for him to start out and, this way, I can take my time and compose a reply to my sister by then.”
“Very good, my lord.”
He stood and stretched, deciding to take the letter upstairs so he and Anna could read it together. He found her in the small parlor she had been drawn to, sitting before a cheery fire.
“And how are my two favorite people faring?” he asked.
“The same as we were when you asked two hours ago,” she said, smiling sweetly and lifting her face for his kiss.
He sat beside her. “May I?”
She handed the baby over and love once again blossomed deep within him. He kissed Charlie’s head and sighed.
“Were two parents ever as besotted with their child as we are?” he asked.
“I doubt it,” she replied playfully. “What’s that?”
He passed the letter to her. “It just came from Dalinda. Why don’t you read it aloud?”
Anna broke the seal and began to read:
My dearest Dez and Anna –
I received your note that your baby has come and I know your joy knows no end that he is here and healthy. I can still remember when Arthur first arrived and how I thought my heart would burst from pride and love every time I gazed down upon him. I will admit that I worried once I discovered I was with child again because I just didn’t think it possible to love another baby as much as I did Arthur.
Then Harry showed up, his own little person, so very different from his brother—and I learned a lesson all parents do—that the love in your heart isn’t limited. It merely magnifies and grows larger and larger each time a new child appears. You will be the same and I do hope you will have many, many children.
I must share a bit of sad news. My heart is heavy because Gilford is no more. It was a long time coming and I thought I had prepared myself, but I still am quite sad at his loss. We held his funeral the day I received your joyous note. I did not send word of his death to you earlier because I did not want Dez torn between coming to comfort me and missing the birth of his first child. He needed to be with you, Anna, as you become a family.
Reid has arrived at Gillingham and taken up the title. The boys are a little wary of him, coming in and taking charge the way he has. Being a military man and officer, I know it is natural for him to do so. Quite frankly, I am relieved that he is here to make decisions that are rightfully his. It looks as if he will be a good influence on my boys, though, and is thinking of placing Arthur and Harry at a local school.
I do love and miss you both. Once the boys are settled at Dunwood Academy, I would like to come and meet my new nephew and spend time together. I will let you know more of my plans once I know Harry and Arthur are established.
All my love,
Dalinda
Anna folded the letter and set it on a table. “Poor Dalinda.”
“I know,” Dez said. “She did have some good years with Gilford. At least she has Arthur and Harry. Her stepson taking over will be a huge relief.”
“She is young,” his wife pointed out. “I wonder if she would ever consider marrying again.”
“Perhaps. I do hope she will come to see us soon. I know she sounds strong in her letter but I believe she needs us even more than she herself knows.”
Charlie began to fuss and Dez told his son, “I do believe it is time for your nap.”
Anna kissed the infant’s head. “I’ll see to tea while you get him settled.”
He took his boy upstairs to the nursery and handed him over to Nanny. She began rocking him, rubbing his back, making soothing noises. Dez waited until Charlie quieted and then went to the drawing room, where the teacart sat.
“This came for you,” his wife said, handing him a letter. “Read it while I make you a plate.”
Recognizing the handwriting, he said, “It’s from Rhys.” He broke the seal, quickly reading the few lines written on the page.
“I cannot wait to meet Colonel Armistead someday,” Anna said. “You have had such good things to say about him. I hope this war will end soon.”
Dez glanced up. “You will meet him shortly. Rhys has returned to England. His cousin has always been sickly. He writes to tell me he is the new Earl of Sheffington—and he wants to pay us a visit.”
“Why, that is marvelous,” she exclaimed. “I suppose I will get my wish to meet him sooner than I expected.”
Anna handed him his plate and they spent the next hour talking of Rhys and what his return to England would mean.
“I know Rhys hadn’t heard from Lord Sheffington since he joined the army at eighteen so it must have been quite a surprise for him to learn he is now the earl.”
She touched his sleeve. “You never thought you would be the Earl of Torrington yet look what a marvelous job you are doing. You will have to help your friend, Dez. Just as Dalinda needs us, so will Rhys.”
Setting her saucer down, she said, “Shall we go and see Charlie now?”
Dez took Anna’s hand in his, drawing warmth and strength from the simple contact, and led her upstairs to the nursery. They slipped inside and Nanny rose from her rocker.
“Lord Charles is still fast asleep,” she reported. “I’ll give you a few minutes alone with him but then he’ll need to wake and feed.”
They went to the crib and gazed down at their son.
“He’s our little miracle,” Anna said. “A physical manifestation of our love for one another.”
Dez slipped his arm about his wife’s waist. “Our story started in innocence and turned to heartbreak yet we found our way back to one another. My love for you grows stronger each day, Anna. Charlie only adds to our blessings.”
He bent and kissed his son’s head and then he gazed at Anna, his heart bursting with love.
“Have I told you today how much I love you, my dearest?”
She smiled. “Once or twice, I believe. But I have always believed actions speak louder than words.”
With a hearty laugh, Dez’s lips touched hers.
THE END
About the Author
Award-winning and international bestselling author Alexa Aston’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love.
She is the author of Medieval and Regency romance, including The Knights of Honor, The King’s Cousins, The St Clairs, and The de Wolfes of Esterley Castle.
A native Texan, Alexa lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She enjoys reading, Netflix binge-watching, and can’t get enough of Survivor, The Crown, or Game of Thrones.
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