A Reckless Desire (43 page)

“Mrs. Willow, isn't it?” she asked, excited despite her weariness. “Did Rivers propose? Did you accept?”

The others fell silent, leaving only the crying baby. Harry took him back from the duke, soothing him to a whimper, which only made the silence following Gus's questions more awkward still.

Rivers's fingers tightened around Lucia's. “I have proposed, yes,” he said. “Exactly as you advised, Gus, and Lucia has almost accepted me.”

Gus frowned beneath the ruffled cap. “How can she almost accept? She either has, or she hasn't. Mrs. Willow, can you explain? Do you not love him?”

“I do love him, with all my heart,” Lucia said, hesitating. “But because of that, I know I will make him unhappy.”

“That is not possible,” Gus declared, holding her arms out for the fretful baby. “Not if you love him as you say.”

Carefully Harry settled the baby back into her arms, and Gus put him to her breast. At once he quieted, peacefully suckling as she rocked him gently, and she smiled with contentment herself, especially after Harry rested his hand on her shoulder. When she looked back to Lucia, her expression was soft with love, yet determined, too.

“Without love, you'll never be happy,” Gus said softly. “But with it, anything is possible. With love, you
will
be happy.”

Lucia nodded, her heart so full she feared she might weep from the weight of it. All she had to do now was say yes to Rivers, yes to love, and yet as she gazed up at him, emotion had robbed her of her voice. She, who could make a theater full of people weep at her words, suddenly had none of her own.

“It's my fault,” the duke said suddenly. “I said I wouldn't give my consent to Rivers marrying Mrs. Willow.”

“Oh, Brecon,” Gus said. “How could you? Look at them. How could you stand in the way of love like that?”

“I won't, not now,” the duke said gruffly, gazing down at his new grandson. “Babies change things, don't they? Rivers, you have my blessing. As Gus says, if you love her and she loves you, then that will be enough. That will be everything.”

“It
is
everything,” Rivers said firmly. For the second time that night, he dropped down on one knee before Lucia. “Will you marry me, Lucia? Will you be mine forever?”

Lucia smiled, and let her tears slip. “Yes, Rivers,” she said. “Yes, yes, yes.”

One year later

The invitations had been written in French, and therefore sounded dauntingly formal:
Fête Solstice d'été avec la Famille.
But the truth of the Duke of Breconridge's annual Midsummer Party with the Family was that it was neither formal, nor daunting. Instead it was a country affair for all the members of the duke's extended family, including every nephew and cousin as well as their wives, sons, and daughters, gathered together beneath the summer sun at Breconridge House. Every child was welcome, no matter how young, and for this one week of the year, the large old house echoed with the children's laughter and excitement.

This was the first year that Lord and Lady Rivers Fitzroy attended the
fête,
not only as husband and wife, but also as a small family themselves. Two months earlier had brought the birth of their daughter, Juliet, who was herself making her first appearance before the extended family.

Juliet had been named for one of her mother's most famous roles, and had in fact performed it many times with her. London theatergoers had been willing to overlook their favorite actress's pregnancy, and the famous Mrs. Willow continued to perform nearly until Juliet's arrival. As a result, her father, Rivers, was jovially predicting that her first word would not be
Mama
or
Papa,
but
Romeo.

But for now she was a charming, happy baby, with her father's blond hair and her mother's round cheeks, and there was nothing she liked more than being on her mother's lap and watching the water drops fly and scatter from the fountain in her grandfather's garden.

“She does like the fountain,” Lucia said. “She's fascinated.”

“Every child loves that fountain,” Rivers said. “I know, for I was one of them once. Next step she'll want to put her hands in the water, then will come wading, and then finally she'll want to climb into the center to ride the lead horses that spurt the water.”

“I'd like that,” Lucia said. “Would your father be upset if I went wading, too?”

“Oh, I doubt it,” Rivers said easily. “Nothing much upsets him these days.”

Lucia smiled, for they both understood the reason for the change in the once-overbearing duke's temperament. Thanks to Gus and Harry, not only did he finally have his heir in their son, young George, but Serena and Geoffrey had also recently given him a second grandson, Charles. With his legacy secure, the formerly stern duke had learned to relax and enjoy all his grandchildren, boys and girls alike, and had even been observed giving the occasional pony ride on his shoulders.

“You realize it will be our turn for a boy next,” Rivers continued. “It's the law of averages, you know. Mathematical observations would prove that after so many—”

“Hush,” Lucia scolded gently. “No mathematical anything today. I am on holiday, and I mean to enjoy it. You should, too, if you've any sense.”

Rivers grinned, and took Juliet from her, cradling her in the crook of his arm. “I would be a fool not to enjoy this day, here in the sunshine with my two favorite ladies.”

“As it should be,” Lucia said, her face softening as she gazed at the two people she loved best. “Gus was right. Love is enough.”

“Not even Shakespeare could have written it better,” Rivers said, leaning over the baby to kiss her. “With you, love is everything.”

“Everything,” repeated Lucia softly. “Everything.”

For Junessa
,

for always making my books better

As always
,
many thanks must go to the friends and colleagues who shared both their support and their expertise: Kimberly Alexander, Loretta Chase, Abby Cox, Mary Doering, Beth Dunn, Jay Howlett, Neal Hurst, Jenny Lynn, Mark Hutter, Michael McCarty, Annelise Robey, Mollie Smith, Janea Whitacre, and Sarah Woodyard.

When You Wish Upon a Duke

When the Duchess Said Yes

When the Duke Found Love

A Wicked Pursuit

A Sinful Deception

A Reckless Desire

I
SABELLA
B
RADFORD
is a pseudonym for Susan Holloway Scott, the award-winning author of more than forty historical novels and historical romances. Her bestselling books have been published in nineteen countries and translated into fourteen languages, with more than three million copies in print. Bradford also writes as half of the Two Nerdy History Girls (
twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com
), an entertaining history blog that is also on Twitter (
@2nerdyhistgirls
) and Pinterest (
pinterest.com/​2nerdyhistgirls
). A graduate of Brown University, she lives with her family outside Philadelphia.

IsabellaBradford.com

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