Page 274 of Desires of a Duke Collection

Five years later, Fenwick Park, Shropshire

“I absolutely adore this sunshine,” Amelia said as she lay back on a blanket spread over the recently clipped lawn behind the Fenwick Park country house. The remains of a picnic luncheon were scattered about, and two empty wine bottles poked out from an open basket. A baby was sound asleep nearby, a thumb tucked into his mouth.

“I adore all these spring flowers,” Violet said from where she sat on another blanket, one arm holding an infant girl while her four-year-old boy chased a flutterby. “Always did when I was growing up here.”

“I adore hosting you,” Helena said from where she lounged in a dark green day gown beneath an umbrella. A pair of emerald and amethyst earbobs decorated her earlobes, and a bracelet of the same gemstones was wrapped around one wrist. “All my sons and daughters and grandchildren under one roof. I wish you could all just move here so we would never have to travel to London.”

“You’d miss it if you didn’t go for at least part of the Season, Mother,” Amelia commented.

“True,” Helena admitted. “I do like seeing my friends, but the only time they’re in Town these days is for the Season, so it works out, I suppose.”

“I so appreciated your invitation to join you all this fortnight,” Katherine, Duchess of Pendleton, said from where she sat holding a toddler. The oldest daughter of Philip and Amelia, Helen was sound asleep in her lap, apparently exhausted from her play with her cousins. “This is not the best time to be in Bath or in London, and Pendleton absolutely adores a good house party.”

“Speaking of the duke, what’s become of our men, do you suppose?” Amelia asked, lifting her head from the blanket to look around for any sign of them. They had been involved in a spirited game of croquet, but the mallets, now abandoned, were lined up near the last wicket.

“Either they’re playing billiards, or they are sound asleep,” Helena replied, grinning when the four-year-old boy slumped against her skirts and announced he was exhausted. “My money would be on sleep.” She watched as the heir to the Weston dukedom slowly tipped to one side and was soon snoring softly in the grass. “Lord Bertram is finally asleep.”

“You all know what that means,” Katherine said, moving to stand despite the sleeping girl in her arms.

The other three women turned to stare at her. “What?” they asked in unison.

“We have a foursome. It’s time to play cards,” she said, motioning to the table a footman had set up nearby. “I promise I won’t take all your pin money.”

Knowing better than to try and beg off when it came to the duchess and her card games, the women all giggled as they struggled to stand and make their way to the card table. A footman had delivered a tray of lemonade and glasses and saw to setting them out for the ladies.

The reminder of cards had Helena grinning.

“What is it, Mother?” Amelia asked.

“To think, the entire time you were being secretly courted by Philip, I thought you were gambling at cards in a reading room,” Helena remarked as Amelia took a seat at the table.

She scoffed. “I was never playing cards,” she argued. “I was... playing coy with Crawford at the bookshop,” she teased. A round of titters followed her claim before she indicated Katherine. “As I recall, it was Aunt Katherine who was playing cards while my brother was secretly courting Violet in his pursuit of a duchess,” she complained. “Playing house with her in the gardens during the Reading ball.” Her brows waggled with her words, and Violet scoffed.

“Playing with my heart, if you must know,” she said, her color high, and not because of the afternoon sun.

“That’s because I thought your father was going to be your chaperone that evening,” Katherine said in her own defense. She shuffled the cards, turning her attention to Helena. “How was I to know Fenwick was playing house in the gardens with you?” she added with an arched brow.

The younger duchess blushed. “We weren’t playing in the gardens,” she argued. “We were playing in my bed...” She paused as three pairs of eyes widened and stared at her. “We were playing for keeps,” she finished with a prim grim. “Now, it’s my turn to deal, is it not?”

Katherine passed her the deck of cards. “What is it they say? You can’t win if you don’t play.”

“Well, we’re all winners now,” Violet claimed.

“Oh?” Helena replied as she dealt the cards for whist.

“I think she means we all won our husband’s hearts, Mother,” Amelia said.

Helena nodded her agreement. “And they’ve won ours,” she murmured.