Page 44 of Beauty and the Rake
“Ultimately, I would like nothing more than to marry you, Graham. In the meantime—at least through the summer, we should court.”
“I can live with that,” he said, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth. He was enjoying this way too much.
“I’m at the end of what I can tolerate, Graham. This going back and forth and dancing around the subject is beginning to wear on me hard.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know you didn’t, but let’s decide what we’re doing. Today.”
“Then I propose we make our relationship public.”
“What of Arthur? I don’t want to blindside him, though I suspect he knows more than he lets on,” Roxanne said.
“Yes, he knows quite a bit more, and I can assure you he wants nothing more than for us to marry.”
“Men! You’re all alike, and you band together like a bunch of naughty schoolboys. Always sticking together, and you always have each other’s backs.”
“Of course. Women are too petty. The claws come out and you play viciously,” Graham said.
“Touché! I must agree with you. That’s why my circle of women is only a select few.”
“I can live with that. When we finish here, we should go to the nursery and check in on Mary.”
“I would like that very much. How is she?”
“Thriving!”
“That’s wonderful, Graham.”
“Her nanny tells me she’s finally fallen into a routine.”
Roxanne found herself getting excited about becoming a part of this baby girl’s life. Whether Graham knew it or not, he wasthe best thing to enter her short life. He could sit back and let nannies oversee this babe’s upbringing or do what he was doing. Instead, he was becoming a hands-on father and loving every moment.
“That’s good because I have friends whose children aren’t, and it makes life a little more challenging.” She picked up a piece of apple and chose some stout cheddar cheese. She studied the cheese for a moment before taking a bite. Graham’s estate was well known for making some of the best cheese in the area. The estate had been making two varieties of cheddar, each aged for different lengths of time to give it the distinct sharp flavor.
“I hope she continues to be sweet.”
“Don’t count on it. I’m sure she’ll have her moments. All children do,” Roxanne said with a sly smile.
Graham threw his head back and laughed in that deep baritone of his. “The key is not to over-indulge them.”
She arched her brow. “Or give in to their every whim.”
He laughed again. “What is that look for? Do you really think I’d spoil her?”
“You already are. Not that it’s a bad thing, but as she gets older, the more likely she’ll be to just wrap you around her little finger. You won’t know what happened.”
“I suppose you’re right, and it would be unfair to her siblings. Everyone should be treated equally.”
“Siblings? You certainly are sure of yourself, aren’t you? Putting the cart before the horse?”
He reached across the small table and took her hand and squeezed. “We’ll have some beautiful babies. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of it because I certainly have.”
“Of course I have.”
“You sound hesitant,” he said.
“Only because of the problems my son was born with.”
