Page 128 of Dick Stone, Regency Stud
“I love you, Edward,” she said with a sigh, pressing her cheek against his waistcoat. “And I’m happy we have my stepson with us again. And I’m happy that I see our street up there.”
“And I love you, Tabitha Stone,” he said. “And I especially love that I’ll have you in our bed again soon.”
“Oh, but I’m hungry! Let’s get dinner first. There’s a new woman selling pies,” said Tabby as they approached their rooms. “Pork this time.”
“Is this an attempt to get dinner out of me?” asked Edward, ruffling Tabby’s clean hair.
“If there’s a baby already, he’ll be starving and upset soon,” said Tabitha, bringing his hand to her belly. “Unless he gets pie.”
“What a convincing wench you are, my dear nug,” said Edward, urging Tencendor on as the sun shone over London.
Epilogue
London, eighteen months later
“Darling, wake up, the most extraordinary thing has happened!”
Tabitha Stone, Marchioness of Chasterly, roused from her slumber to find that her husband Edward had personally carried the breakfast tray to their enormous bed. She adjusted her fine, diaphanous nightgown and surveyed the offerings.
“Did the Breechess send new rum kicks?” she asked in her old cant, curious about additions to his wardrobe as she struggled awake.
“No, no, her ladies are still working on the gold embroidery.”
“What could be more important than your tailoring, darling?” she asked, wrinkling her nose as she jammed toast into a soft-boiled egg and sipped a cup of chocolate.
“Patter is that old Rymer has been arrested!”
“The barber?” she asked, her hand falling so fast it made the plentiful silverware rattle. “Whatever for? He didn’t drawgoodteeth, did he?”
“More n’ that!” cried Edward, opening the gazette on the counterpane. “Magistrate claims he’s been murdering! In the shop! Next to my old office!”
Tabby gasped and read the article while Edward buttered a crumpet and smeared it with marmalade. He handed it to her, and she took it without looking up.
“But this doesn’t say what he did with the bodies,” said Tabby, pointing to the newsprint.
“Say, you don’t suppose he was doing the killin’ when those gents were yelling? When we were in the office?” asked Edward, stealing a grape from the tray.
They were both struggling to recall whether they’d ever seen patronsleaveMr. Rymer’s barber shop when there was a scratch at the door.
“Oh, I asked Mary Ann to bring the baby up,” said Edward, calling for the nursemaid to enter. “I thought you might like to see him before I show you the second bit of news I wanted to share.”
“Show me?” she asked, holding her arms out for the infant. “Secondbit of news? Not another murderer, I hope?”
Nelson de Ros Brewer Stone, Viscount Hardmere, yowled upon leaving his nursemaid’s arms. At least the baby needn’t cry about being saddled with the Netherwallop viscountcy; his besotted papa had arranged for an alternate, much less humiliating courtesy title.
“Not sure why he does that when he should know by now that each time he’s moved, he lands in his favorite spot,” said Edward, watching as Tabby helped the baby latch on her nipple. “And his papa’s favorite spot.”
Tabitha cast her husband a heated glance while he surveyed their domestic scene with a look of immense satisfaction on his handsome face.
As Edward settled in beside his marchioness to read her the gazette, he let his fingers trail through her hair. It was still far shorter than the fashion; she’d been so closely cropped before that even a year and a half of growth could barely reach below her chin.
He loved her locks, unreservedly, those curls and straight pieces all mixed, soft and clean because he’d once caught an urchin picking his pocket. And presumed to care for the minx.
Even now, Edward loved to wash Tabby’s hair in their great bath, reveling in the sense that love had revealed something beautiful. And free of lice.
Baby Nelson had similar hair, it seemed, his little whorls and straight pieces all jumbled together to make a soft cap for his darling boy. His first child after having sired so many.
When Nelson had fallen asleep three times in a row and finally released his mama’s nipple, Edward carried him out to his nursemaid for a nap.
