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Mouse cleared his throat. “The message is for the Duchess, Your Grace. A note has just arrived from the Duke of Langdon.”

Beatrice sucked in a breath, and Stephen was conscious of a sinking feeling in his gut.

The baby.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt that he had forgotten about Anna and Theo, his oldest friend, and their firstborn child. A quick glance at Beatrice showed that she was every bit as terrified. Her face was pale, her hands shaking.

Her sister…

He recalled that particular tragedy. Most people in Society knew about the Duke of Thornbridge’s odd seclusion, and they had all read the Duchess’s obituary in the papers, as Stephen had. A man like Stephen, of course, had connected the dots and drawn his own conclusion.

“What is it, Mouse? Is it Anna? Has she gone into labor?”

Mouse nodded. “Indeed, Your Grace. She has summoned the Duchess, and I daresay the Duke would be glad to see you there, too, if I may be so bold.”

“Yes, you’re right. Now, a carriage… Wait, are any of the coachmen in?”

Mouse grimaced. “I… I am not sure.”

Stephen let out a long, regretful sigh. “Then go outside. You’ll find a hackney cab there. I daresay the coachman’s still waiting, as I have not yet paid him. Tell him I have another job for him. Oh, and while you’re at it, take my boxes inside, won’t you?”

Mouse gave a graceless bow. “At once. At once.”

CHAPTER 16

“He’s beautiful,” Beatrice announced, a little surprised to hear a wobble in her voice. “He’sbeautiful, Anna.”

That, at least, was undeniable.

Anna was propped up against the pillows, her sheets freshly changed and straightened. A fug of sweat and unpleasant smells hung in the air, blending with the coppery tang of blood despite the wide open windows.

That smell made Beatrice feel ill. It reminded her too much of the room where Jane had lain—although, of course, the smell of blood and death had been much, much stronger.

Anna smiled tiredly. She cradled her new baby in her arms, staring down at him as if dumbstruck.

Theodore, in his shirtsleeves, with the sleeves rolled up, sat on the edge of the bed beside his wife, using a cool, damp cloth to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

“It was a quick birth—quicker than I had imagined,” Anna said, her gaze still fixed on her baby. “The pain was bad, but it felt… it felt like I wasmeantto do it, that I was built to do it. Though I think perhaps I might not want another baby… or at least, not many.” She glanced up at Beatrice, offering her a faint smile, and they both knew that Jane’s ghost stood between them. “I’m quite alright, Beatty. I’m alright.”

Beatrice felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I’m glad,” she whispered. “I’m so glad, Anna.”

She and Stephen were standing awkwardly beside the bed, peering down at the new parents and their newborn. Anna and Theo, it seemed, were so distracted and enamored with their new baby that they hadn’t even noticed that Stephen—who was not meant to be at home at all, or even in the area—was here.

“The contractions continued during the ride back from your place, after breakfast,” Anna explained. “They began to get worse quite quickly, and Theo sent for the midwife at once. I hate to say it, but I quite forgot to send a note to tell you until it was almost all over.”

Beatrice smiled wryly. “No need to apologize. I think perhaps you were preoccupied.”

Anna blinked, seeming to see Stephen for the first time.

“Stephen, we had no idea you were coming back! Welcome home.”

He gave a neat bow. “I think congratulations are in order. To you too, Theo.”

Theodore eyed his friend closely. “What brought you back, friend?”

Beatrice cast a quick, searching look at her husband.