Page 102 of When the Rogue Returns
A strange expression passed over his face. “I’m sure they’ll understand if your spirits are low.”
They walked down the hall toward the drawing room, arm in arm. It had taken a while for her to grow accustomed to the palatial mansion that was the duke’s town house, but after two months in London, having put Amalie into school and settled into her new home with Victor, she’d begun to feel very comfortable.
Soon she would have to decide whether to set up a new jeweler’s shop in London, now that she’d sold her share of the Edinburgh shop to Mr. Gordon. But at the moment she was content to get to know her husband and his new family, to spend time mending the past.
They entered the drawing room and she halted. This was no intimate family dinner with Max and Lisette. Dom and Tristan were both here, along with Mr. Gordon, Dr. Worth, Mary Grace, and Rupert.
Barreling out of the crowd came Amalie, dressed in her latest and most fashionable gown. “Mama, Mama, you’ve come at last!”
Amalie was supposed to be having dinner with a little friend from school! “How did you get here?” Isa exclaimed, then glanced at Victor. “What’s going on?”
“It’s the tenth anniversary of our wedding, my love,” Victor said softly.
Flummoxed, she swiftly dredged her memory and realized he was right. “Oh, dear—I’m so sorry, Victor. I utterly forgot.”
“What with the trial and Jacoba, it’s a wonder you even remember your own name. But I couldn’t let it pass without a celebration.” He nodded to where the duke and duchess stood smiling. “And since we wouldn’t be together again if not for my relations and the Duke’s Men, I thought you wouldn’t mind if they were included.”
As everyone crowded round her, she somehow managed, “Thank you. You’re all so kind,” and then promptly burst into tears. When Victor looked a little alarmed, she choked out, “This is the loveliest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
His face cleared. “That’s all right then,” he said gruffly, clearly a little choked up himself.
As he offered her his handkerchief, Amalie pushed her way through to the front. “You haven’t even seen the cake yet, Mama. It has fleurs-de-lis all over it!”
“Spiders, you mean,” Rupert teased her as he came up to kiss Isa on the cheek, then murmured, “I do hope you’ll be atourwedding anniversary celebration in a little more than ten years.”
As Mary Grace slid up beside him, blushing as always, Isa broke into a broad smile. “You’re engaged?” Not that she was terribly surprised, though she had expected Lady Lochlaw to make more of a fuss about it.
“Miss Gordon has made me the happiest of men,” Rupert said as he took the young woman’s hand. “I hope you’ll all three be at the wedding.”
“Of course!” Isa hugged them both. “We wouldn’t miss it!”
After they moved aside, Tristan pushed in to grab her hand and kiss it with a little flourish. When Victor scowled at him, he laughed. “Your husband neglected to tell you the real reason he’s having this celebration—so you won’t be angry when he informs you that he has a case in Devonshire next week, and will be gone for at least two weeks.”
Isa laughed. “He already told me.”
“Nice try,” Victor said smugly. “But a clever husband never pulls the wool over his wife’s eyes—not unless he wants to have it shoved down his throat. Just a bit of advice for whenyouare married.”
Tristan’s smile looked forced. “Why should I marry, when there are plenty of ripe peaches waiting to be plucked in the drawing rooms of London?”
“Better be careful,” Victor said. “Peaches have stones, and you might just find yourself choking on them.”
“Excellent advice,” Dr. Worth said as he came up to shake her hand. “A pity that Bonnaud is unlikely to pay it any mind.”
When Tristan laughed, Dom moved up beside him. “Yes, Victor, good luck with trying to knock any sense into my younger brother. He likes to live dangerously.”
“Anything else is boring,” Tristan shot back. He grinned at the doctor. “Besides, I’ve got Worth here to patch me up if I get into trouble. Come on, Doctor, let’s see if we can find some.”
As the young doctor allowed Tristan to pull him away, Dom shook his head.
Isa had really grown to like the man after Victor had begun working with him. Tristan could be fun to tease, but he was also exasperating; Dom was as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.
He smiled at her. “We’re delighted that you caught Lochlaw’s eye and drew Victor to Edinburgh. The man deserves some happiness.” He glanced at Victor. “And... well... we’ve been thinking about asking you if you might like to do some work for us from time to time. Looking at chemical compositions and evaluating gems for our clients to see if they’re real.”
“They could also use some help in the office,” Lisette put in. She laid a hand on her noticeably rounded belly. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be much good to them anymore. I simply have too much to do.”
The duke slid his hand about her waist and gazed down at her fondly. “My wife has decided that our nursery needs a complete overhaul, now that we’re intent on filling it.”
“Oh, do you have a baby, Your Grace?” Amalie exclaimed. “Ilovebabies!”
