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“No. I courted her for only a week, but I’ve been watching her from afar for months,” he lied.

“Well…”

“Mother, Arabella is not only beautiful, but she is compassionate, funny, smart, well-read and most importantly, she isn’t afraid to tell me exactly what she is thinking.”

Arabella reddened at that. One didn’t describe a proper, well-bred lady as one who spoke her mind.

“It was hard for me to wait and court her for months when my heart already knew she was the one for me.” He took her hand in his. “I love Arabella too much to be parted from her a minute longer.”

His family stared at him as if he were a strange creature they’d never seen before, but she couldn’t blame them. His words were so sweet that she could almost have believed them herself.

After a long minute, his mother smiled.

“I see she has you smitten.” She smiled at Arabella. “Come. Sit. I look forward to getting to know the woman who has stolen my son’s heart.”

Arabella curtsied and took a seat to the left of Edward’s sister-in-law while he took his place at the head of the table.

“I’m Harriet Fitzroy, Edward’s mother, and I welcome you to our home.”

“I thank you.”

“I’m Emily. His sister-in-law.” The angel to her right smiled. “I have to admit, Edward, you have a good taste.”

Arabella blushed deeply.

The footmen placed a plate of eggs, toast, butter, bacon and blueberry jam in front of her, and she was grateful for the heavy spread. She had barely eaten the previous day and was starting to feel light-headed.

Conversation flowed around the table as she ate, chiming in when questions were directed at her, but she was content just watching.

She noticed Edward speaking with his brother out of the corner of her eye, and she could tell he didn’t want to be there if his glower was anything to go by.

She wondered if she were the subject of their conversation. Her attention was drawn back to the Dowager Duchess and her sister-in-law when they rose from their seats.

“Come, Arabella.” Emily smiled. “You simply must meet the children.”

Children?

“I must warn you, they can be heathenish, but they’re the absolute sweetest,” Emily gushed. “I should know. I’m their mother.”

Arabella didn’t know she’d been holding her breath until Emily had said that. She didn’t want to think Edward had kept something as important as having children from her.

Noise met them in the hallway before she even got to the room she assumed was the playroom.

The door opened, and she confirmed that it was exactly that. The nannies looked downright worse for wear, and it took everything in her not to laugh.

“Beatrice. Noah,” Emily called. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

The children rushed over to their mother, before hiding their faces in her skirts.

Emily giggled, hugging them to herself, sending a pang through Arabella.

Would she and Edward ever have children of their own?

She turned away from the sweet display to compose herself and turned back, trying to bury the thoughts. But it was hard with the two little ones trying to talk over themselves as they explained something to their mother.

“We will go to the gardens so that you’ll show me this bird, but before then I want you guys to meet someone.”

The children looked at Arabella then, matching curious expressions on their faces, and she couldn’t help but smile. They were absolutely adorable.