[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the newest addition to our family?
"Also, with you at the house, we can finalize the transfer of the deed to the Indigo
Winds," the Duke added.
"I have things to take care of here first, so if you don't mind, I'll join you later." He
looked at Mercy and her lashes fluttered to her cheeks.
"We will see you tonight then?"
"I'll be there, Your Grace."
"Good. Very good." The Duke put a hand to Cree. "Come along and let us get Lady
Hempstead home so she can clean up and nap before tonight."
Mercy looked back at Ash. His chest tightened with regret. He nodded a goodbye to
her, and then she turned her attention to Cree. He stood in a trance and imagined her
running back to him. If she begged him just a little, he'd forget the plantation and take her
back to the sea.
Emma's voice rattled in his head. You are a foolish man, Ashton Sinclair.
He was unable to argue that statement.
* * * *
That evening, Ash wondered what feelings he'd have seeing his brother with
Marguerite. He had told himself it didn't matter, but then he had said the same about the
girl in the gazebo. Yet, for almost two years, she haunted him. Like his sister, Mercy was
there in his dreams. Sometimes, with his sister in the background, urging him to do
something, as if to appease a guilty conscience.
"Ashton, darling." Marguerite's voice broke him out of his deep thoughts.
He watched her approach as he took off his hat in the foyer of the Duke of
Hempstead's house.
"Marguerite." He took her hand and gave an airy kiss to her knuckles. "Or maybe
you'd prefer I call you Lady Brighton?"
"Nonsense. You're my brother-in-law now. It's only right we maintain a close
relationship." She smiled.
He took offense to the underlying tone of her comment. However, his brother now
had the chore of keeping up with whatever games Marguerite played.
"Oh, here comes Weldon. You two chat and I'll go get the nursemaid to bring my
baby down from the bedroom. I want you meet her. She looks so much like you."
"Weldon does too." He handed his hat to a servant.
"Oh yes, of course. You know what I mean. She takes after your side of the family."
She hurried away, patting Weldon's arm in the passing.
"Ashton." Weldon nodded a greeting. "I didn't interrupt anything between you two,
did I?"
"Absolutely not." Ash hurried to ease his brother's mind. "She's off to get your
daughter."
"Oh." Weldon acted nervous, and Ash didn't like how they'd parted ways. "I seem to
be at a loss for words, or just not sure where to start. It's been awhile since we last
talked."
"Almost two years," Ash replied, stuck for words also.
"You should have come home."
"You asked I leave and not come back," he said, using it as an excuse.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to be forever." He took a deep breath. "One trip away
would have been sufficient to let the scandal die down. God, a couple weeks after you
were gone, all the talk was about the elopement of Lord Halifax's daughter, and then a
couple months later, it was the illegitimate pregnancy of another nobleman's
granddaughter."
"Lord Brighton." The nursemaid interrupted, handing him the baby. "Lady Brighton
thought you might want to show off your daughter to Lord Sinclair."
"I certainly do." Weldon took the child and held her in the crook of his arm. "Ashton,
may I present your niece, Lady Emma Sinclair."
"Emma?" Ash looked up from the face in the tiny bundle of a white blanket.
"It was Marguerite's idea." He held the baby out to him.
Ash carefully cradled her with both arms, adjusting her to one. From inside the
ruffled bonnet framing her delicate little face, Emma's namesake grinned as if she were
happy to see him. He fingered her soft cheek and watched her mouth pucker. "She's
beautiful, Weldon."
Isn't she. His sister's voice echoed in his head. I so wish I could hold her.
The sadness of his sister never knowing little Emma made his chest tighten and his
hands shake. Ash handed the baby back to his brother. "Here, I'm not used to holding
something so delicate."
"She doesn't sound so delicate when she's hungry." Weldon laughed. "Her squalling
can be heard all through Brighton Manor." He stared at his daughter in his arms.
Ash had a longing to hold someone too. "How have you been?" He glanced around
the room, hoping to spot Mercy.
"I'm good. After you left, Marguerite was devastated. She said the two of you had
ended your liaison just prior to that scene at the gazebo."
"We had," he agreed, leaving Marguerite's lies alone. It came with no benefit to tell
his brother of her scheming. "She makes you happy?"
"I know it seems I acted quickly, but I have admired Marguerite for some time.
Maybe it's the familiarity with her since she spent a lot of time at the estate. Maybe it's
something else. Nevertheless, she's given me a beautiful baby girl."
"I have to say, it was a shock to learn of your marriage."
"Not too big of one, I hope. I mean, I don't want you to think there was anything
going on before you and she dissolved your relationship." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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the newest addition to our family?
"Also, with you at the house, we can finalize the transfer of the deed to the Indigo
Winds," the Duke added.
"I have things to take care of here first, so if you don't mind, I'll join you later." He
looked at Mercy and her lashes fluttered to her cheeks.
"We will see you tonight then?"
"I'll be there, Your Grace."
"Good. Very good." The Duke put a hand to Cree. "Come along and let us get Lady
Hempstead home so she can clean up and nap before tonight."
Mercy looked back at Ash. His chest tightened with regret. He nodded a goodbye to
her, and then she turned her attention to Cree. He stood in a trance and imagined her
running back to him. If she begged him just a little, he'd forget the plantation and take her
back to the sea.
Emma's voice rattled in his head. You are a foolish man, Ashton Sinclair.
He was unable to argue that statement.
* * * *
That evening, Ash wondered what feelings he'd have seeing his brother with
Marguerite. He had told himself it didn't matter, but then he had said the same about the
girl in the gazebo. Yet, for almost two years, she haunted him. Like his sister, Mercy was
there in his dreams. Sometimes, with his sister in the background, urging him to do
something, as if to appease a guilty conscience.
"Ashton, darling." Marguerite's voice broke him out of his deep thoughts.
He watched her approach as he took off his hat in the foyer of the Duke of
Hempstead's house.
"Marguerite." He took her hand and gave an airy kiss to her knuckles. "Or maybe
you'd prefer I call you Lady Brighton?"
"Nonsense. You're my brother-in-law now. It's only right we maintain a close
relationship." She smiled.
He took offense to the underlying tone of her comment. However, his brother now
had the chore of keeping up with whatever games Marguerite played.
"Oh, here comes Weldon. You two chat and I'll go get the nursemaid to bring my
baby down from the bedroom. I want you meet her. She looks so much like you."
"Weldon does too." He handed his hat to a servant.
"Oh yes, of course. You know what I mean. She takes after your side of the family."
She hurried away, patting Weldon's arm in the passing.
"Ashton." Weldon nodded a greeting. "I didn't interrupt anything between you two,
did I?"
"Absolutely not." Ash hurried to ease his brother's mind. "She's off to get your
daughter."
"Oh." Weldon acted nervous, and Ash didn't like how they'd parted ways. "I seem to
be at a loss for words, or just not sure where to start. It's been awhile since we last
talked."
"Almost two years," Ash replied, stuck for words also.
"You should have come home."
"You asked I leave and not come back," he said, using it as an excuse.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to be forever." He took a deep breath. "One trip away
would have been sufficient to let the scandal die down. God, a couple weeks after you
were gone, all the talk was about the elopement of Lord Halifax's daughter, and then a
couple months later, it was the illegitimate pregnancy of another nobleman's
granddaughter."
"Lord Brighton." The nursemaid interrupted, handing him the baby. "Lady Brighton
thought you might want to show off your daughter to Lord Sinclair."
"I certainly do." Weldon took the child and held her in the crook of his arm. "Ashton,
may I present your niece, Lady Emma Sinclair."
"Emma?" Ash looked up from the face in the tiny bundle of a white blanket.
"It was Marguerite's idea." He held the baby out to him.
Ash carefully cradled her with both arms, adjusting her to one. From inside the
ruffled bonnet framing her delicate little face, Emma's namesake grinned as if she were
happy to see him. He fingered her soft cheek and watched her mouth pucker. "She's
beautiful, Weldon."
Isn't she. His sister's voice echoed in his head. I so wish I could hold her.
The sadness of his sister never knowing little Emma made his chest tighten and his
hands shake. Ash handed the baby back to his brother. "Here, I'm not used to holding
something so delicate."
"She doesn't sound so delicate when she's hungry." Weldon laughed. "Her squalling
can be heard all through Brighton Manor." He stared at his daughter in his arms.
Ash had a longing to hold someone too. "How have you been?" He glanced around
the room, hoping to spot Mercy.
"I'm good. After you left, Marguerite was devastated. She said the two of you had
ended your liaison just prior to that scene at the gazebo."
"We had," he agreed, leaving Marguerite's lies alone. It came with no benefit to tell
his brother of her scheming. "She makes you happy?"
"I know it seems I acted quickly, but I have admired Marguerite for some time.
Maybe it's the familiarity with her since she spent a lot of time at the estate. Maybe it's
something else. Nevertheless, she's given me a beautiful baby girl."
"I have to say, it was a shock to learn of your marriage."
"Not too big of one, I hope. I mean, I don't want you to think there was anything
going on before you and she dissolved your relationship." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]