Page 94 of The Bachelor
“Wolfe is right,” Greycourt said. “And not just this family, but Wolfe and Beatrice’s family, too. Whoever the murderer is, he set Wolfe up to be blamed for Maurice’s murder.”
“Ah, but that could just have been in order to throw suspicion off himself,” Joshua said.
“Or herself,” Gwyn put in. When her brothers all shot her a skeptical look, she added, “What? Women can be villainous, too.”
“She has a point,” Joshua said. “And it still could just have been a matter of highwaymen hoping to rob us after the carriage broke down.”
The others looked as skeptical as he felt. Then he noticed that Gwyn’s mother and Beatrice were returning. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll nose around in London, see what more I can find out after you lot return to the country. Then I will let you know what I learn.”
“Sounds good.” Thornstock offered Joshua his hand, and they shook. “Thank you.”
By then, their mother had returned. “I’m so happy to see you two becoming friendly. And I’m sure this house will bring you even closer.”
Joshua certainly hoped so. Thornstock had proved to be not quite what he seemed, and Joshua found that encouraging. Besides, Gwyn loved her brother. So Joshua should at least try tolikethe fellow.
One by one, the others said they were ready to go and left. Beatrice stopped on her way out with Greycourt to give Joshua a kiss on the cheek and tuck something into his greatcoat pocket.
As soon as everyone was gone, Gwyn sidled up to Joshua and took his arm. “I want to show you one other thing upstairs.”
They climbed the stairs together, both flights, and when they reached the top, she started toward the nearest door.
“I already saw the nursery, dearling.”
“I know. But I couldn’t say much about it in the presence of the agent.”
“Ah.”
He walked with her into the room, which also adjoined another room that could be used as a schoolroom—or a bedroom for a governess.
She placed both hands on her stomach. “You may not have noticed but—”
“You’re going to have our child.”
She gaped at him. “Youdidnotice.”
“Of course I noticed. Did you think I was unaware of your breasts increasing or your throwing up your breakfast? I pay attention, my love. To everything, but, in particular, to everything involvingyou.”
That brought a beaming smile to her lips. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Honestly? I didn’t know what to say. I was giving you time to tell me. I didn’t know how you felt about it.”
“Elated, actually. I went to a midwife recommended by Lady Hornsby, and she examined me and told me she saw no reason for me not to have a perfectly normal child. But, she said, even if I lost the babe, it wouldn’t necessarily mean I couldn’t have another.”
“Did she say how far along you are?”
“She thinks it’s five months. Apparently the first time is the charm with me.”
“Five months. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“She thought it was.”
His heart leaped into his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“At first I was waiting to be sure. Then I went to see her. I’d already been talking to Thorn about buying or renting this place, so I wanted to wait until I was sure that would happen. I wanted to surprise you.” She cupped his cheek. “It looks as if I waited too late for that.”
“Are you daft? You surprise me every single day. You surprised me when you chose me to be your bodyguard, you surprised me the first time you responded to my kiss, and you downright shocked me by agreeing to marry me. If anything, I should be trying to surprise you.”
He pulled out the rose Beatrice had plucked for him in the garden and offered it to her. “When we were taking the tour, I noticed that all the blooms on the exotic-looking rosebush outside had blown . . . except for this one. It’s a September rose. Like you, it holds on through thick and thin to end up triumphant later in the season.”
“Why, Joshua,” she said softly, “I do believe you’re getting very good at saying poetic things. That describes me perfectly.” She tucked the rose into the ribbon on her bonnet so she could pull him close. “But it also describesyouvery well. So I think as long as we stay entwined, we will bloom and bloom forever.”
He kissed her then, hard and long and deep. He’d been right all along: she had definitely had her pick of the men in London. And she’d pickedhim, thank God.
He was the bachelor no more.
