-first. They haven’t named him yet, but they’ll send word again as soon as they do. Apparently, Cade would have written to tell us the good news himself, but he was too exhausted. Meg’s labour went on for nearly nineteen hours and Cade was frantic with worry. But mother and baby are doing fine, both of them hale and happy.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. What else does he say?”
“Mama was a godsend, apparently. Kept everyone calm. She says to tell you that if you haven’t delivered in the next two weeks and Meg and the baby are still doing well, that she would love to come here to help with your lying-in.”
“Your mother is wonderful, and I would adore having her here for the birth. Of course you must write and say she is most welcome.”
Jack dipped his head, but not before she saw a glint of relief in his eyes. She knew in her heart, though, that he had no cause to worry. Everything was going to go well, and next month they would bring a beautiful new baby into the world. On the other hand, she had to confess that it would be reassuring having his mother with them to give advice and lend her support.
Laying a hand on her rounded belly, she let herself daydream.
“What’s this now!” he declared. “Good heavens, I don’t believe it.”
“Believe what?”
“He’s really going to do it!”
“Do what?”
“Get married.”
“Edward, you mean?
He nodded. “He says the time has arrived for him to take a duchess.”
“Well, if Edward wants to marry, I can’t see the harm. I assume he’s going to look for a wife during the Season.”
“No, he’s already found one. They’ve been betrothed for years.”
Her jaw dropped open, stunned to silence.
“Exactly!” he said in complete agreement. “Ned says he hopes we’ll be able to come to London this summer to meet her, if the baby is able to travel by then, of course.”
She considered for a long moment. “Well, we’ll have to go, since I’m sure my curiosity won’t let me stay home.”
Their gazes met and they both smiled. A yawn caught her a few seconds later, her eyes growing moist with sleepiness.
Folding the letter in half, Jack set it aside. “Nap time.”
“I don’t need a nap,” she protested.
“You most certainly do, since you got barely a wink last night.” Standing, he leaned down to help her out of her chair. “Come, my lady. It’s off to bed with you.”
“Now why does that sound so vastly improper when you say it?” she murmured, as he levered her to her feet.
“Because I’m a vastly improper sort of man.” Enfolding her in his arms, which were long enough to reach around her, even with the baby between them, he drew her close for a kiss. “Aren’t you glad?”
“Eternally.” A radiant smile stole over her face. “I love you, Jack Byron.”
He kissed her again. “I love you, too, Grace Byron.”
“I know you do. You show me every day just how much. Now, take me to bed, my lord.”
Tucking her against his side, Jack did exactly that.
About The Author
TRACY ANNE WARREN grew up in a small central Ohio town. After working for a number of years in finance, she quit her day job to pursue her first love—writing romance novels. Warren lives in Maryland with a pair of exuberant, young Siamese cats and windows full of gorgeous orchids and African violets. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and dreaming up the characters for her next book. Visit her website at www.tracyannewarren.com.
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Books By Tracy Anne Warren
SEDUCED BY HIS TOUCH
TEMPTED BY HIS KISS
Coming Soon
AT THE DUKE’S PLEASURE
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SEDUCED BY HIS TOUCH. Copyright © 2009 by Tracy Anne Warren. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Adobe Digital Edition August 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-197636-0
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