Read Online A Brooding Beauty by Jillian Eaton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jillian Eaton
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she has done this once before.”
The mere mention of Marcus’ beloved one year old daughter Elizabeth who was playing outside under the close supervision of Hannah brought a flicker of relief to his features. “Yes,” he sighed. “Of course she has. Of course. Thank you, Josephine,” he said meaningfully.
“You are quite welcome,” she smiled. Leaving the study she shut the door quietly behind her and leaned up against it. It had not escaped her attention that Lord Melbourne had not inquired – not once – as to Grace’s whereabouts or well being. The man was cold as a dead fish. He was not suited to lick Grace’s shoes, let alone be her husband. Something had to be done, Josephine decided then and there. And she was just the person to do it.
Two hours later, her pink cheeks flushed even brighter than usual and her red hair is wild disarray, Margaret appeared at the top of the stairs to announce the arrival of Marcus’ and Catherine’s newest child, a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed girl that looked just like her mother.
“A girl! Another girl!” Marcus bellowed before he rushed up the stairs to be with his wife and newborn daughter.
“Unfortunate it wasn’t a boy,” Lord Melbourne remarked.
“Have they picked out a name?” Grace inquired.
“Sarah,” said Margaret. Sinking down on the bottom step of the stairs in an exhausted slump, she stretched her arms above her head and released a jaw cracking yawn. “And Abigail.”
“They picked out two names?” Josephine frowned. “That’s rather odd, isn’t it?”
“Not two names,” Margaret corrected. “Two babies.”
“Two babies?” Grace squealed. Leaping forward, she caught her toe on the rug Marcus had been pacing earlier in the day and went sprawling headfirst. Faster than anyone could blink Lord Melbourne reached out, caught her around her waist, and pulled her upright before he returned to slouching against the wall. “But you only said one name to Marcus,” she said, now rather breathless.
Margaret smiled. “Yes, well, Catherine wanted it to be a surprise.”
Upstairs in the quiet solitude of a charming bedroom with blue walls and yellow curtains, a very surprised – and very elated – Marcus stood over the crib of his two newborn daughters. His wife was sleeping in the room right across the hall, thoroughly exhausted but happy beyond measure. Just as Marcus turned to go be by her side, he felt a tiny tug on his trouser.
“And what do we have here?” he said, bending down to scoop up his now eldest daughter. Elizabeth smiled at him, revealing her brand new front tooth. He kissed her round cheeks and nuzzled her tuft of blond hair. She pointed at the crib and correctly interpreting her desire to meet her two new siblings, Marcus brought her over to where they peacefully slept.
Elizabeth gazed down at Sarah and Abigail, her blue eyes bright with interest, before she looked back up at her father and puffed out her cheeks. Shifting her to his hip, Marcus began to rock her back and forth. “Do you want me to tell you a fairytale, love?” he asked. Elizabeth gurgled and cooed, which Marcus decided to take as a definite ‘yes’.
“Well,” he began softly, so as not to wake the sleeping newborns or their mother, “it started when a handsome prince met a beautiful princess. They fell in love and were soon married, but the handsome prince was foolish and left the beautiful princess to search for gold…”
The sun was setting by the time Marcus got to the end of his tale. Elizabeth was sound asleep, her head resting against his shoulder, her tiny fingers curled around his neck. He kissed her brow and went back to the crib to check on the twins one more time. Abigail – or was it Sarah? He wasn’t quite sure – stared up at him with eyes the color of sapphires.
“Would you like me to finish the story?” he asked.
She blinked owlishly at him.
Marcus smiled tenderly. A surge of love swept through him, love
The mere mention of Marcus’ beloved one year old daughter Elizabeth who was playing outside under the close supervision of Hannah brought a flicker of relief to his features. “Yes,” he sighed. “Of course she has. Of course. Thank you, Josephine,” he said meaningfully.
“You are quite welcome,” she smiled. Leaving the study she shut the door quietly behind her and leaned up against it. It had not escaped her attention that Lord Melbourne had not inquired – not once – as to Grace’s whereabouts or well being. The man was cold as a dead fish. He was not suited to lick Grace’s shoes, let alone be her husband. Something had to be done, Josephine decided then and there. And she was just the person to do it.
Two hours later, her pink cheeks flushed even brighter than usual and her red hair is wild disarray, Margaret appeared at the top of the stairs to announce the arrival of Marcus’ and Catherine’s newest child, a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed girl that looked just like her mother.
“A girl! Another girl!” Marcus bellowed before he rushed up the stairs to be with his wife and newborn daughter.
“Unfortunate it wasn’t a boy,” Lord Melbourne remarked.
“Have they picked out a name?” Grace inquired.
“Sarah,” said Margaret. Sinking down on the bottom step of the stairs in an exhausted slump, she stretched her arms above her head and released a jaw cracking yawn. “And Abigail.”
“They picked out two names?” Josephine frowned. “That’s rather odd, isn’t it?”
“Not two names,” Margaret corrected. “Two babies.”
“Two babies?” Grace squealed. Leaping forward, she caught her toe on the rug Marcus had been pacing earlier in the day and went sprawling headfirst. Faster than anyone could blink Lord Melbourne reached out, caught her around her waist, and pulled her upright before he returned to slouching against the wall. “But you only said one name to Marcus,” she said, now rather breathless.
Margaret smiled. “Yes, well, Catherine wanted it to be a surprise.”
Upstairs in the quiet solitude of a charming bedroom with blue walls and yellow curtains, a very surprised – and very elated – Marcus stood over the crib of his two newborn daughters. His wife was sleeping in the room right across the hall, thoroughly exhausted but happy beyond measure. Just as Marcus turned to go be by her side, he felt a tiny tug on his trouser.
“And what do we have here?” he said, bending down to scoop up his now eldest daughter. Elizabeth smiled at him, revealing her brand new front tooth. He kissed her round cheeks and nuzzled her tuft of blond hair. She pointed at the crib and correctly interpreting her desire to meet her two new siblings, Marcus brought her over to where they peacefully slept.
Elizabeth gazed down at Sarah and Abigail, her blue eyes bright with interest, before she looked back up at her father and puffed out her cheeks. Shifting her to his hip, Marcus began to rock her back and forth. “Do you want me to tell you a fairytale, love?” he asked. Elizabeth gurgled and cooed, which Marcus decided to take as a definite ‘yes’.
“Well,” he began softly, so as not to wake the sleeping newborns or their mother, “it started when a handsome prince met a beautiful princess. They fell in love and were soon married, but the handsome prince was foolish and left the beautiful princess to search for gold…”
The sun was setting by the time Marcus got to the end of his tale. Elizabeth was sound asleep, her head resting against his shoulder, her tiny fingers curled around his neck. He kissed her brow and went back to the crib to check on the twins one more time. Abigail – or was it Sarah? He wasn’t quite sure – stared up at him with eyes the color of sapphires.
“Would you like me to finish the story?” he asked.
She blinked owlishly at him.
Marcus smiled tenderly. A surge of love swept through him, love
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