Page 30 of The Baron's Return
She shifted until she could get under the bedsheets. Her wedding night had shattered her expectations. And now the realization that this was just another coupling for him—no different than what he’d shared with a number of other women if rumors were to be believed—threatened to shatter her heart.
Chapter 17
Their wedding night had gone much better than he could have expected.
Cranston grimaced at the tepid description for what had passed between him and Abigail. The consummation of their marriage had been incendiary. It threatened to tear away the walls he’d erected around his heart, forming undeniable cracks.
He wasn’t ready. Not yet. He’d been angry with Abigail for too many years. Had convinced himself that all women were fickle.
It pained him to realize he wasn’t quite as jaded as he’d believed. Which meant his heart was in danger, and that thought terrified him. There was nothing for it but to keep his distance from Abigail. For now at least. He couldn’t just fall under her spell again. He wouldn’t.
But he had no problem letting Gemma into his heart. Hell, she’d smashed her way into it after their introduction.
When she arrived that morning, she burst into the house like a small hurricane, a doll clutched in her hands. Her governess trailed behind her, shaking her head in exasperation at her charge’s exuberance.
Abigail gathered her up in her arms and gave her a tight squeeze. “I missed you this morning.”
Gemma’s arms wrapped around her mother’s neck. “It was strange not having breakfast with you.”
Abigail released her, and Gemma looked up at him, shy for the first time since he’d met her.
He crouched. “We can all have breakfast together now.”
A smile lit her face, and she took the two steps that separated them and gave him a quick hug. He wanted to clutch her to him as Abigail had done, but it was too soon for that. He’d have to let her lead when it came to their relationship. She might have accepted him as her father, but it would still take time for her to grow completely comfortable around him.
“Let me show you around the house. Your room is ready for you.”
It was easy to avoid Abigail while not going out of his way to make it look like he was avoiding her with Gemma there. Her lessons were suspended for the day since his daughter wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on anything other than the way her life had completely changed.
He knew it wasn’t customary, but they had dinner together en famille. He couldn’t recall ever doing so at her age, He’d always eaten in the nursery with his nurse and then his tutor when he was older. After that, he’d gone away to school. He was quite a bit older when it was deemed appropriate for him to join his parents for the evening meal.
But he enjoyed himself more than he’d thought he would. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d used this room but now he could foresee making their family dinner a daily ritual.
After the meal, they retired to the drawing room, and Gemma asked him to tell her a story from his years in the army. He hated to think about that time. There were so many things he’d seen and done that he never wanted to relive. His nightmares wouldn’t allow him to escape them, but he wouldn’t share that part of his experiences with Gemma.
Instead, he told her about some of the amusing antics that the men in his regiment would get up to during the quiet times. Some of those men were gone now, their lives snuffed out in service to their country. But he wanted to remember them in those quiet, happy moments, and it gave him joy to share those stories.
At some point Gemma leaned against him and he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her closer to his side. It wasn’t long before he noticed that her eyes were starting to droop.
He tweaked her nose. “I think I’ll continue this tomorrow.” He looked at Abigail. “If I’m not mistaken, I think it might be time for you to go to bed now.”
Abigail nodded, smiling at the two of them. That smile did something funny to his chest, and he had to look away lest he fall under the woman’s spell again tonight.
Gemma pouted. “I want to hear the rest of the story. What happened when the soldier fell into the river?”
He chuckled at the way she opened her eyes a little wider than normal, intent on convincing him that she wasn’t about to fall asleep.
“Tomorrow night, my gem.” He stood and held his hand out to her.
She scrunched her nose, and for a moment he feared she was going to protest the way he’d shortened her name. She didn’t take his hand when she stood, going to her mother instead.
Abigail engulfed her in a hug. “Sweet dreams, Gemma.”
“Good night, Mama,” she said, placing a kiss on her mother’s cheek.
He’d allowed his hand to drop to his side, disappointed. But instead of him having to watch while Abigail took her upstairs, Gemma came to his side and slipped her hand into his.
To her credit, Abigail stayed back as he brought their daughter upstairs. Gemma was already so mature. He didn’t think there would be many more opportunities to do this with her. Before long, she’d be rolling her eyes at him and telling him that she was old enough to go upstairs on her own.
