Page 412 of Historical Hotties
Sparrow wasn’t able to speak a word before Arissa was dragging her off into the manor. Gisella grinned at her mother’s over-anxious attention before turning her focus to her father and holding out her hands.
“May I have my baby, Papa?” she asked. “I must tend to her swaddling.”
Richmond appeared greatly disappointed. “Now?”
“Now,” Gisella said. “Unless you want to be covered in….”
Richmond cut her off as he immediately handed over his granddaughter. He wanted nothing to do with soiled clothing and Gisella laughed softly, cradling the babe, who grinned a happy toothless grin at her mother. Richmond tickled the baby’s cheek.
“She is beautiful, Gigi,” he said softly. “She looks a bit like you did as a child. But I wonder where her blond hair came from?”
Bastian spoke. “My mother, my lord,” he said. “She was very fair.”
Richmond nodded, looking back at the baby, who was now smiling up at him. He smiled back. “Lovely Audrey,” he cooed. “What a wonderful, spoilt life you shall have. The best of everything. Even the best husband; I shall search far and wide for such a man.”
Gisella put up a hand to stop his ramblings. “She is already pledged, Papa,” she said, glancing at Bastian, who grinned in response. “Bastian’s good friend, Andrew Wellesbourne, has a six-year-old son who, I am told, is the perfect match for Audrey. He is a cute little boy, I will admit it.”
Richmond frowned. “Wellesbourne?” he repeated. “I have heard of the family, of course. They are already pledged, you say?”
Bastian laughed softly. “Not formally, of course,” he said. “But I would not be displeased if Audrey married Adam Wellesbourne. The Wellesbournes are a fine family, my lord.”
“They are sworn to Warwick, are they not?”
“Indeed they are, my lord.”
Richmond shrugged, not entirely disapproving of such a match, as he returned his attention to his granddaughter, who suddenly let out a yell. It was clear the baby’s attention was wandering and Gisella rocked her daughter to distract her.
“Papa, will you take Bastian in-hand while I go into the manse?” she asked. “You must be very nice to him. No jokes or mean questions, please?”
Richmond looked at Bastian, who was smiling openly at his wife. “I will do my best,” he said, noting the obvious adoration. That softened him to the man already. “Go inside now so that I may talk about you when you are not around.”
With an adoring smile at her father, and then her husband, Gisella followed her mother and Sparrow into the beautiful new manse. When the women were out of sight, Richmond turned to Gannon.
“So?” he said, displeased. “You think not to tell your mother and me about your wedding? Why were we not invited to attend? Once your mother overcomes her shock at your new wife, she will be very hurt.”
Gannon put up a hand to ease his father, eyeing Bastian as he did. “It happened rather… quickly,” he said, scratching his head nervously. “Do not be angry, Papa, truly.”
Richmond frowned. “Quickly?” he repeated. “What does that mean?”
“It means hehadto marry her, my lord,” Bastian explained for his friend. “They have only been married less than a month. There was no time for invitations.”
Richmond looked at Bastian, eyebrows lifted in surprise and realization, before returning his somewhat flabbergasted gaze to his son. It was evident that he wanted to become angry with him but he couldn’t seem to muster the will. Finally, he sighed.
“I cannot condemn you for that,” he muttered. “Your mother was pregnant with your older brother when I married her. Well do I remember those days, Gannon.”
Gannon was trying not to smile at his contrite father. “It seems that is a le Bec family trait, marrying women after they become pregnant.”
Richmond started to laugh but it occurred to him that he was standing with his daughter’s husband. His eyes narrowed at the man. “It had better only be a trait with the men and not the women of the family,” he said suspiciously. “If that is not the case, then you had better start running now, de Russe. I shall give you a few minutes lead before I come after you.”
Bastian threw back his head, laughing. “Only the men in the family cannot control themselves,” he said. “Your daughter and I were married for several months before she conceived.”
“Do you swear this to me?”
“I do, I swear it. Do you not think Gannon would have soundly beat me had the case been otherwise?”
Richmond stopped scowling at the man, a grin breaking forth. “How could Gannon condemn you when he himself is guilty of such a thing,” he said. Then, he slapped Bastian on the shoulder. “I am truly happy to finally meet you, de Russe. Gloucester had told me a great deal about you. He thinks a great deal of you, which was why it was difficult to turn down his proposal of a marital contract between you and my daughter. But I have also heard rumors about you and the Maid of Orleans, which have been rather confusing.”
Bastian sighed faintly. He had expected as much. The rumors about him and the Maid continued even though it had been almost two years since that tragic event. He resigned himself to the inevitable interrogation from a concerned father.
