Page 9 of Fall of a Kingdom

The lads were currently with my aunt and uncle in Ireland, so the house was unusually quiet. Having Duncan, Ash, and their children over to our house for an evening meal had been a buffer between me and Barrett. We hadn’t been on the same footing since she’d brought up the subject of another baby nearly a week ago, and we hadn’t talked about it since.

“How was Monaco?” Duncan asked.

“Productive. We start construction on the new hotel in the spring.”

“And Hadrian?”

“Lovesick.” I grinned. “He barely lets Sterling out of his sight.”

Duncan chuckled. “Possessive.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” I grinned. “He’s buying some mines in South America and asked if we wanted to diversify.”

“And you said?”

“I said yes.”

The world was changing quickly. I often wondered what it would look like by the time the boys were of age and took their place alongside me.

“Something else is weighing on you,” Duncan said.

I sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“I read you better than anyone. Except for your wife, of course.”

“My wife,” I murmured. “The source of my tension.”

“Are you fighting?”

“No.”

Duncan frowned. “Then what is it?”

“I’m getting Barrett’s equivalent of the cold shoulder.”

“Why? What did you do?”

“Me?” I raised my brows. “What makes you thinkIdid something?”

“I’m assuming.”

“Barrett wants another bairn,” I stated.

Duncan lowered his glass of SINNERS scotch from his lips and peered at me, his eyes silver in the low firelight. “Well, that’s an interesting turn of events, considering you had a procedure that’s effectively neutered you.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” I remarked dryly. I reached for the cigar box resting on the Biedermeier end table and held it out to Duncan. He shook his head in polite denial. I took out a bold and spicy Cuban cigar, a gift from Mateo Sanchez. The bastard wanted to fuck my wife, but at least he possessed the gentility to offer fine cigars and top shelf liquor to his business associates.

I quickly cut off the end of the cigar and lit it.

“Barrett is welcome to one of ours,” Duncan said with a wry grin. “Tell her to take the baby. He won’t sleep the night through and I’m dying.”

“I’m not sure she really wants another baby,” I said. “I think she thinks she wants another one because she doesn’t really know what she wants.”

“Say that again? In plain English this time.”

I sighed. “Why now? Why another baby now? It doesn’t make sense to me, Duncan. She says she’s willing to adopt…”

“Maybe this is more than a whim,” Duncan said. “Maybe she really does want another bairn.”