Price of Desire (47 page)

Rose smiled at him
,
trying to return the reassurance that both these men offered her
.
“I have heard that the second child can be more difficult
.
But, the duchess is young and strong
.
I am sure all will be well once she has passed these first few months.”

“I pray you are right
.
She has proved most resilient in the past.
”
The duke’s smile grew less practiced.

Wimberl
e
y chuckled suddenly
.
“Yes, as long as you can keep the dear duchess off balustrad
es
,
I am sure all will be well. It is evident that her condition has done much to lighten your mood,
Westlake
.
Now, te
ll me, Lady Burberry, did you ever slide down the stair rail as a girl?”
 

Would she still marry him
?
The question revolved through Wulf’s thoughts
.
He pulled a dead branch off a tree and attacked a small sapling with deadly precision.

Thrust, parry, thrust
.
The force of each blow resounded with his growing frustration.

How could such joy bring such despair
?
He stopped mid-swing
.
Despair
?
Did he feel despair at the prospect of losing Rose
?
It would be easy to say it was the loss of Anna he feared, but in all honesty that thought had never once entered his mind
.
He knew that no matter what happened he would not let his daughter be taken from him, but what of her mother
?
Could he weave a
net
around Rose that would hold her tight despite his loss of title and wealth
?
He knew he would not hold her to the betrothal if she wished to be released
.
He drew back the switch and let it swing full force.

“You sh
ouldn’t be doing that
.
The gardener
guards those trees
.
I lose my pudding if I even peel the bark
.
He won’t like you hitting them.
”
Anna stared up at him
.
“Will you teac
h me to swing like that
?
Mama said she learned how to use a sword once
.
Maybe if I learn she’ll let me have mine back
.
She made Matson take them off the wall in the nursery, said they were too dangerous
.
Do you think if you showed me how I could have them back
?
How will I keep the monsters away if I don’t have my swords?”

“I am sure your mother is right
.
They are very dangerous
.
You wouldn’t want to be hurt.
”
Wulf bent down beside his daughter until their eyes were level
.
He wanted to gentle the message of his words
.
He couldn’t resist smiling at her
.
When they’d first met he’d thought her a child
of few
words, but the more time they spent together the more verbose she became
.

“If I knew how to use them I wouldn’t get hurt.”

“Women don’t use swords.”

“Of course they do
.
I already told you about Mama, and there was
a goddess with a sword
.
I’ve seen drawings in books
.
I don’t see why I shouldn’t get to keep my swords
.
My father gave them to me.”

“I know the
a
dmiral did, but I am not sure he meant for you to use them.”

“I am sure he was just waiting for me to be big and I am big now.
”
Anna puffed out her tiny chest
.
“I am a big girl.”

“Yes, I am sure you are, but maybe not quite big enough for swords
.
If I promise to teach you with a stick, do you think you could be happy with that?
”
Was she really only
four
?
Wulf had not been so cornered by many an adult conversation.

“But my father gave me the swords
.
They are mine
.
Now they’re in the library
.
Who needs
swords in a library?”

“I don’t think you need them in a nursery either
.
Don’t you have something else of your father’s?”

Anna chewed her lower lip, a gesture so reminiscent of her mother Wulf almost groaned
.
With muddy fingers she slowly reached up and undid the top button of her dress, then slipping her fingers inside she drew out a thin gold c
hain, a chain strung with
brass buttons.

“I have this
.
Mama gave it to me last year
.
She said they were my father’s
.
I don’t remember him with big buttons, but he
was always in bed
.
Do Admiral
s have brass buttons?”

Yes they did, but not these buttons
.
Wulf could remember his bitterness as he sliced them from his uniform
.
He’d never actually thought Rose would give them to Anna and to say they were from her father
.
His heart beat so loudly in his chest he was surprised Anna did not remark on it.

She rambled on happily
.
“They used to be on a ribbon
.
A bright green one
.
It got old
.
Then Mama put them on a red one, but it got old
,
too
.
Then she said I was old enough for jewels
,
so she put them on a necklace
.
Do you think they’re pretty
?
Would you like one?”

Wulf reached out and let his fingers lay upon one of the buttons
.
It was warm from Anna’s skin
.
He glanced away from her so that she would not see the tears that sprung behind his eyes
.
He
cried silently
when he heard the news of his son, but now, this small gesture from a tiny princess threatened to overwhelm him.

“I have my own bu
ttons, very much like these
.
Besides they’re not half as pretty as who’s wearing them.”

“Do you think I am pretty
?
I am practicing to be a lady, just like Mama
.
I think being pretty is important, but she says it’s how you act.”

“I’ve certainly always been able to tell a lady by her actions.”

“Is Mama right, then
?
Mama says,” Anna paused, her face stiff with concentration, “
it all depends on being kind and thinking about others first
.
That a true lady always considers how others will feel
.
I don’t think that sounds like much fun.”

Wulf paused and let her lilting words settle around him
.
He’d certainly never considered that the creed of a lady, but here in the garden, surrounded by the scent of summer blossoms, it did not seem nearly so impossible.

“I am not sure it’s supposed to be fun
.
I know it’s hard for a princess to understand, but life isn’t all fun
.
But, in the end there is a reward to come from doing what is right
.
I know there can be a heavy price to pay when we follow our desires and not our conscience.”

“Did you talk to Mama about this
?
I don’t understand
.
Can we go play ball, or how about hunt the dragon?”

He settled on his heels beside her, his eyes caught again by the string of buttons about her neck
.
He would never have believed Rose would give it to her
.

“I need to speak with your mother
.
I’d love to play with you, but right now I need to find your mother and settle some things
.
But, I am still planning on our ride
.
Why don’t you go ask in the stables if
the
paths are dry yet?
”

He stood, stretching the ache out of his long legs
.
He had never realized how rough children could be on the body.

“Oh, and Anna, I think you’d best tell your Nanny where you
’
r
e
going
.
I don’t want any more worry.”

“She knows I am here
.
She’s just up on the terrace reading a book about pirates
.
It
has kissing
.
That’s not fun
.
Why isn’t the pirate fun
?”

“Having only met one, I couldn’t say.”

“You met a pirate
?
What was he like
?
Did he have a wooden leg and parrot and only one eye
?
Did he have a
billowing white shirts –
Nanny keeps saying that
.
What is billowing?”

“He was only a pirate some of the time, and I think often he didn’t wear any shirt at all, but I shouldn’t be telling that to you.”

Anna stared at him her eyes huge
.
“Can it be our secret
?
We need a secret
.
I won’t tell about shirtless pirates if you don’t.
”
Her tone turned serious
.
“
Tell me more.
”

“Of course
,
I
will
, but not now.”

“Pleeease.”

“If I tell you one more little part of the secret will you go and find Nanny and then check on the paths?”

“How about a big part?”

“A middle size one.”

“Pact.
”
She held up her tiny hand
.
He wrapped in his own, and shook.

“Pact
.
My pirate was the brother of a duke.”

“Then why was he a pirate?”

“That’s the rest of the story
.
Now, go keep your promise.”

“Yes, sir.
”
She saluted him like a proper soldier, or knowing her training probably a sailor, and scurried off.”

Wulf ambled over to a bench and sat, tipping his head back to catch the late morning sun
.
He needed to find Rose and talk to her, to set things straight between them
.
His head still spun with the news that his Peter would live, and seeing that single string of buttons at Anna’s neck had spoken to him more than words ever could.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth shining on his face
.
The sun was out, whether it would remain so was yet to be determined.

“What dress will you wear for the wedding?”

Rose had barely escaped from Wimberly and
Westlake
and now here was Marguerite
.
A woman should be able to find privacy in her own bedchamber.

“I haven’t even thought about that yet, dearest.”

“How can you not have thought of it
?
It
i
s almost the most important thing
.
I suppose who you marry is more important, but you
ha
ve already taken care of that part.”

Rose smile
d
at her sister, hoping her
fatigue
didn’t show
.
All she wanted was to lie down and close her eyes for a moment
.
She didn’t want to think about dresses and flowers, she knew they were coming next
.

“Marguerite, how would you like to be in charge of the wedding
?
I don’t know whether it will be today or tomorrow, but
Westlake
arrived with the license, so there is nothing to delay us.”