Just mentioning his father’s first wife threw Wilfred into terror. She could die! Rattled around in circles, driving him mad. ‘I can’t stand it in here.’ Wilfred said in panic. ‘I must go back to the drawing room.’ He jerked the door open and stumbled back to the main drawing room, but before he could get there he heard the querulous cry of an infant. His heart hammered against his chest and he sucked in a huge breath and held it as he waited at the bottom of the stairs. His mother appeared at the top of the stairs and glided sedately down. When she stood on the floor, she kissed him softly on the cheek and smiled broadly.
‘You should go up and see your wife and child.’ She said proudly.
Wilfred had never run as fast as he did up the stairs that evening. He burst through the door into the bedroom and there she was, looking tired and happy, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Just as beautiful in the child bed as she was at the Prince Regent’s ball. The midwife had just handed her a bundle of blankets as he rushed to the bed and looked down on his child.
‘It’s a son, Wilfred.’ She smiled proudly, as if her reason for being was accomplished. ‘Say hello to your son.’ She said and held out the bundle of blankets. He looked at the scrunched up, ruddy face and felt his heart trip. He sat carefully on the edge of the bed and just enveloped them both in his arms. He pulled back her head and kissed her softly.
‘I’m very proud of you, my love.’ He whispered and let her place the baby in his arms. ‘Gosh! He’s so tiny.’ He said in wonder. ‘Poor little mite! He’s going to be a duke someday.’ He murmured as his son pulled faces and rubbed his little fist over his cheek. Wilfred gasped as he touched a finger to that small fist and the baby grasped his digit in a death grip. ‘He’s so strong!’ He laughed in excitement and looked up at his wife in time to see her eyelids droop from exhaustion. He asked everyone to clear the room and sat in the rocker, nursing his son and watching his wife sleep. He was as contented as any man could be. He knew there would be difficult times ahead, all of life was a string of near disasters and peaks of happiness and he was sitting on a rather large peak!
*****
Harriet Saunders sat at her breakfast table in a small hotel in Rome and smiled at the headlines in the same gossip rag two weeks later. She had a self-satisfied smile on her face. She opened the letter beside her toast rack and was warmed by the content.
My dearest Harriet,
I do hope you are enjoying your sojourn on the continent. I’m happy to say the furore has died down here almost as soon as it arose. He was a terribly unpopular man and I don’t think the Bow Street Runners are really trying to find his murderers. They don’t even know where to start! Anyway, I have discovered that there is no heir to the Dukedom and it has already been reclaimed by the crown, so no poor, unfortunate child will have to follow in such debauched and brutal footsteps! Robert assures me that the Prince Regent has agreed to place the title in permanent abeyance. So the Dukedom of Markham is no more!
The debutante’s ball is next week at Carlton House, so this year’s crop of new faces will have a little more freedom.
Some good news for you, Wilfred and Lucy have had a son, I’m sure you will allow me to wish them happy from you.
Don’t stay abroad for too long, I shall miss you and thank you for all your help.
Your grateful friend and cousin,
Evelyn Hastings.
Harriet smiled contentedly, rose from the table and threw the letter on the fire. ‘I should thank you.’ she murmured. She stood there for a while watching the vellum twist and incinerate. She sighed deeply and went back to her breakfast.
Other Titles by Lyndsey Norton
A Lust for Gold
Erica Young
Fire! At the Al-Hejira
Jealousy
The Avenging Angel
Torture in the Sun
Regency Stories
Two Notorious Dukes
The Duke and the Governess
The Theft of a Dukedom
Inspector Castle Series
Dating and Dying
Bombs on Trains
Castle’s Nightmare
The Red Suitcases
Table of Contents
Copyrights
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Other books by Lyndsey Norton
Pride and Retribution Page 23