Page 88 of A Bride for the Beastly Duke
He held his blanket holding arm out to her, and she looped her own through it. “Shall we?” he asked.
Edward lay back, watching the clouds float by as his daughter chased butterflies and his wife snuggled into his side, her fingers tracing patterns on his belly. He could not recall a time when he had been happier.
He picked up a lock of her hair, threading his finger through it. “I know you’re dying to ask me,” he observed.
She gave a giggling sort of huff. “I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
“I am ready to tell you; it’s just difficult to know where to start.”
“Start with London.”
Edward let out a breath. “All right, so I met with the Earl. He was expecting me.”
“Of course, he was.”
“I presented my evidence, and I told him that the condition for my silence was that he leaves us be and he resigns.”
“What did he say?”
“He huffed and puffed, but ultimately, he agreed to my terms… I heard that he tendered his resignation this morning just before I left London.”
“That’s a relief.”
“It is indeed.” He turned, pulling her closer to him. “Now, life can truly begin,” he murmured as he looked into her eyes.
Her smile widened. “Yes indeed.” Taking his hand, she placed it on her belly, “And not a moment too soon.”
He looked down, rubbing her belly gently. “So much has been going on that I haven’t taken the time to really show you how much I appreciate you. How much I love you. How much you carrying this baby means to me.”
“Iknow. You show me with your every word and your every action how much we all mean to you. And I’m so grateful for the day that you decided to take me to wife.”
She tilted her chin upwards, and he took that invitation, pressing his lips to hers. They kissed languidly, luxuriantly, enjoying the intimacy of the moment and each other’s nearness.
“Mama, Papa, what are you doing?” Lily’s high piping voice interrupted the moment.
They broke apart with an embarrassed laugh, remembering themselves.
“Nothing darling,” Ava said. “Just greeting each other affectionately.”
“You mean like how you sometimes rub noses together?”
Ava chuckled. “Yes, exactly like that.”
Lily squeezed herself between them. “I want to greet affectionately too,” she said.
Immediately, Edward swooped down and rubbed his nose against her while he tickled her. She squealed and giggled, squirming about. Edward immediately stopped tickling. “Careful darling. Your ribs.”
Lily collapsed against her mother with a contented sigh. “This is nice. I like it here.”
Edward and Ava exchanged glances then Edward looked back at Lily. “We like it here too,” he said.
Epilogue
“Do you remember when Lady Lucy pour that wine on your gown?” Ava asked musingly.
Margaret turned away from her vanity to look at her sister. “Yes indeed, it was just before you agreed to marry Edward. What a strange time that was—you were confined to the house as miserable as ever, and I was despairing of ever finding a husband.”
“I knew it!” Ava said triumphantly. “You tried to pretend that it didn’t matter, but I knew that you cared.”
