Page 50 of Dukes Do It Better
Beside her, Mal chuckled, proving he was still paying attention after all. Emma rolled her eyes at Phee. “Thank you, Auntie Phee, for not allowing them to eat stale duck bread.”
Phee grinned in response as she settled beside Cal and appropriated his glass of ale.
“This is quite the gathering. Are we expecting anyone else to join us?” Lord Marshall asked the group at large. As it was, they had four quilts arranged in a giant square on the grass to accommodate everyone.
Cal answered, eyeing the fast-disappearing ale in Phee’s hand. “Ethan and Lottie will be along eventually. Knowing them, they’ve been detained in a carriage somewhere.”
Phee sighed wistfully. “Remember when we could be ‘detained in a carriage’ on a whim? Those were the days.” They glanced at Freddie, then at each other, in one of those silent conversations married people had.
Emma had to smile at the pair before she caught Mal staring at her. She raised a questioning brow at him.
Leaning over to brush her ear with his lips, he asked, “Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything except a few of Miss Martin’s berries. I can fetch and gather for you and the lad.”
The urge to kiss him swamped her, but they were in public, surrounded by members of the ton. Instead, Emma turned and buried her nose in the gold hair on Alton’s head until the urge passed.
“I would like a sandwich, berries, and lemonade, please, Captain,” Alton said.
“All of that sounds lovely. Would you mind?” she said, risking a peek at her lover.
Mal’s smile made her toes curl in her shoes. It wasn’t merely an “I’ll ravish you at the next opportunity” smile. There was a new intimacy since last night. He’d sat with her. Listened to her confidences and handled them with grace. She’d baked for him—something she’d done only for those closest to her.
“I’ll return shortly.” Mal stood. For a moment, she was cast in shadow, surrounded by the scent of freshly cut grass, sunshiney little boy, and bay rum. Emma closed her eyes and breathed it in. Breathed him in.
On the neighboring blanket, Lord Marshall rose with Adelaide’s plate in his hand, and the friends wandered toward the refreshment table, which left Cal alone with the women and children.
“So? What do you think of him?” Phee asked.
“I’ve met him before. This isn’t a first impression situation,” Cal said.
“But last time you met him you didn’t know he’d seen your sister n-a-k-e-d. That changes things,” Phee said.
Beside Emma, Adelaide muffled her laugh. Emma grinned at Cal’s grimace.
“Must you remind me?” he whined, sounding alarmingly like his son.
“What does k-e-d spell?” Freddie asked.
“It’s grown-up code for special friends who get sandwiches for you,” Cal said, then stole his glass back from his wife and drank the last bit of ale in one rather desperate-looking swallow.
“Oh. I want a friend who brings me sandwiches,” Freddie said.
“I’d love my special friend to get me a sandwich too. And more ale, please. Also, we should make sure to compliment our hostess on choosing the Amesburys’ brew for the occasion.” Phee grinned at her husband and Emma laughed.
Cal sighed dramatically, but he smiled as he kissed the tops of Phee’s and Freddie’s ginger heads, then headed toward the refreshment table.
As soon as he left, Adelaide collapsed in a fit of giggles. “Sandwiches,” she gasped.
Emma and Phee joined her a moment later.
“What’s so funny?” Alton asked.
Emma wiped tears from her eyes and said, “Your uncle Cal is a very funny man, that’s all.”
“Your aunt Phee is funny too,” Adelaide added.
“My mommy and daddy laugh a lot. And I mean a lot,” Freddie said seriously.
Lottie arrived, setting her reticule on the blanket beside Phee. “That sounds like an excellent testimony to what kind of family you’ve made, Phee. Is this seat taken?”
