The Rakehell of Roth (Everleigh Sisters #2) - Amalie Howard Page 0,116
I can’t wait to use them on you.”
She’d been properly scandalized. “Winter, we’re in a church!”
“I know,” he’d said. “Marry me, love?”
“We’re already married.”
He’d stared into her eyes, the moment made profound by the quiet of the beautiful church. “But if we weren’t, would you have me, Isobel?”
“With all my heart.”
Eyes aglow with love, he’d kissed her so soundly that she’d been bemused for half of the ceremony. In hindsight, Isobel knew why he’d asked the question. It was the same question he asked on occasion, as if to prove to her that he would always choose her as his wife, if ever given the choice again. And her response was always the same: with all my heart. Because she would always choose him. He was her wicked knight. Her imperfect prince. Hers.
A familiar broad-shouldered figure made her veer toward the balcony doors.
“Hiding out?” Isobel whispered in her father-in-law’s ear where he stood just inside the terrace, hands clasped behind his back.
The duke turned, glancing fondly down at the sleeping baby in Isobel’s arms. “Just for a minute. How’s my lovely girl?”
“She’s worn out,” Isobel said softly, brushing a kiss to the girl’s temple. To everyone’s surprise, Juliet had been born with a shock of auburn hair. Winter had shared that Prudence’s had been that same color as a child. Her eyes, however, were the exact same shade as Isobel’s.
“You were quite terrifying this morning,” Isobel said, mentioning his no-nonsense brusqueness at the church.
A slight smile curved the corner of his mouth. “All part of the plan, Izzy dear. Otherwise, my son would have lost sight of the important things.”
“Which was?”
“Getting his lovely bride to the altar in good time.” He shot her a conspiratorial grin. “Throwing my ducal weight around has its uses. No one wants to mess with the big bad duke.”
Lips twitching, she shot him an arch glance. “That’s clever.”
“You’re only realizing this now?” he asked.
They shared a laugh and then walked together to the edge of the huge garden terrace at Vance House. Isobel glanced to the lawns where a game of lawn cricket for the children was being set up by Violet and Molly, while the intimidating Duke of Beswick was trying to teach his four-year-old daughter Philippa how to bowl the ball while he also tried to keep a close eye on his mischievous two-year-old son Maxton, who was supposed to be fielding. Though Max was busy eating a handful of grass at the moment.
“Max, no!” Beswick groaned, bending down to wipe his son’s fingers clean.
“But I’m a bunny, Papa,” the boy insisted. “And bunnies get hungry when hopping.”
The duke nodded and gave him a kiss. “After this game, we’ll have a proper snack for little boys. Grass will make you ill, and we don’t want to miss out on cakes later, do we?”
The boy’s eyes lit up as he nodded enthusiastically.
Meanwhile at the other end of the makeshift cricket pitch, Isobel’s husband was showing their fifteen-month-old son how to hit, meaning that Winter was clutching a squirming toddler in one arm while attempting to swing a bat with the other. Unlike his quiet twin sister—older by a mere twelve minutes—James Darcy Vance had come screaming into the world like a warrior with a cap of blond fuzz and his father’s gray eyes. Also blessed with his father’s devilish charm, and much like his sister, he already had his grandfather wrapped firmly around his finger.
“Winter,” Isobel called out, trying not to wake Juliet, though she slept like the dead. “He’s going to get clocked in the eye.”
Both her son and her husband looked in the direction of her voice, and her heart filled with an incandescent joy at the sight of the two male loves of her life. Her son definitely favored his father in looks.
“He’s a natural,” Winter crowed. “Going for the boundaries on this one.”
“Careful with my namesake,” Kendrick called out as Violet got ready to bowl the first ball.
Winter grinned. “Perhaps you should come down here and show him how it’s done, then.”
Isobel shook her head as the prim and proper duke discarded his coat and gloves, skipped down the steps, and joined the mêlée to squeals of delight by the children. Isobel had the sneaking suspicion he’d been secretly feeding them sweets all week, much to the dismay of their parents. That said, it was wonderful how much the twins had brought their father and grandfather together. They often did things as a foursome, which delighted Kendrick to no end.