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Authors: Nina Coombs Pykare
Tags: regency Gothic Romance
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to the door that opened into his room, he blew me a kiss. "Stay cozy till I send Betty to help you dress."
As he shut the door to his room, I sighed luxuriantly and stretched, letting my hands stray toward my stomach. Now I was a wife and perhaps already I was on my way to becoming a mother.
Betty came in good time and helped me into my gown, clicking her tongue as she retrieved Edward's discarded clothing. "Just like a little one a man be," she chuckled. "When he be wanting that." She looked at me slyly, perhaps wondering if I would take offense, but on that morning nothing could have offended me. I simply laughed with her.
"I will see you later, Betty," I said when I was dressed. "I will be taking over some of the boys' care." I paused. "But I wonder, would you continue to look out for them?"
"Of course, milady." She eyed me leerily. "But them twins—"
"It’s not uncommon for twins to create their own language," I said calmly.
Betty's eyes widened. "You mean that ain't the devil atalking through them?"
"Of course not, Betty. It's just a language they've made up."
Betty grinned. "Well I never! Them little rascals! Sure, milady, I'll be watching of 'em."
* * * *
I hummed under my breath as I descended the great stairs. The hall was just as gloomy as ever, but my spirits were so high that even the darkness seemed warm.
The sideboard was loaded with food. I filled a plate, eager to eat and get to the boys. I planned to start that day with history, teaching them more about the reign of Henry VIII. They should know more about that monarch than his abhorrence of things Catholic.
I had put away a good amount of food and was feeling quite pleased with myself and with life in general when I heard a whistling in the hall.
I looked up in time to see a man enter the room. I knew at once that he was Edward's brother, Robert. The family resemblance was there, though Robert did not appear to be nearly as handsome as my husband.
He was younger, but there was a certain slackness around his overfull lips, a certain puffiness around his jaded eyes, that bespoke a life of dissipation.
The glance he threw my way on first entering the room soon became a detailed perusal of my person. "Well, well," he exclaimed. "Edward didn't say you were such a beauty."
He crossed and took my hand, raising it to his lips in a practiced gesture, but I remained unimpressed. Rakes had always seemed to me at best rather useless creatures.
"No words of welcome from such a vision of loveliness?" He grinned at me and I conceded that he had a certain charm. "Has she perhaps the voice of a frog?"
"Her voice is quite normal." Edward came into the room, moving directly to my side.
I had already removed my fingers from his brother's grasp. Edward took them possessively in his own. A surge of warmth rippled through me.
"Have you seen your sons yet?" I asked Robert.
He shrugged. "No. They're well enough, though, I suppose."
I glared at the man. "Well enough! And how would you know? Man, these are your children, your own flesh and blood! Have you no feeling for them?"
He didn't seem the least perturbed. "My dear Hester, you will get nowhere by yelling at me in that shrewish fashion. As Edward will be only too glad to tell you."
My husband's tightened lips confirmed this and he nodded grimly.
Robert laughed. "It's no use, Hester. I cannot be reformed. I'm too much like our dear departed father for reformation. Give me wine, women, and song—and I'm happy."
"You're disgusting," Edward said grimly. "How long do you plan to stay this time?"
"Till quarter day, of course." He cast a shrewd glance at Edward. "Unless, of course, you'll give me my money now."
Edward cursed, then looked to me and clamped his mouth shut.
"Forgive my dear brother," Robert said with false cheerfulness. "He's forgotten how to act around a woman."
This I knew to be a lie, but I did not respond to his baiting.
"The care of the earldom weighs heavy on his shoulders," Robert
As he shut the door to his room, I sighed luxuriantly and stretched, letting my hands stray toward my stomach. Now I was a wife and perhaps already I was on my way to becoming a mother.
Betty came in good time and helped me into my gown, clicking her tongue as she retrieved Edward's discarded clothing. "Just like a little one a man be," she chuckled. "When he be wanting that." She looked at me slyly, perhaps wondering if I would take offense, but on that morning nothing could have offended me. I simply laughed with her.
"I will see you later, Betty," I said when I was dressed. "I will be taking over some of the boys' care." I paused. "But I wonder, would you continue to look out for them?"
"Of course, milady." She eyed me leerily. "But them twins—"
"It’s not uncommon for twins to create their own language," I said calmly.
Betty's eyes widened. "You mean that ain't the devil atalking through them?"
"Of course not, Betty. It's just a language they've made up."
Betty grinned. "Well I never! Them little rascals! Sure, milady, I'll be watching of 'em."
* * * *
I hummed under my breath as I descended the great stairs. The hall was just as gloomy as ever, but my spirits were so high that even the darkness seemed warm.
The sideboard was loaded with food. I filled a plate, eager to eat and get to the boys. I planned to start that day with history, teaching them more about the reign of Henry VIII. They should know more about that monarch than his abhorrence of things Catholic.
I had put away a good amount of food and was feeling quite pleased with myself and with life in general when I heard a whistling in the hall.
I looked up in time to see a man enter the room. I knew at once that he was Edward's brother, Robert. The family resemblance was there, though Robert did not appear to be nearly as handsome as my husband.
He was younger, but there was a certain slackness around his overfull lips, a certain puffiness around his jaded eyes, that bespoke a life of dissipation.
The glance he threw my way on first entering the room soon became a detailed perusal of my person. "Well, well," he exclaimed. "Edward didn't say you were such a beauty."
He crossed and took my hand, raising it to his lips in a practiced gesture, but I remained unimpressed. Rakes had always seemed to me at best rather useless creatures.
"No words of welcome from such a vision of loveliness?" He grinned at me and I conceded that he had a certain charm. "Has she perhaps the voice of a frog?"
"Her voice is quite normal." Edward came into the room, moving directly to my side.
I had already removed my fingers from his brother's grasp. Edward took them possessively in his own. A surge of warmth rippled through me.
"Have you seen your sons yet?" I asked Robert.
He shrugged. "No. They're well enough, though, I suppose."
I glared at the man. "Well enough! And how would you know? Man, these are your children, your own flesh and blood! Have you no feeling for them?"
He didn't seem the least perturbed. "My dear Hester, you will get nowhere by yelling at me in that shrewish fashion. As Edward will be only too glad to tell you."
My husband's tightened lips confirmed this and he nodded grimly.
Robert laughed. "It's no use, Hester. I cannot be reformed. I'm too much like our dear departed father for reformation. Give me wine, women, and song—and I'm happy."
"You're disgusting," Edward said grimly. "How long do you plan to stay this time?"
"Till quarter day, of course." He cast a shrewd glance at Edward. "Unless, of course, you'll give me my money now."
Edward cursed, then looked to me and clamped his mouth shut.
"Forgive my dear brother," Robert said with false cheerfulness. "He's forgotten how to act around a woman."
This I knew to be a lie, but I did not respond to his baiting.
"The care of the earldom weighs heavy on his shoulders," Robert
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