the ladies of the ton who would hate the idea of a bastard being near their precious daughters.
“You are late,” Harry grumbled as Simon approached.
“As if I care,” Simon said with a laugh before turning his attention on Louisa. “Alas, I might care about not seeing you.”
“Hah! You only want to see your nephew,” Louisa retorted.
“I didn’t know he was here. Seeing George will definitely make this evening less dull.”
“Lady Leicester insisted I must bring George with us so that I could stay longer. Come up to the nursery with me.”
He waggled his brows at her. “Are you certain you trust me alone in the nursery with you, Duchess?”
Louisa laughed. “Nurse will be there.”
“Oh, very well, let me go up and see the young man.”
He followed Louisa up the steps to the nursery and smiled when he heard the cries of a three-month-old. “He sounds hungry.”
“He is always hungry. So, you only have a moment.” Louisa turned her attention to her niece, Jane, asleep in the infant bed. “Nurse Godwin, has Jane been good for you?”
“Of course, Your Grace. Jane is a sweet little thing. Hasn’t made a sound even with the little lordship’s cries.”
“Excellent. I will let my sister know when I return to the ball.”
Simon relieved the nurse of her charge, picking up George and held the infant above his head. “My goodness, you have grown in a fortnight, sir.”
George stopped crying and cooed down at his uncle.
“How do you always manage to calm the boy?” Louisa asked. “Not even Harry can do that.”
“It’s usually the ladies I’m good with, but I’m his scoundrel of an uncle, so why wouldn’t he love me?” Simon said before a copious amount of drool hit him in the chin. “All right, I believe he is all yours now, Duchess.”
Louisa took her son and moved to a chair. “Leave us be so I can feed this hungry boy. And please let Tessa know that Jane is well.”
“Of course.” Simon wiped his chin and walked out of the room. There was something about seeing his nephew that always lightened his mood. The innocence of a baby, he supposed. All goodness. Something he saw so little of in a gaming hell.
After returning downstairs, he let Harry know that his wife would be indisposed for a while and then let Louisa’s sister know her daughter was well. He never felt at ease in the ballrooms of the elite. Staring about the ballroom indifferently, he decided to try the gaming room. The small gaming room was set up with table games in the center, surrounded by card games. He decided to try his luck at the card table.
He stopped a footman walking by and grabbed a snifter of brandy from the tray. He sipped the smoky liquid and realized it was as good as what he served at Hell.
“Kingsley, good to see you tonight,” Lord Ainsley said, also snatching a brandy. They both sat at the écarté table. “It’s been months.”
“Well, unlike you, I don’t hibernate in Scotland all winter long.”
Ainsley chuckled. “True, but it is far nicer than staying in town.”
Simon tilted his head with a smug smile. “Is it?
“If I’m not mistaken, you spent a good portion of the winter at your brother’s estate. While not quite Scotland, not terribly far from it.”
“Touché, Ainsley.”
He’d only stayed at Northrop Park to await his nephew’s arrival just after the new year. Unlike Ainsley, Simon returned to town in mid-January.
They played a few hands of écarté, and Simon lost a small amount. Lady Leicester refused to have large stakes at her gaming tables. Seeing the lady herself wander into the room, he smiled at the eccentric older woman. She wore a deep blue gown and a turban on her head. Sticking out of the turban were three long peacock feathers, waving like flags in the wind.
Both men rose and bowed to the countess.
“Good evening again, Lady Leicester,” Simon said.
“Good evening, Ainsley, Mr. Kingsley,” Lady Leicester said as she glanced about the room. “Now, why are two of the most eligible gentlemen sitting in my gaming room instead of dancing with all the beautiful ladies in the ballroom?”
“Ahh, but the dancing only just started, ma’am,” Ainsley replied with a smile.
“Well, now that it has, I expect you both to dance tonight. I shall take no rebuttals from you, Kingsley.” She gave him a pointed look. “Many good families would be more than willing to accept you as a husband for one of their daughters.”
“You mean accept my money