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Alex sniffled, a fat tear rolling down his cheek. Edward carefully wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

“I wish I could have known Mama,” Alex whispered. “She sounds nice.”

“She was nice. One day, and one day soon, you’ll go and stay with Aunt Beatrice, who loved your Mama so much. She’ll tell you all about her, which I should have done years ago. In the meantime, Alex, we’ll be a family. You and I. I love you, Alex. I don’t believe I’ve ever told you that, and that is my fault. But you mean the world to me. You mean the absolute world.”

Alex gave a watery smile. “So… if I told you something bad, right now, you wouldn’t be angry with me?”

Edward bit back a grimace. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“All right. Well, I was the one who wrote to the scandal sheet, telling them that Daphne was here.”

Well, Edward had not been expecting that. He schooled his expression, however, and pushed through his horror.

“I see. Well, I’m sure you know that was very wrong of you and could have gone very badly.”

Alex nodded eagerly. “Yes, but I wanted Daphne to stay a little longer. And I thought she would make a good mother. So, I wrote the letter myself, and had Pet—that is, someone in the house deliver it. Besides, I could tell that you liked her.”

Edward squinted at his son. “And how could you tell that?”

Alex shrugged. “I just could.”

“Hm. Well, as I said, I’m not angry with you, but you must promise not to do anything like that again.”

Alex nodded solemnly. “I won’t, I promise. I only had to do it once.”

“Well, I can only have one wife at a time.”

“And right now,” Alex pointed out helpfully, “your wife is Daphne. I wish she would come back. It felt like a family when she was here.”

Edward bit the inside of his cheek, biting down hard to give himself something to focus on. “Yes,” he admitted, “it did feel like family, didn’t it?”

“I wish she’d come back. Can’t you write and tell her?Ican write and tell her, and say?—”

“I think you’ve written quite enough letters already,” Edward said hastily. “No, I’ll go and fetch her myself.”

Alex nodded, seeming temporarily soothed. “And what if she doesn’t want to come back?”

“Well, then I’ll…” Edward hesitated.

What? What will I do? Drag her back by her hair? The law might allow a man to compel his wife to come and live with him, but I’m not that sort of man. And she is certainly not that sort of woman. Besides, I don’t think I want to bring the ire of her family down on my head. Lady St. Maur might tear my throat out with her teeth.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alex launching himself forward and wrapping his arms around his father’s shoulders. He rested one sticky cheek against Edward’s neck.

“I love you, Papa,” Alex mumbled.

The lump was back in Edward’s throat, threatening to choke him. Slowly, tentatively, as if he wasn’t sure what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around his son, holding him close.

“I love you too, Alex,” he answered.

The words felt strange and heavy in his mouth, but he was sure that if he said them enough, they would start to feel a little more normal.

My son.He bit back a smile.My son loves me.

“Please try and get Daphne back. If you can.”

He clenched his jaw. “I promise you, Alex, I’ll do everything I can to bring her back. I swear it.”

CHAPTER 25