The Wary Widow (30 page)

She rolled her eyes. “So, what were you thinking about when you should have been thinking about our vows?”

“Ah,” he said, ready to confess. “I was just wondering how Michael and your cousin were faring. Elizabeth was rather indifferent the morning of the wedding, it was hard to know what she was thinking.”

Chloe remained suspiciously quiet for a moment too long.

“You little minx!” Andrew exclaimed, pulling away to look her in the eye.

“What?” she laughed.

“You know something, don’t you?”

“Of course, not. I haven’t heard a thing!”

“Show me your fingers,” Andrew demanded.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Show.
Me. Your.
Fingers.”

With a bashful grin, Chloe lifted her hands to reveal that she had two of her fingers crossed.

“You naughty girl,” Andrew growled playfully. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be spanked for such deplorable behavior as keeping vital secrets from your husband.”

Chloe giggled as Andrew tried to pick her up for a spanking.

“I’m getting to be as large as a house, Andrew!” she laughed. “You can’t spank me.”

Andrew stopped and grew serious for only a moment. “You are beautiful...and I will find a way to spank you, regardless of your size.”

With that, Andrew carried his wife to the little inn bed, reveling in the glorious sound of her laughter all the way. She was finally his.
His to love and cherish for the rest of his life.

Epilogue

“
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
!”

“Sam, no!”

Chloe looked up from her desk, wondering what on earth all the commotion in the front hall was. It didn't worry her so much—commotion was a normal part of her every day life now—but she was curious what in the world her three-year-old daughter was doing to drive poor Mrs. Finch mad this time.

She stood and left the parlor and followed the sounds of Sam's giggling to the front hall.
There
Chloe found her daughter lying on the marble floor, rolling about and laughing like a miniature hyena.

“Samantha, what have you done?”

“I keep
tellin
' her not to slide down the banisters, milady, but-”

“She is her father's daughter,” Chloe finished for her. It seemed she uttered that sentence at least a hundred times a day.

“Indeed, she is.”

Chloe swung around to see her husband standing in the doorway. “I didn't even hear the door open!” she exclaimed at the same time Sam squealed, “
Papaaaaaaaaa
!”

The little darling was going to be a menace to matrons hell-bent on propriety...and men. Good heavens, it would be a massacre, if her angel face and brilliant smile were any indication at this age.

Andrew gathered her in his arms and then bent over until she was upside down, smothering her with kisses all the while. The first time he'd done that, Chloe nearly keeled over from fright. She was sure he would drop her. But there was no forbidding the activity, for it was Sam's favorite pastime—to be dangerously suspended upside down above a marble floor. Lord
help
her!

“Chloe!”

Oh, heavens, did it never end? “Yes, Grace, what is it?”

“I need you...please!”

Chloe cast a glance at her husband, who leaned in to give her a kiss.

“You go on. I think I promised someone I would have tea with her this afternoon,” he said, tickling Samantha until she squirmed and giggled with delight.

“Coming, Grace!”

Chloe mounted the stairs at a leisurely pace, knowing it would probably be the only few moments she would get to herself the rest of the day. When she arrived at Grace's room, she halted on the threshold.

“Gracie, what is all this?”

“Please don't call me Gracie,
Clo
, it sounds so unsophisticated. No duke wants to marry a woman named Gracie.”

“Oh, do forgive me, Your Grace,
Grace
. I shall make a concerted effort to remember your proper name from now on,” she said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

“Clever,” Grace replied with a roll of her eyes. “Now, I desperately need your help. Which one is the best match?”

Grace held up five ribbons. Five yellow ribbons. Chloe let out a snort of laughter. “Good heavens, are you sure you're not cousin Lizzie's sister?”

“Chloe, this is serious! I can't go to the ball wearing the wrong color ribbon!”

“Heaven forbid.”

Grace let out an exasperated groan and threw the ribbons in the air. They landed on Tabitha, the cat, who promptly abandoned the shaft of light on the floor and ran for the closet.

“Now look at what you've done and all because of a silly ribbon.”

“Will you not take this seriously?” Grace asked, her tone low and full of censure.

Chloe sighed and shook her head. “Do you really want my opinion?”

“Yes!” her sister cried.

“All right...I think any one of these would look stunning on you, but not because they are pretty or an exact match to the slip of your gown, but because
you
are stunning no matter what you put on.”

Grace opened her mouth to protest Chloe's speech, but she raised her hand to stop her. “Ah, but I did learn something being Lizzie's chaperone...” She dipped down and picked up one of the yellow satin ribbons at random. “So, if I had to choose, I would choose this one.”

“Thank you.” Grace snatched the ribbon from Chloe's hand with a little smile.

“Milady.” Chloe whirled around to see Mrs. Finch standing in the doorway. “The Lionesses are here.”

“Right on time. Thank you, Mrs. Finch.”

“May I join you all today? Please?” Grace begged of Chloe.

“Heavens, no!
Married women only, Grace
,
you know that
. And don't you dare try to eavesdrop. The things Mrs. Finch teaches us...well, goodness, they would make a sailor blush.
You
certainly don't need to hear them.”

Grace let out a beleaguered sigh. “I do hope I catch a husband soon. I'm beginning to feel left out.”

Chloe leaned down to squeeze her sister's shoulders and gave her a little peck on the cheek. “I've no doubt this will be the year, Grace. I'll see you at dinner.”

Then she skipped down the stairs, eager for the weekly meeting of the Lionesses. They had established the tradition two years ago that when in Town, they would convene at Chloe and Andrew's residence for tea and a little scandalous discussion. Mrs. Finch had become a vital part of
tea time
, since she was the only one who could answer their more obscure questions.

“Welcome, ladies!” she exclaimed as she burst through the parlor.

A chorus of hellos ensued before they all finally took their seats. Mrs. Finch brought the tea and then promised to be back once she'd served Andrew and Sam's favorite biscuits upstairs in the nursery.

“What is Andrew doing in the nursery?” Katherine wondered as she bit into a piece of cake.

“He's playing with his daughter. He says he finally realized the benefit of being the second son of a rich
marquess
: no responsibilities whatsoever. This way he gets to play silly games with Sam and take tea with her in the afternoons. That child is going to be so spoiled by the time she's ready for the marriage mart. I pray for the poor soul who actually falls in love with her.”

“Speaking of the marriage mart, has Grace set her cap for anyone this Season?” this question came from Phoebe, who was pregnant once again, with
their
fourth child.

It seemed among the four of them that at least one of them was pregnant at any given time. Becky had given birth to two more children since Chloe had married Andrew. Katherine had another one as well, bringing their count up to four.

Chloe had a bit of catching up to do, it would seem, but it wouldn't be long now. She had found out a few days earlier that she was carrying. However, she wasn't quite ready to divulge her secret. She would have to tell her husband first, but she'd yet to find a good time to do so.

“Grace has set her cap for anyone with a title and a nice face. She's certainly trying my chaperoning skills.”

“I'm sure she'll get an offer soon,” Becky said, reaching over to give a comforting pat to Chloe's hand.

By the time the Lionesses finally ventured home, all four women were somewhat soused. Mrs. Finch had a horrible habit of dumping sherry into the teapot when no one was looking.

“Goodness me, do I finally get a few moments alone with my wife?” Andrew drawled, coming up to shut the front door from behind her.

“That depends. Are you interested in taking a nap, because there is no possible way I will make it through tonight's festivities without one.”

Andrew made a few lascivious grunting noises as he leaned down to nibble on Chloe's ear. She giggled and tried to push him away. “No, Andrew, I really need some rest.”

“Then I will join you.”

She smiled back at him as she started to ascend the staircase. “Fine, but you must promise to leave me alone. I mean it. I need a nap. Not a
nap.
”

“Understood.”

“Andrew!”

“What?” he asked, clearly trying not to laugh.
“I said I would let you rest.”

She stopped on the stair and turned to him with a sweet smile. “Good. Because in my current state, I'm feeling awfully tired.”

A wrinkle formed on Andrew's brow for a half a second before he realized what she was saying. “You mean, you're...we're...
expecting?”

“
Shhhhh
!” Chloe slapped a hand over his mouth. “I don't want anyone to know yet.”

He nibbled at her palm briefly and then scooped her up in his arms. “You really shouldn't have told me that, darling.”

“Why not?”

“Because now I will definitely not let you sleep.”

With that, Andrew carried his wife the rest of the way to their bedchamber and then spent the afternoon celebrating the good news.

THE END

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