Page 34 of Beauty and the Rake
“Curiosity is part of my make up.”
“Roxanne, just follow me. I promise I won’t do anything inappropriate.”
She smoothed the front of her dress and silently counted to ten. “Very well.”
Extending his arm, he waited for her to start up the stairs. She passed him without so much as a glance at him and began to climb the stairs. At the top were the main rooms: one of the drawing rooms, a ballroom, and a multitude she couldn’t remember. Roxanne climbed the next set of stairs which she remembered led to the bed chambers.
Once on that floor, Graham took her up the stairs that led to the nursery and storage rooms. Beyond the end of a short hallway was a shut door. On the other side were the staff’s quarters. Turning to Graham, Roxanne realized why he brought her here. His ward, his infant daughter lay inside the nursery.
Entering the nursery, she noted the walls were freshly painted in a pale yellow. In a corner just right of the fire was a cradle. Immediately Roxanne walked across the room and gazed down into the cradle. The babe was swaddled in blankets, andthe only thing she could see for sure was a shock of black hair. Just like Graham.
“You can pick her up if you like,” he said.
She shook her head. “Your nanny and nurses would be quite unhappy with me if I were to wake her.”
“Bloody hell if they’ll voice any sort of opinion as to who can hold the babe and who can’t.”
“Very well,” Roxanne said as she leaned down and picked up the tiny bundle. The babe was deep asleep and the only sound she heard was that of herself breathing. There was no mistaking this child was Graham’s.
“What do you think?”
“She’s beautiful. She looks a lot like you.”
“Yes, she does. She seems to be a good-natured child.”
“You’ve decided to raise her here?” Roxanne asked.
“Yes. It’s close to town and I can be here relatively quickly if I’m needed.”
She gently rocked the child. “You’ve thought this through quite a bit and you’re happy with your decision.”
“Yes, I am.”
“She’s at some point going to need a mother figure in her life.”
“I know. And of course her mother’s family. They might try to take her.”
“I thought your attorneys were working on this,” she said as she gently placed the infant in the cradle.
“They are. I’m not worried about them. I’m merely concerned of the babe being raised without a mother.”
“Perhaps you’ll find the perfect woman to marry who will love the cherub as much as you do.”
He walked to the window and back in deep thought. “Are you ready to continue our afternoon?”
“I certainly am, and thank you for sharing this moment with me.”
“There is no one I’d rather have shared this with than you.”
A short time later they were on their way to the lake on Graham’s estate. The lake had been off-limits to them as young children, but the rules changed as they grew older. It had originally been a small pond, but Graham’s great-grandfather had it enlarged and deepened. In the middle was a small “island” with a statue of Graham’s great-grandmother. It seemed his family liked having statues made of family members.
Finding the perfect spot to sit and eat lunch, Roxanne found a blanket in the back of the gig and laid it on the ground a few feet from the shoreline. Graham followed with a basket his cook had prepared. He set it to one side and began to sit down. As Roxanne unpacked their lunch, he picked up a bottle of wine he’d had the cook include. There was a plate with ham and roasted chicken, red cheddar cheese, fruit, freshly baked bread, and butter.
“This looks quite inviting,” she said as Graham passed her a glass of red wine.
“It does, doesn’t it? I thought this would be a nice spot. The lake has always been one of my favorite places on the estate. I used to come here frequently when I needed some time alone. A perfect place for contemplation.”
She prepared a plate and passed it to him. “I imagine it would be a perfect place to come and read.”
