“Ahem!” The feminine voice came from the doorway behind Evan. Both Charlotte and Evan turned as one.
“May I meet my new daughter and see my grandson?” A female voice sounded as blue satin skirts whooshed from behind Evan and came forward.
“Mother! This is a grand surprise,” Evan gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. “We had not expected you back from Italy this soon. Let me introduce you to my countess.”
“Please.” She tapped her son gently on the arm. “No need for formalities with me, my son. I am thrilled to meet your new wife. I arrived after Lady Romney and did not want to make a fuss.” Turning to her son’s wife, she added, “Charlotte, you will find me unconventional at times. It happens mostly when I am overly excited,” the dowager countess said, smiling. She pulled a brown wrapped package from behind her. “This is a small painting that I had framed for the nursery,” she said, passing the gift to Charlotte. “I hope it resembles Edward,” she laughed. “I have been away for what seems like forever, even though it was just two months. So much has happened!”
“Thank you. This is so unexpected,” responded Charlotte. She unwrapped the gift to reveal a little boy sitting on his father’s lap, enjoying a book. “We shall install it above this rocking chair. It is perfect! Evan sits down each night and reads Edward a story. You have quite captured it without even being here.”
“I am so pleased,” the dowager said as she wiped the corner of her eye. “My heart is full of joy for all of you, most especially my grandson.”
“We should retire to the parlor where your mother and Jason are waiting. I have news of Matthew but would like to share it with everyone,” Evan spoke, his voice full of happiness.
“I will join the others in the parlor and give you two a few minutes together before you come down,” his mother offered.
“Your mother is very intuitive,” Charlotte whispered as the woman left the room. “I was just wishing to have a moment to kiss you,” she added, leaning up and brushing his lips.
“Mmm, yes. Mother reads people better than most, I think,” he said, leaning in to deepen the kiss, then trailed small kisses on her neck.
“Tell me. I am anxious to hear,” she laughed. “You mentioned Matthew.”
“Ah, yes. Matt. I almost forgot. Wife, you stir my blood in ways I cannot adequately describe,” he whispered huskily. He held up the letter. “Matthew is presumed well. He seems to be headed slowly north toward Boston or New York, most likely in hopes of finding a ship home.”
“Mama will be so relieved. She has been heartsick over all that has happened. I have worried so much for her.”
“The man your father hired to find Matthew sent this information to both the Crown and to your mother.” He continued, “With the arrest of Langdale, the man I hired to find Matthew forwarded this news to me, thinking Langdale had probably intercepted the original message meant for your family.
“I look forward to seeing your brother home,” Evan added. “We had many good times at school and while the age of our boyhood shenanigans has long passed, the bonds we forged have not.”
“I should like to know more about this side of you, dear husband.” Charlotte gave a sly look at Evan. “I reread all of Matthew’s letters he sent me while at Eton and felt there was a good bit of mischief attached to your education.” She held her hands over Edward’s ears. “Let us not create a child bursting to partake of such tomfoolery,” she said good-naturedly. “’Twill give my heart a start, to be sure!”
“I also have news of Uncle Langdale,” Evan added, emphasizing the name. “It is only a small update. The Prince Regent has taken a personal interest in the case and had Langdale moved to the Tower. Additionally, an agent of the Crown is working with your father’s lawyer to determine how much damage Langdale did to your brother’s estate and what measures can be taken to reverse some of the damage. However, there are no certainties.”
“That’s still promising news, Evan. I hope to have seen the last of Uncle,” Charlotte said with a grimace. His mother’s visit and the news that Matthew was well were joyous surprises. Charlotte hoped that what she was about to tell Evan would be just as welcome. Placing his hand on her stomach, she raised her eyes to his face.
“I may have an early autumn present for you, dearest husband,” she said, color deepening in her face. “I should wait longer before saying something, but I find I am not able.”
A shocked look passed over his face that frightened her.
“You think you could be pregnant . . . this soon?” he enquired, a smile thinning his lips.
“I have missed my courses, and they have never been late before. I am hoping that they will not come,” she explained quietly, trying to read his face.
Evan glanced down at Edward’s blond curls and blue eyes looking up at him while he squeezed his wife’s finger. He pulled her close and cradled her face in his hands, kissing her on the nose. “I am afraid but no longer paralyzed by my fear. You have taught me to love and trust. I love you, my darling Charlotte. You will be a wonderful mother to this baby as you already are to our dear Edward.”
“You mean that? You love me?” she asked with tears glistening in her eyes.
He leaned in and kissed her deeply. “I do, so help me . . . I have fallen madly in love with you, my beautiful Lyon’s Prey.”
At the reference to Mrs. Dove-Lyon and the lost bet, Charlotte smiled. “I love you too, Evan, and I will do my best to never make you sorry you lost that bet.”
About the Author
Anna St. Claire is a big believer that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself. She sprinkles her stories with laughter, romance, mystery and lots of possibilities, adhering to the belief that goodness and love will win the day.
Anna is both an avid reader author of American and British historical romance. She and her husband live in Charlotte, North Carolina with their two dogs and often, their two beautiful granddaughters, who live nearby. Daughter, sister, wife, mother, and Mimi—all life roles that Anna St. Claire relishes and feels blessed to still enjoy. And she loves her pets – dogs and cats alike, and often inserts them into her books as secondary characters. And she loves chocolate and popcorn, a definite nod to her need for sweet followed by salty…but not together—a tasty weakness!
Anna relocated from New York to the Carolinas as a child. Her mother, a retired English and History teacher, always encouraged Anna’s interest in writing, after discovering short stories she would write in her spare time.
As a child, she loved mysteries and checked out every Encyclopedia Brown story that came into the school library. Before too long, her fascination with history and reading led her to her first historical romance—Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind, now a treasured, but weathered book from being read multiple times. The day she discovered Kathleen Woodiwiss,’ books, Shanna and Ashes In The Wind, Anna became hooked. She read every historical romance that came her way and dreams of writing her own historical romances took seed.
Today, her focus is primarily the Regency and Civil War eras, although Anna enjoys almost any period in American and British history. She would love to connect with any of her readers on her website – www.annastclaire.com, through email – [email protected], Instagram – annastclaire_author, BookBub – bookbub.com/profile/anna-st-claire, Twitter – @1AnnaStClaire, Facebook – facebook.com/authorannastclaire or on Amazon – amazon.com/Anna-St-Claire/e/B078WMRHHF.
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