“You too, sweetheart,” he said. “You too.”
And then she went out of the door, knowing exactly why she didn’t care about all those gentlemen down in the drawing room. Because not a one of them was a scrap on her papa, that’s why.
She met Harriet coming down the corridor. Her beloved, sweet-faced stepmother didn’t look nearly as tired as her papa. In fact, she had a sort of glow about her that made Eugenia secretly grin.
“I think Papa is finally getting Colin to sleep,” Eugenia whispered. “I couldn’t quite manage it. I was about to give up and call for his nurse.”
Harriet fluttered her hand toward the drawing room. “There’s twelve of them in there now,” she whispered back.
Eugenia groaned, but turned and sauntered down the stairs.
Harriet smiled, watching her go. Her awkward, big-nosed child had turned into the most ravishing girl to debut on the ton in years. She had all the eligible gentlemen—and most of the ineligible ones—at her knees, if not her feet. Not that Eugenia gave a damn.
Jem looked up from the crib where he was just putting down Colin.
“You’re a miracle,” Harriet said softly. Colin gave a little snore and turned over. She looked down at him. “He’s so beautiful, isn’t he?”
Jem caught her in his arms. “Not as beautiful as you. He takes after his father. I can already see the wrinkles starting by his eyes.”
Lovingly Harriet pushed back the hair from his laughing eyes. Her body still tingled from the pleasure they’d shared and she knew that he still felt it too. “Remember when I first met you? I thought you were the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and since I arrived at your house with Villiers, that was really saying something.”
“My first thought was that if Villiers had any idea of switching sides and seducing you, I’d kill him first. I should have known from that moment. I’ve never given a damn where men find their pleasure, and suddenly I was like a dog with a bone.”
“A very strange bone,” Harriet laughed.
He nuzzled her. “I must say, I am glad that you’ve given up your breeches.”
“It wasn’t hard once I realized that everything I learned in breeches I could simply employ in my gowns.”
“Still, you never sit quietly as ladies are wont to do, during dinner conversation.”
“No,” she said, grinning.
“And you’re the most bruising rider in five counties, although no one knows that the duchess goes forth at twilight scandalously clad in breeches.”
“Let’s not forget the fact that I took you in our last two rapier matches.”
“No more,” he whispered, his hand rounded on her belly. “No more riding and no more rapiers, Harriet.”
“Not for a while.” She couldn’t help smiling.
“Where do you suppose this baby came from?” he said wonderingly.
“The usual places.” He loved her laugh.
“But we were married for years without children. And then Colin, and now—”
“I didn’t think I could.”
Under his hand was just the smallest flutter of life. “I never used to cry, not a single damp eye, before I met you,” he said accusingly.
She kissed him until he didn’t feel sentimental anymore, just hungry. But he didn’t want to wear Harriet out, so he didn’t follow that kiss to its natural conclusion.
“Povy told me that a letter arrived from your sister,” Harriet told him. “I think she is happy in London, don’t you?”
He nodded. “She loves being a matron at Magdalen House…the way she talks about the head of the Metropolitan Police. Do you think, Harriet? Perhaps?”
Harriet grinned. “She’ll be lucky if he doesn’t arrest her. The letter I had last week described two young women whom she stole out of a brothel, as best I could understand.”
“She’s not always prudent about her own safety.”
“She told me she carries a knife in each boot,” Harriet said, running her hand along his cheek. “I expect Eugenia to start carrying weapons any moment. She adores your sister, you know.”
He was silent for a moment. “I couldn’t have imagined our life when I first met you in those breeches.”
Harriet stretched. Her body was ripe with happiness. Pregnancy didn’t make her cantankerous or nauseated. Instead she was singing with happiness. “I ruined you. There you were, happy as a louse in the queen’s mattress, surrounded by concubines and courtesans and actresses…”
“And having nothing to do with any of them.”
“You were waiting for me,” she said. “You know, someone to wear the breeches in the family.” She looked up at him, but he was laughing.
Silently, of course.