Page 82 of What a Lord Wants

She rolled her eyes. “It most certainly was not—”

“Isaid it would be nice if they had a special treat to welcome them on their first day, andyousaid that being at school would be a grand treat in itself. ButIsaid—”

“Mr. Whitby,” Mrs. Smith interrupted as the two of them fell into one of their usual arguments about how competent Whitby was—or wasn’t—as they made their way from the room, “you do not know the first thing about children.”

“I do.” He had the cheek to appear wounded, when everyone in the room knew that Mrs. Smith’s accusation was true. “I am very good with children. Why, I could care for little Genevieve just fine.”

Mariah paled.

“La! You don’t know the first thing about changing or feeding a baby.”

“What’s so difficult about it?” He blinked, his expression earnest as he followed Mrs. Smith into the hallway. “I saddle and feed my own horse sometimes…”

Papa laughed, used to their antics, and followed after them.

But Robert paused in the doorway, to cast back a look of love at his wife and daughter. Then he said, his tone brooking no argument, “Don’t ever leave Whitby alone with my child.”

Mariah laughed. With a lift of his brow to punctuate his comment, he disappeared into the hallway after the others.

Then she smiled gratefully at the nurse, who stood patiently by the door, just in case she was needed. “Mrs. Parton, thank you for your help this afternoon. Why don’t you go downstairs and take some refreshment? We’ll be here for at least another hour, now that the gentlemen have started into their cups.”

“Thank you, my lady.” With a bobbed curtsy, she gratefully slipped away.

Mariah picked up the baby. Genevieve fussed in her sleep and gave a soft sound of irritation, only to heave out a deep sigh and melt against Mariah’s shoulder.

Eve smiled. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

“I hope so. Elizabeth has been very supportive. She’s given me all kinds of good advice.” Her eyes shined. “After all that woman experienced raising Robert and his brothers, she certainly knows how to survive as a mother.”

Knowing the Carlisles as well as she did, Eve could only imagine the trials the dowager duchess went through. She prayed that she would be half as good a mother.

She watched as Mariah swayed gently back and forth and hummed softly to the baby, who had once more drifted back into deep sleep. Her sister was a marvel. Hopefully, Eve and her baby would come through the birth as equally strong and healthy.

Eve carried her teacup back to the refreshments table and set it down. She reached for another one of the little cucumber sandwiches. Her fifth. But she couldn’t resist. Lately, she felt as if she could eat a horse. On second thought…best to take a couple of biscuits, too.

“When you gave birth,” she asked Mariah over her shoulder, “was there much pain?”

“A great deal.”

Eve’s gaze darted to her sister, the biscuit poised in the air halfway to her lips. “Truly?”

“It felt like someone was attempting to rip me in half from the inside-out. And someone was.” She smiled at the baby, and her voice lowered into a motherly sing-song cadence. “Oh yes, you were. Weren’t you, my darling?”

Eve suddenly lost her appetite. She dropped the unwanted biscuit onto the tray and let her hand fall to her belly. Thank God the sickness had stopped a few weeks ago, or that revelation would have been enough to cast up her accounts all over the rug.

Not moving her attention away from Genevieve, Mariah asked, “And when is your baby due?”

Eve froze, except for her heart, which leapt painfully into her throat. Instantly losing her breath, she rasped, “Pardon?”

Mariah sent her a sly smile, knowing it was true without having to ask. “You were uncharacteristically tired all of the time and ill to your stomach in the mornings. Now you’re eating like a starved prisoner, with dark circles around your eyes, swollen ankles…I recognized the signs in you a few weeks ago and was simply waiting for you to tell me. And then Genevieve decided to make her debut, and we hadn’t had a chance to talk privately.”

She put the baby back into the bassinette and pulled the little blanket over her to tuck her in. She hurried over to Eve and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh, Evie! I’m so thrilled for you!” Mariah took her hands and pulled her down to sit beside her on the settee. Her hand went to Eve’s belly, although there was barely a bump there. “When are you due?”

“Next spring.” Which suddenly felt so close that it seemed as if it were looming with the dawn. “The end of May.”

“Oh, you have to tell Papa! We’ll arrange a dinner at our house, and you and Ellsworth can surprise Papa and Robert with the news. And the duchess, too. Elizabeth thinks of you as a daughter and will be hurt if she’s not there.” Her face shined with excitement, which only made Eve’s heart sink to the floor. “Ellsworth must be simply beside himself with pride. Tell me—what did he say when you told him? How did he react?”